According to the United State Environmental Protection Agency, “environmental education is a process that allows individuals to explore environmental issues, engage in problem solving, and take action to improve the environment. As a result, individuals develop a deeper understanding of environmental issues and have the skills to make informed and responsible decisions.”   The Campbell County Extension Agent for Natural Resources and Environmental Management provides field trips at the Environmental Education Center that address Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). 931 students participated in these field trips in September through mid-October 2024.

 A class of 19, seventh grade students learned how to use dichotomous keys to identify trees and their utilization including foods and medicines. 10, third grade classes and with 242 students from three schools participated in ecosystem studies and learned about Kentucky’s native plants and animals through the concept of interdependency. 34, fourth grade classes with 651 students from twelve schools participated and learned about energy transfer from sun to producers, consumers, and decomposers by studying plant and animal structures, functions, and behavior, including humans’ use of solar energy. Northern Kentucky University’s ENV 115 (Environmental Careers Course) class with 19 students learned about environmental education, Extension Service work experiences, and other skills in career growth. 44 teachers and 19 university students evaluated the field trips as highly effective and provided testimonials.

“We use KY standards at our school. These align with the lessons we teach. Meets multiple standards in real world scenarios / situations.” – St. Mary’s School 4^th grade teachers. “You bring such knowledgeable experts to teach all four stations. I appreciate this field trip so much. The kids get hands-on real-world experiences that many of them wouldn’t receive without this.” – Crossroads Elementary School 4^th grade teacher. “I was quite impressed. The kids were very engaged. To have tools in their hands was ideal. It really put them in charge of their learning.” – Johnson Elementary School 3^rd grade teacher. “We study classification in 7^th grade science. We talk about the six kingdoms of life. The field trip allows my students to apply these concepts to real life situations. All of the organisms we key out today are the ones they will come into contact with daily. The big bonus – a beautiful space (Environmental Education Center) that they can come and visit again with their family. DJ does a great job!” – St. Catherine of Siena School 7^th grade teacher. 

“I enjoyed hearing about the various types of visits that students can make to the Center, including the activities that they can participate in the wooded areas and trails. I appreciated the effort to make every aspect of the building educational. Especially, with the paintings around the room, the attention to detail in making the plants and animals all local and/or native species to the area was very impressive. One of my favorite parts of the main room was the beehive tree. I appreciated that it allowed the visitors to the Center to view bees at work and learn about the process of making honey.” “I think that programs like this allow community members to get involved with sustainability without being hindered by their finances.” “I like the fact that they are working directly with the community to make sure they are spending their tax dollars the way they should be.” “Out of all the fields we have learned about so far, this one is definitely the most interesting to me. I enjoy that they are about to spend their workday directly in nature and make an impact on the environment around them.” – NKU ENV 115 students. “Once again, we were grateful for your presence and sincerely hope that in future you would still consider being an integral part of this ENV career course. Thanks, Sydney Oluoch, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Northern Kentucky University.