School Programs

General Information

All programs are reserved by phone only. The first day of call-in registration is August 29, 2007 at 8:00 a.m. Reservations will be acepted as long as openings exist. Check bus/school schedules prior to calling to avoid holidays and school activities.

After registration, each teacher will receive a confirmation packet with program date/time and a site map. All spring confirmation packets will be mailed out in January.

In order to offer quality programs, class size is restricted to 24 students for preschool classes and 30 students for grades K-12. Special arrangements may be made for those teachers needing to accommodate a full bus. Please call for details. Children other than students are not permitted.

One adult chaperone is required for every ten students. Chaperones are expected to stay with the group at all times, provide discipline and participate in the activities.

Classes are invited to bring picnic lunches for before or after programs. Please advise Forest Preserve District educator when you make your registration if this is planned. Lunch facilities are available outside or inside, depending on the weather. Restrooms and drinking fountains are located nearby. Please remind students and chaperones that gum, drinks and food are not allowed in the museum.

New Fee Structure
This new fee structure is effective August 2007. As always, teachers and chaperones are free.

Additional Information for:

Environmental Education

Morning programs at preserve sites begin at 10:00 a.m. and afternoon programs begin at 12:30 p.m. Most programs last approximately 1.5-2 hours. Specific arrival and departure times may be flexible.

After you have decided on a program, please pick a location to visit. Three forest preserve sites are available:

1. Homer Lake Forest Preserve in Homer: This site offers a prairie overlook area, a lake, a forest and the Environmental Education Center, which houses interactive displays, taxidermy and live animals.
2. Middle Fork River Forest Preserve in Penfield: This site offers the largest prairie restoration opportunities as well as a large Waterfowl Management Area overlook. We highly suggest this site for prairie and wetland/waterfowl programs.
3. Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve in Mahomet: This site offers easy access from most areas. It is located directly off of I-74 and only minutes from Champaign-Urbana.

All programs will be conducted outdoors. Students must dress appropriately for the weather.

To Register For:

Early American Museum

Programs are offered for a morning, afternoon or all-day slot. Depending on your travel time and the length of the program, programs can begin between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. or 12:00 and 1:00 p.m.

Fall programs are offered September through December. Special holiday programs are offered in December. Reservations for Spring 2008 may be made any time after January 22, 2008. Programs are offered late February through May.

The museum gift shop is open to grades two and up. The shop stocks a number of educational and program-related items, beginning at $.50. The shop is required to charge Illinois sales tax. Groups of ten must be accompanied by at least one adult. Please let us know when you make your reservation if you would like to visit the museum shop.

Specific field trip content will be determined by teacher and educator at time of scheduling. Most visits include presentation, discussion, topic-related student activities, and a tour of several museum galleries. Free exploration of gallery interactivies is not included.

Horticultural Education

On-site programs are conducted at the Mabery D. Gelvin Botanical Garden at Lake of the Woods in Mahomet. Most programs last approximately 1-1.5 hours. Morning programs begin at 10:00 a.m. and afternoon programs begin at 12:30 p.m. Specific arrival and departure times may be flexible. Programs are conducted outdoors. Students must dress appropriately for the weather.