Environmental Literacy Opportunities

The William S. Schmidt Outdoor Education Center (Schmidt Center) offers and supports several Environmental Literacy and outdoor education field trip opportunities for schools. These education programs for elementary,middle, and high schools are embedded in the science curriculum, aligned to the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Environmental Literacy Standards, and support a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) and Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) Climate Change Action Plan. Listed below are the field trip experiences; more details can be found on the Schmidt Center website:

• Forest Friends (1st Grade)
• Sunfish and Students Program (3rd Grade)
• Wild Rice Program (7th Grade)
• Composting Pilot Program (PreK-12th Grades)
• Maryland Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education (MAEOE) Youth Summit (PreK-12th Grades)
• The Maryland National Capital Park & Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) (PreK-12th Grades)
• The Climate and Stormwater Stewards Program (3rd - 12th Grades)
• Bridging the Watershed (6th - 12th Grades)
• Mussel Power Program (9th - 12th Grades)
• Envirothon (9th - 12th Grades)• Student Environmental Alliance Summit (9th - 12th Grades)

As the Schmidt Center coordinates these activities, schools will adhere to Field Trip Administrative Procedure 6153, which exempts schools participating in a field trip coordinated by the William S. Schmidt Outdoor Education Center from submitting detailed field trip packets. Schools must submit permission slips, a roster of students, teachers, and chaperones attending the trip, and the trip's date and destination. If there are any questions, please contact James Roberson, Supervisor of Environmental Education Programs and the William S. Schmidt Outdoor Environmental Center, at james.roberson@pgcps.org or 301-888-1185.