The National Wildlife Federation’s Schoolyard Habitats®Program has assisted over 2800 schools and outdoor education providers nationwide in the development of outdoor habitat areas designed to protect wildlife and enhance the educational experiences of students, teachers and community members. Schoolyard habitats are recognized for their contributions to habitat conservation, as well as for community involvement in education and use of the outdoors as a teaching tool.

Schoolyard Habitats projects provide enriching, exciting, and interactive educational activities that foster enthusiasm in students and educators alike. Recent studies provide evidence that both student attitudes and test scores improve when students learn from an environment-based curriculum. Research has also demonstrated the value of a diverse and well constructed school ground in a child’s education. The Schoolyard Habitats program combines both of these resources, enabling students to experience the natural world in their own schoolyard. Schoolyard habitats are a proven means to improve not only the atmosphere of your school or facility, but also the academic performance.

We want to help educators of all kinds garden for wildlife. Whether you are a school district official, an administrator, or an educator teaching at home, in a school, at a nature center or in a day care, we want to help you.

School district officials:
National Wildlife Federation offers

• Teacher training courses and curricula to enhance professional development opportunities such as Access Nature™ and Schoolyard Habitats®: A How-to Guide for K-12 School Communities
• Support in building and training community teams
• Support in leveraging funding or securing donations for habitat projects

Parents and homeschoolers:

• Find ideas about how to enjoy nature with your children at GreenHour.org
• Climate Classroom can help parents tackle the tough subject of global warming.

Educators:

• We offer a number of print resources, including a guide to creating a schoolyard habitat (Schoolyard Habitats: a How-to Guide for K-12 School Communities), Access Nature curricula, and Ranger Rick Educator Guides
• Climate Classroom helps educators tackle the tough subject of global warming.

Colleges and Universities:

• Our Campus Ecology program helps individuals and campuses address sustainability and climate change through student engagement and activism.

We want to hear from you! What should National Wildlife Federation be doing to help educators? Please contact us with your ideas and suggestions.