The Forest Preserve District of Will County is proud to offer our local home school students opportunities to learn and grow through a variety of educational programs and resources.

Home School Days

The Forest Preserve District of Will County will be offering Home School Days for fall and spring field trips in the 2011-2012 school year to the Environmental Learning Center in Mokena, Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon, and Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville. 

Home School Days allow individual home school students to register for pre-determined programs. To register your students, please fill out the on-line registration form or contact the Centralized Booking Office at 815.216.0535. Space is limited, so do not hesitate to register!

Please note that per-student fees are charged for programs located at the Environmental Learning Center in Mokena ($5/student) and the Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon ($8/student). Fees will be collected at the time of the program.

Program offerings for the 2011-2012 school year are as follows:

The Story Circle and The Trade
Isle a la Cache Museum, Romeoville
Friday, September 2, 2011
Registration Deadline: Friday, August 19, 2:00 p.m.
Fee: Free!
Grade Level: K-6
Program Description: In The Story Circle, students learn the importance of oral stories as a means to promote cultural values and traditions as they explore the stories of the French and the Native Americans of the Great Lakes Region. During this exploration, students will create a myth using pictography and communicate in Native American sign language. In The Trade, students will step back into the 1750s of Illinois to explore the barter system used by the French and Native Americans to exchange goods. By participating in a trade, students will see the benefits of this economic process.

Pond Exploration and Dead Log Study
Environmental Learning Center, Mokena
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Registration Deadline: Friday, September 2, 2:00 p.m.
Fee: $5/Student
Grade Level: 5-12
Program Description: In the Pond Exploration program, students will explore an aquatic environment and collect live specimens for identification. They will learn the different environmental factors that affect the health of the aquatic ecosystem studied. Participants should wear old shoes; the pond's shore is muddy and sloping. The Dead Log Study program introduces students to decomposition and the role it plays in the natural world. Students learn the types of organisms that rely on decaying logs while exploring a woodland habitat. They will draw conclusions regarding the species found in and around the dead logs.

Water Connections
Four Rivers Environmental Education Center, Channahon
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Registration Deadline: Friday, September 9, 2:00 p.m.
Fee: $8/Student
Grade Level: 4-5
Program Description: While surrounded by water on a unique river peninsula, students are introduced to the local watershed and its features, go on a journey through the water cycle, and compare the changes in human water use over time. This program is experiential in nature and utilizes games and hands-on activities to both entertain and teach.

Animal Signs and Map & Compass
Environmental Learning Center, Mokena
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Registration Deadline: Friday, April 6, 2:00 p.m.
Fee: $5/Student
Grade Level: 5-12
Program Description: In the Animal Signs program, students will explore the animal world by visiting habitats and searching for various traces of life. Students learn how different habitats determine the type of animal life living in them. They will also explore the role that tracking played during the pre-settlement period and the role it plays today. In the Map & Compass program, students will learn basic orienteering skills, combining the abilities of reading a map and using a compass. After basic knowledge is gained, students will practice these skills by working an orienteering course. Depending upon skill level, students may have an opportunity to create their own compass course for others to try.

E.Y.E Appeal - Explore Your Environment
Four Rivers Environmental Education Center, Channahon
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Registration Deadline: Friday, May 18, 2:00 p.m.
Fee: $8/Student
Grade Level: 6-7
Program Description: This journey takes your students to the convergence of the Des Plaines and DuPage Rivers. Early explorers traveled Will County via the same rivers and helped shape history with their maps and discoveries. Your students will investigate the flora and fauna, journal observations, and gain valuable navigational skills with map and compass activities. No exploration would be complete without adventure! Students will face a variety of challenges as they navigate a course that requires teamwork and decision making.

The Story Circle and The Trade
Isle a la Cache Museum, Romeoville
Friday, June 1, 2012
Registration Deadline: Friday, May 18, 2:00 p.m.
Fee: Free!
Grade Level: K-6
Program Description: In The Story Circle, students learn the importance of oral stories as a means to promote cultural values and traditions as they explore the stories of the French and the Native Americans of the Great Lakes Region. During this exploration, students will create a myth using pictography and communicate in Native American sign language. In The Trade, students will step back into the 1750s of Illinois to explore the barter system used by the French and Native Americans to exchange goods. By participating in a trade, students will see the benefits of this economic process.

The tentative schedule for all days is as follows:

• 9:00 - 9:15 a.m. Program Registration/Check-in
• 9:15 - 9:30 a.m. Introduction
• 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. Program 1/Part 1
• 11:00 - 11:45 a.m. Lunch
• 11:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m. Program 2/Part 2
• 1:15 - 1:30 p.m. Depart

Helpful information for a better program experience:

• Parents are encouraged to stay for the day with their child.
• Please bring a "Waste-Free Lunch." Details about Willy's Waste Free-Lunch Program will be sent after your registration has been processed.
• Dress for the weather! Programs are presented rain or shine. In the event of severe weather, the Forest Preserve District may cancel the program for the safety of the participants.
  

Proceed to On-line Home School Day Registration Form

Photographs Courtesy of Jessica Prince

School Programs

Organized home school groups of 10 or more age-appropriate students may register for field trip and in-school programs by submitting an on-line School Program Request. (In-school programs may be presented in public buildings, i.e., YMCA, library, church classroom, etc. Programs may not be presented in private residences.) Learn more on the School Program Information page.

Resource Loan Kits

Topic-themed kits are available to teachers and home school parents provided by the Forest Preserve District and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. These Resource Loan Kits are a collection of educational materials that include games, videos, equipment, and field guides that help students explore a specific subject. Each kit has enough supplies for 30 students and is available for a two-week loan period. There are no rental fees at this time, but lost, broken, or missing items will be paid for by rentee. To reserve kits and arrange pick up and drop off, contact the Sugar Creek Administration Center at 815.727.8700.

Resource Loan Kit titles include:

Mammals	Native Americans: Life and Lifestyle
Urban Ecology	Illinois State Symbols
Water and Wetlands	Illinois Insects and Spiders
Illinois Prairies	Illinois Fossils
Pioneer Life	Illinois Tree Trunk