Outreach Programs

The Nature Institute (TNI) offers outreach programs for all ages! Our Education Team will bring nature exploration to your school, library, afterschool program, scout meeting, and more! Programs are available Tuesday through Friday during the school year. Very limited summer slots are available. Outreach programs must be booked 2 weeks in advance.

Program Length: 30 – 60 minutes
  • Educational programs are facilitated by our staff and volunteers
  • All materials needed for the program are brought to you!
Program Size: 30 students/program
  • Programs can be scheduled back to back for multiple classes.
  • Contact us if you would like to arrange a large group program or assembly.
Program Cost: Contact Us for Pricing
  • Mileage fees ($0.70/mi) will apply for organizations more than 15 miles away.
  • Additional programs booked on the same day receive a discounted fee.
  • Program fees vary depending on size, time, and additional details. Please reach out to us for accurate pricing.

Outreach Booking Procedure:

  1. Please contact us at (618) 466-9930 or lscull@thenatureinstitute.org.
  2. Please include your name, group size, location, and requested topics or programs.
  3. We will create a custom program for you. After both parties have agreed on a date, time, and program, you will receive an electronic invoice.
  4. Invoices must be paid 1 month in advance of the program.

Questions? Contact us at lscull@thenatureinstitute.org.

PreK – 1st

Provide some movement and relaxation for your classroom kiddos. Our mini yoga flows incorporate yoga poses, games, music, and more. Flows are built around nature themes! This program is taught by a certified yoga teacher.

Length: 30 minutes

Grade: PreK – 1st

Get down and dirty with all of the things that make soil interesting. Students will get to examine worms up close, use their sense of touch like a mole underground, and pretend to be a plant growing in the ground!

Length: 30 minutes

Grade: PreK – 1st

TNI educators will bring our inflatable planetarium to your classroom. Identify stars and planets up close. Learn the stories behind constellations!

Special requirements: Our planetarium is 10 feet high and requires an outlet. The planetarium can be set up inside or outside. Maximum of 20 students inside the planetarium at a time. Not recommended for outside use in temperatures above 75oF.

Length: 30 minutes

Grade: All ages, recommended for 2nd and up.

Eww, who scat that? Scat is the scientific term for animal poop. Learn about the importance of studying this stinky clue left behind by the local wildlife! Our educators will read a special story about scat, as well as provide materials for making your very own scat model.

Length: 30 minutes

Grade: PreK – 1st

2nd – 5th

Discover our local animal architects and what they’re doing to construct their homes. Test your construction skills by building and testing a beaver dam, then craft a bird nest to take home.

Length: 45 minutes

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Investigate mammal characteristics through skull, track, and fur activities!

Length: 45 minutes

Grade: 2nd – 5th

TNI educators will bring our inflatable planetarium to your classroom. Identify stars and planets up close. Learn the stories behind constellations!

Special requirements: Our planetarium is 10 feet high and requires an outlet. The planetarium can be set up inside or outside. Maximum of 20 students inside the planetarium at a time. Not recommended for outside use in temperatures above 75oF.

Length: 30 minutes

Grade: All ages, recommended for 2nd and up.

Round and round we go, exploring the water cycle! Play a game as a water droplet, examine what lives in the water, and investigate how water moves through our watershed.

Length: 45 minutes

Grade: 3rd – 5th

6th Grade & Up

What effect does the human population have on local wildlife? What about the factors affecting wildlife populations? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this special interactive program.

Length: 45 minutes

Grade: 6th – 10th

TNI educators will bring our inflatable planetarium to your classroom. Identify stars and planets up close. Learn the stories behind constellations!

Special requirements: Our planetarium is 10 feet high and requires an outlet. The planetarium can be set up inside or outside. Maximum of 20 students inside the planetarium at a time. Not recommended for outside use in temperatures above 75oF.

Length: 30 minutes

Grade: All ages, recommended for 2nd and up.

Deposit/Cancellation Policy

Effective Spring 2020, TNI will require full payment for outreach programs received no later than 30 days before the program date. You will receive an invoice and a final confirmation from our staff once your program is on the calendar.

This payment is only refundable in the case of TNI needing to cancel the program due to unforeseen circumstances. If a school cancels their outreach program within two weeks of their scheduled date, payment amount minus a $25 processing fee will be returned to the school.

Contact

If you would like more information regarding Outreach Programs at TNI, please call us at 618-466-9930 or email us at info@thenatureinstitute.org.

Interested in a custom, virtual, or college outreach program? Contact Lauren Scull, the Director of Education, at lscull@thenatureinstitute.org.