McHenry County, IL
Home MenuMCSEEP: Environmental Education in McHenry County!
Inspiring Awareness to Empower Action
Welcome to the McHenry County Schools Environmental Education Program. Since 1987, MCSEEP has provided environmental education to over 600,000 students, staff and parents throughout McHenry County. As director, I am excited to continue to work with the schools and citizens of McHenry County on environmental issues. Our goal is to first make people aware of different environmental concepts and issues and provide the skills to react to them.
The shutdowns that occurred during the pandemic challenged our delivery model but not our content or enthusiasm for sharing our curriculum. As school systems evolved from E-Learning practices, to hybrid classes, and back again to in-person practices, we accommodated the changes in the educational landscape but our enrollment did decline from 64 schools across the county in 2019 to 29 schools in 2024.
The McHenry County Schools Environmental Education Program (MCSEEP) provides STEM activities correlated to the Next Generation Science Standards pre K-12 grade. In addition to pre-K - 12 lessons in schools, we present lessons for homeschooled students, organizations such as scouts, environmental clubs and adults. We are working to add Spanish language support to our visual presentations offered at each grade level.
We are also encouraging schools to conduct long-term projects collecting data which can monitor environmental and energy trends. Teacher in-services (providing CPDU options) on environmental topics can be arranged with school districts for support of NGSS and extension lessons. Upon request, we can help to find resources to assist high schools or organizations that work with high school age students to train for the Envirothon Contest, advanced placement biology and environmental science exams
Please feel free to contact MCSEEP for details on any of our programs or if you have ideas for us to explore at mcseepdirector@gmail.com.
MCSEEP received grants from the McHenry County Cooperative for Employment Education to help with the groundwater festival.
Historically, each spring 6th grade students are invited to attend a groundwater festival where they learn water principles from professionals in the field. This school year the groundwater festival will be held in May of 2025.
MCSEEP NEWSLETTER - "The GREEN SIDE"
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Teacher Resources
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Check out our exclusive MCSEEP Challenges! Project Sign-Up |
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| TREX Plastic Film Challenge | Waste Free Lunch Challenge | Polystyrene Challenge |
McHenry County Schools Environmental Education Program reaches out to over 65 schools in McHenry County. Since 1987 we have provided classroom presentations, materials and lesson plans on a variety of environmental conservation topics.