Environmental Education

As a public service, the Division of Environmental Health and Protection provides free environmental education programs for schools, scouts, clubs, businesses or other groups in St. Charles County. Due to the interactive nature of our programs, the ideal group size is 10 to 40 people. Please call (636) 949-1800 for more information, use the online form to schedule a program or view our calendar for additional classes.

Educator Workshops & In-Service Opportunities Programs

Recycling & Resource Conservation for your School

Grades: 4 - 12 | Length: 90 minutes

Did you know that about half of your school’s trash is able to be composted? Help your school save or even make money while turning kids on to recycling! Your students will learn what can be recycled, so that they can help lead the school’s waste reduction efforts. Follow up visits will be provided to keep your students motivated.

Recycle Works Facility Tours

Bring your group for an interactive exploration of our county’s Recycle Works centers and learn about environmental career ideas. We’ll discuss what happens after you recycle aluminum or that computer monitor. You’ll also hear loud equipment, see mounds of recycled bales, feel the plastic shredded material and more! Tours are scheduled between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Tuesdays through Fridays. Tour participants must be at least 10 years of age. For information or to schedule a tour, please call (636) 949-1800.

Waste & Recycling Programs

Goggles, Gunk, & Goo

Grades: 2 - 5 | Length: 50 minutes
Uncover what’s toxic at home. Learn safe alternatives and proper disposal of hazardous products. After discerning words such as “corrosive” and “flammable,” students directly apply what they’ve learned by writing on their desks! The group experiments with non-hazardous cleaning alternatives made from things you can eat. Program includes free recipes for earth-friendly cleaning products.

Krafty Kids

Grades: K - 2 | Length 25 - 35 minutes
Create amazing crafts using recycled items. Communication and creativity flourish as your group creates one-of-a-kind art projects to better understand the 3 R’s - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Recycle Relay

Grades: K - 2 | Length: 20 minutes
Students compete in “Ready, Get Set, Recycle!” a relay race where they learn to place items in correct containers. This short, hands-on approach introduces the concepts of reduce-reuse-recycle. Program also discusses “Where does trash come from?” and “Where does it go?”

Water Programs

Macroinvertebrate Mayhem

Grades: 4 - 6 | Length: 50 minutes
Discover how population diversity provides insight into the health of an ecosystem. An active educational game helps students learn how tolerance to water quality varies among different aquatic organisms.