America’s Largest Classroom

Program Partners

Hands on the Land (HOL) is supported by:

• Partners in Resource Education (PRE), a collaboration of seven Federal agencies

• The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF)

• The Keystone Center (TKC) and Keystone Science School (KSS)

America’s Largest Classroom

General Overview

America’s Largest Classroom

Program GoalsHands on the Land is a network of

field classrooms stretching across America from Alaska to Florida. The goals of the program are to:• Provide teaching resources to

teachers;• Create networking opportunities

for educators on public lands and waterways and in the classroom;

• Share information about natural resources and educational programs.

America’s Largest Classroom

Program Statistics

117 Member Sites in 28 States

Over 300 Educator Resources

6 Environmental Monitoring Databases

America’s Largest Classroom

Program Highlights

Site Profiles•Allows sites to create a mini-website with photos and detailed information

•Provides contact information for website users to further inquire

•Contains a link to actual website apart from the HOL network

•Provides natural resource details for the site which allows users to better network

America’s Largest Classroom

Program HighlightsEducator Resources

•Provides lesson plans to encourage quality environmental education

•Segregates activities by appropriate grades

•Encourages sites to network and share resources

America’s Largest Classroom

Program Highlights

Environmental Monitoring•Provides sites with an online access to databases

•Allows sites and HOL visitors to learn more about various research topics

•Highlights programs across the country

•Has the capacity to be tailored to individual site needs

America’s Largest Classroom

Program ResourcesProgram Providers

•Provides helpful hints for partnering with schools

•Contains links to useful evaluation and assessment tools

•Network with other program providers through the contact directory

America’s Largest Classroom

Program Resources

Blog•Stay updated on current events with sites across the country

•Provides a forum for marketing and sharing upcoming events

•Provides a great way to learn of other site’s successes and model new programs or events after them

America’s Largest Classroom

Get Involved

Membership CriteriaThe public land management agency or education center must offer education programs for students at a field classroom located on federal, state or public lands.

These programs must be developed in partnership with a local school or school district and designed to support established school curriculum and local standards of learning as well as public agency resource management objectives.

The programs may be delivered with the assistance of community partners and volunteers, but a staff person must be permanently assigned as a point of contact.

Programs must be offered on an ongoing basis; they cannot be one-time or once-a-year events.

Preference will be given to those sites that demonstrate broad-based community support.

America’s Largest Classroom

Get Involved

America’s Largest Classroom

Get Involved

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Program Needs Technical Website NeedsEllen Reid Dave Zelenkaereid@keystone.org Website Administrator970-455-4233 davez@interactive-earth.com