(by Sheryl Horton)
The 2024-25 school year is a wrap! There were impactful live animal interactions, experiential learning, guided nature hikes, and hands-on investigations throughout the year. From pollinator parties to introducing live raptors and reptiles, the NH Audubon Education Department saw so many groups over the past nine months, we thought it would be great to reflect on some of the highlights from our K-12 programs.
- We reached 6,318 students, teachers, and parent volunteers this school year on field trips, at school events, and on classroom visits.
- Our Urban Wildlife Program for 3rd graders in the Manchester Public School District continued to grow in popularity, seeing more students in the 24/25 school year than ever before.
- The pilot of Motus for high school students completed this spring with two schools participating in the multi-session program highlighting how scientists track migration. This new program will be available for future classes to participate in the 2025-26 school year.
- One teacher said, “We loved meeting animals and talking all about the characteristics of different types of animals. We just completed a unit about Animal Classification.” Another shared that “The students loved the examples of pollinators they got to look at and pass around. They also loved looking through the bug glasses and acting like pollinators themselves.”
- NH Audubon hosted 100 high school students and teachers for the Fall Envirothon Training Day and facilitated during the test day in the Spring.
- Groups are returning year after year for ongoing education opportunities. One educator wrote, “We all had a wonderful time, and we learned different information than what we learned last year which was really cool.”
As School Programs continue to evolve, we look forward to offering new topics and field trips in the coming school year and look forward to seeing many more eager students in a few months. If you are interested in getting a head start on scheduling for next school year, our New Hampshire Audubon School Program Inquiry is always active!