In-school programs

Field trips are available Tuesdays through Fridays for your students. Program registration for the 2025-26 school year is now open.

In-school programs are available for Will County schools to assist you in your teaching. These programs are STEM strong and aligned with Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards. If you have questions pertaining to these standards as they relate to school programs, please contact Four Rivers Environmental Education Center, Hidden Oaks Nature Center, Isle a la Cache Museum or Plum Creek Nature Center. All programs are presented by our team of professional and knowledgeable naturalists. 

Requests are time stamped and queued in the order they are received. Please note that submission of a request form does not guarantee a reservation. Request forms are processed in a first-come, first-served order.

In-school programs are available Will County schools. The fee is $40 for the first program per day and $10 for the second and third programs held on the same day. Payment is due 10 working days from the issuance of the program permit packet unless other arrangements are made.

REQUEST A PROGRAM

Getting Ready for Winter

Grades: K-3
Time: 1 hour
Your students will discover the changes that take place in nature from fall to winter and learn how animals adapt to these changes. Through this program, students will understand the methods and adaptations animals use to survive winter.

Jolliet & Marquette: Quest for the Mississippi

Grades: 3-6
Time: 1 hour
This program revisits the travels of Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet in their expedition down the Mississippi River. Students examine what these two men needed to survive their 2,500-mile voyage and use critical problem-solving skills to learn how their travels and discoveries led to the fur trade era in the Illinois region.

Junior Winter Bird Feeder Challenge

Grades: 3-5
Time: 1 hour each visit
Your students become citizen scientists in this award-winning three-program series. During the first visit, (November-December) students are introduced to local winter birds and the skills needed to observe and record birds. The second visit (January-February) includes a fun, hands-on activity where students discover bird adaptations. In the final visit (March), students apply all they have learned to create a bird species all their own. The final presentation includes discussions of observations and a certificate of participation for each student.  Register your class by submitting a completed program reservation form for the first visit in November. The $120 fee includes three programs, a bird feeder and birdseed. The second and third visits are scheduled once the first visit is secured.

Mammal Mysteries

Grades: 4-6
Time: 1 hour

Calling all student investigators — we need your help! We've uncovered a pile of bones and fur, but who do they belong to? In this hands-on program, students will explore which mammals call Illinois home and discover the unique traits that define mammals. They'll examine real fur and skull specimens, learn how to identify an animal's diet by looking at its teeth, and piece together clues to solve our exciting mammal mysteries!

Native American Uses of Nature

Grades: 5-6
Time: 1 hour
Students learn about the Native American tribes that lived in this region before European settlers arrived and the roles that men, women and children played in their family, in work life and in the community. By learning how the Native tribes used raw materials to make tools, build shelters and find food, students gain an understanding of the impact they had on the natural environment.

Nature: A Symphonty of Sounds

Grades: 1-6
Time: 1 hour
Turn up the volume on nature! In this program, students will discover different groups of animals and how and why they make sounds. They will learn to describe what they hear using musical and scientific terms while fine-tuning their species identification skills. At the end, the class will perform a symphony using instruments inspired by wildlife. 

When Two Worlds Meet

Grades: 3-4
Time: 1 hour
Students will take a hands-on look at the Great Lakes fur trade. They will discuss the value of beaver pelts to the French and trade goods to the Native Americans. They will also explore how these two cultures used different tools and materials to address similar needs.

Whoose Bones?

Grades: 4-6
Time: 1 hour
Turn your classroom into a forensic lab for dissecting and reconstructing the mystery of owl pellets. Students will reveal a food chain and predator-prey relationships right on their desks.