programs for High School students
Designed to promote understanding and stewardship of the natural resources in the Potomac River watershed, our programs challenge high school students to dive deep into classroom-relevant materials and to explore the world. We provide more than a dozen robust, standards-aligned science modules to challenge students to do real-world experiments and think critically about how science, environment, and the built world intersect.
Innovative hands-on activities and field investigations
Bridging the Watershed
Science in Parks
Our team of experienced educators brings our exciting and hands-on science programs to hundreds of local schools in our community.
Location: In schools, green spaces, and national parks in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC.
Science in the Parks (Bridging The Watershed)
We bring science to life in parks across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC. Our acclaimed Bridging The Watershed program, in partnership with the National Park Service, is free to participating teachers and engages students in meaningful watershed educational experiences through hands-on, curriculum-based outdoor studies in national parks and public lands. Students investigate subjects related to watersheds, ecosystems, and human impacts on the environment.
Designed for: 9th – 12th grade.
Time: 3-5 hours during the school day.
Classroom Visits
The Alice Ferguson Foundation’s team of experienced educators can come to your classroom to run interactive science activities and teach hands-on environmental science. Our programs can engage students on real-world relevant topics such as the impact of waste and trash, how the water cycle works and the habits and life-cycles of the animals around us. Our educators can also visit your classroom before and after a day or overnight field trip to engage students in pre- and post- field trip activities that tie the field trip into the students overall science learning in the classroom.
*We are not currently offering this program option.*
Designed for: 9th – 12th grade.
Time: 1-2 hours during the school day.
Virtual Programs
Through our Bridging The Watershed program, we are excited to bring you robust online programs that battle screen fatigue with a mixture of engaging activities and live field experiences.
With the guidance of our experienced team of educators, students will:
- learn about animal adaptations
- investigate water quality through the identification of pollution-sensitive macroinvertebrates
- understand and identifying invasive plant species
- find out how runoff and pollution impact their communities
- and more.
Our team of experienced educators help students draw vital connections between the science they are learning and real-world all around them.
Location: Virtual
What the teachers are saying:
I love the Bridging The Watershed programs. They are well-organized and well-run. I take every opportunity offered to get my students out and connected to their environment.”
Teacher from Washington Lee High School
2019“Fits with the curriculum and a valuable hands-on experience tied to real data and the topics we cover in the classroom.”
Teacher from Mount Vernon High School.
2019“There are so few opportunities like these where high school students get to be involved in field studies that target their age and curriculum.”
Teacher from Gonzaga High School
2019Going Beyond the Textbook
Students discover the magic of science in the world around them through our award-winning environmental education and team-building programs.
Explore Our Programs
Elementary Students
Click below to explore our program offerings for schoolchildren Pre-K through 6th grade.
Middle School Students
Click below to explore our program offerings for students 6th grade through 8th grade.