Environmental Education Program
Contact Persons
Susan Burke, Director, MCSEEP
Suzanne Heagney, Librarian
Karen Dombrowski, Teacher
Larry Fischer, Teacher
Carolyn Sullivan, Teacher
McHenry County Schools Environmental Education Program
Planning & Development
2200 N. Seminary
Woodstock, IL 60098
Phone: 815-334-4054
E-mail: slburke@co.mchenry.il.us
ENVIRONMENTAL LESSONS: (K-12)
(K) The Garbage Monster (35 Min.)
(1) Our Good Friends, the Trees (35 Min.)
(2) Water: Making Every Drop Count (40 Min.)
(3) W.O.R.M.S. - Why Organisms Renew My Soil (50 Min.)
(4) The Race to Renew (Natural Resources and Alternative Energy) (50 Min.)
(5) Endangered Species/Biodiversity - Let's Care For Each Otter! (50 Min.)
(6) Water - Yours to Preserve (50 Min.)
(7) The Heat Is On (Global Climate Change and Alternative Energy) (50 Min.)
(8) Cool Jobs - Working for Sustainability (50 Min.)
(9-12) Green Careers (50 min.- 1 hour)
Lesson Summary
SIGN UP FOR YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL LESSONS: (K-8)
If you are a school coordinator you can now sign up for your environmental lessons online. Click here to fill out the sign up form. If you are a high school teacher and want to schedule a lesson, please contact our office at (815) 334-4054.
View the Calendar of the Current Schedule.
Teachers: You can follow up after our lessons by using our Lesson Library!
Tours
Tour of The Recycle America Alliance Educycle Center
Tour of Behr Scrap Yard
Tour of Countryside Landfill
Tour of Thelen Compost Site
Purpose
The McHenry County Schools Environmental Education Program’s main objective is to educate the children and staff of McHenry County schools about the environment and stewardship. The program teaches environmental lessons in K-12 classes. It offers instructional materials for incorporating environmental education in the classroom through teacher workshops, a curriculum library and a website. It interacts and networks with other environmental organizations for the purpose of enhanced environmental education in McHenry County.
History
The program began through the McHenry County Waste Advisory Committee (WAC). In the spring of 1987, the WAC formed a recycling education sub-committee to explore how a solid waste education program could be developed in the schools. The sub-committee developed a program outline, and the McHenry County Schools Recycling Education Program became a reality. The project started with five pilot schools in the 1987-88 school year, and since 1991-92 has included most of the schools in the county. In June of 2001, the program’s name was changed to “McHenry County Schools Environmental Education Program” since it had expanded to cover a wide variety of environmental issues.
The County Administration is the overseeing agency. Both the Planning and Development office and the McHenry County Board provide in-kind services and funding. All other funding for the program comes from individuals, businesses, organizations, schools and municipalities.
Significant Accomplishments 
The McHenry County Schools' Environmental Education Program:
- Has taught K-12 environmental lessons from 1987-present to approximately 40,000 students in over 65 schools
- Helped schools start their recycling programs. Most schools are recycling school paper and aluminum cans while many schools are also recycling tin cans, cardboard, plastics, and newspapers. Some schools are recycling polystyrene, magazines, old books, aluminum foil and glass. A few schools are even composting their food scraps.
- Wrote Illinois Energy and Natural Resource Education grants or offered suggestions so school districts could purchase recycling containers and waste reduction equipment from 1991-1999
- Arranged for local nurseries to donate trees, bushes and perennials to schools as recognition for their recycling efforts
- Helps the schools obtain Earth Flags and awards
- Participates in the ongoing NIKE Reuse-a-Shoe Collection Program
- Participates in the annual McHenry County Earth Day Celebration
- Created an online school scheduling program for environmental education lessons in 2008
- Presented at Connections Conference 2010-11 on topics of "How to Start an Environmental Education Program" and "Learn to Create Environmental Lessons using the MCSEEP Lesson Library"
- Participated in the Bioneers event held at MCC in 2009-10; 2010-11; 2011-12
- Held Lesson Library In-service instructing teachers how to use our online resources in Sept., 2010 and June, 2011
Recognition
|
1988 |
McHenry County Defenders Education Award |
|
1989 |
Illinois Recycling Association Education Award |
|
1990 |
State of Illinois Solid Waste Reduction Award |
|
1991 |
Regional finalist for United States Environmental Protection Agency National Administrators Award |
|
1992 |
Illinois State Board of Education Business Education Partnership: Honorable Mention
Crystal Lake Jaycees Outstanding Leadership Award |
|
1991-1995 |
Administered reduction and recycling grants from Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources for 1991-92: 20 schools; 1993-94: 24 schools; 1994-95: 18 schools. |
|
1995-1999 |
Administered reduction and recycling grants from Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs 1995-96: 28 schools; 1996-97: 18 schools; 1997-98: 4 schools, 1998-99: helped Algonquin Road School obtain a IDCCA grant. |
|
1996-2000 |
Administered McHenry County Board matching funds for environmental speakers: 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99,
1999-2000. |
|
1998 |
Appreciation award from 4th grade students in District #47 |
|
1999 |
Crystal Lake-Cary League of Women Voters 15th Annual Leadership Award
Invited and attended the 1999 Illinois State Environmental Education Leadership Clinic |
|
1999-2000 |
Received Illinois State Board of Education "Education to Careers Grant" and, thus taught Aurora University graduate courses "Waste, Recycle and Tech Careers" and "Prairie Restoration."
Received Certificates of Appreciation for participating in District 47 Energy Fair.
Presenter at Illinois Recycling Association Conference. |
|
2000 |
Illinois Counties Solid Waste Manager's Association Life Time Achievement Award - 3R's Education. |
|
2001-2008 |
Taught Aurora University graduate courses, "Waste Management for the 21st Century" and "Prairie Restoration."
Tales”, “Environmental Art and Learning Styles” and “Groundwater”. |
|
2003 |
Was featured in the September edition of Conscious Choice magazine. |
|
2004-present |
Member of the McHenry County Government Green Team, which seeks to set a county wide example through reduction of governmental solid waste.
Recipient of McHenry County College’s Student Ambassadors financial award. |
|
2006-2007 |
Recipient of Honda Foundation Grant to be able to expand our grades 9-12 program. |
|
2007- 2008 |
Recipient of Honda Foundation Grant to develop Hispanic bilingual program for grades K-3; to continue to expand our 9-12 program; to provide scholarship funds to schools to help pay for environmental education; and to hire a new teacher on staff. |
|
2008 |
Was featured as “green organization of the week” in the Northwest Herald June 26, 2008. |
|
2009 |
Received the Governor’s Sustainability Award |
| 2010 |
Recipient of Siemen's grant to be able to launch a lesson resource library for teachers |
| 2011 |
Recipient of Siemen's grant to be able to continue to fund the Lesson Library for teachers |
| 2011 |
Recipient of CTEI grant, through the State of Illinois & the McHenry County Cooperative for Employment Education (MCCEE) to be able to add Green Career lessons. |