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Environmental Education Web Resources

Illinois Resources

Conservation Foundation offers a multitude of educational webinars and provides previously recorded events on YouTube.
Environmental Education Association of Illinois website provides educational materials for formal and non-formal educators, information on Illinois events, and links to other useful environmental education websites, including COVID-19 Educator Resources.
Forest Preserve Districts provide education programs and resources pertaining to the flora and fauna of land they protect. The University of Illinois Library lists District websites by county. 
Illinois Audubon Society offers nature quizzes on many subjects to test your knowledge of the natural world.

Illinois DNR offers free podcasts & online lessons on various ecology topics.

Illinois EPA offers free NGSS-aligned curriculum geared towards 5th and 6th grade students on Surface Water and Algae and on Food Waste.
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant offers a new Freedom Seekers Curriculum that connects the Underground Railroad, Great Lakes, and science with environmental justice education.
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant offers an educational toolkit for climate and weather lesson plans.
Illinois RiverWatch Network provides volunteer opportunities for local waterway stewardship through monitoring stream habitat and water quality. Their Youtube channel offers many educational videos and a speaker series.
Illinois State Museum offers an online resources page, Family Fun page and an Educator's page with a variety of environmental resources. 
Kidzeum in Springfield offers online science learning opportunities including videos and hands-on activities. 
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago teaches students about the wastewater treatment process and careers in water while offering enriching STEM activities. A free children's storybook, "Where Does It Go?" is published on their website as well.
Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago provides hands-on science games, activities and videos on its website. 
Project Learning Tree  is a multi-disciplinary activity guide for educators and students from Pre K-12 and is hosted in Illinois by the Environmental Education Association of Illinois.
Project WET is hosted in Illinois by the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center and offers water related curriculum resources. A training workshop is required to receive the curriculum.
Project WILD is coordinated in Illinois by the Environmental Education Association of Illinois. and provides a K-12 Guide on interdisciplinary conservation and environmental education focused on wildlife and habitat. 
Recycle Illinois (Illinois EPA) provides recycling guides for what can and cannot be recycled in curbside bins along with the Beyond the Bin map to find a recycling location near you.
Scarce in Northern Illinois offers community education and assistance to work toward the shared goals of sustainability, recycling and waste reduction, and online environmental education resources that follow NGSS.
Severson Dells Nature Center offers nature education at home with free nature lessons, activities and videos.
Shedd Aquarium in Chicago offers online teaching guides, curricula and more on its classroom resources page.
Skyday is a Chicago based team of scientists, NGSS specialists and artists who offer free, high quality environmental science units to give students the skills to better understand and respond to our changing environment.
Trees Forever supports tree planting across Iowa and Illinois and offers free online webinars.
University of Illinois Extension provides energy & environment webinars and online activities & information relating to their various programs.
The University of Illinois Extension Forestry created the Illinois Big Tree Registry to showcase an interactive digital map of the largest native tree species that can be found in Illinois.
Wildlife Illinois teaches about all animals native to Illinois.  

National and Other State Resources

Backyard Bio is committed to conservation and provides online resources such as how-to guides, kid-friendly activities, downloadable posters, and more!
Berkeley Lab K-12 is a live science series for K - 12 that includes episodes and worksheets that explore innovative research and related hobbies at home.
Cafeteria Culture focuses on waste free schools and plastic pollution with youth made messages and videos. The Microplastic Madness lesson plans and video are available free for Title One schools.
Center for Ecoliteracy Ecological Education in California offers free teaching resources on a variety of environmental topics.
EcoRise offers educational programs for students on real-world environmental challenges, including the Introduction to Environmental Justice Curriculum.
Earth Rangers has nearly 100 free, fun, and educational Eco-Activities that can be done at home with more being added often.
Envirothon is a national, outdoor, environmental competition for high school students. The Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts sponsors and coordinates the Illinois competition.    
Great Lakes Now offers free resources for remote learning for grades 5-8 on the Great Lakes and groundwater.
Green Teacher offers free live and recorded environmental webinars on topics ranging from pollution and climate to environmental justice. 
Kiss The Ground offers educational materials on farmland, stewardship, and regenerative agriculture, along with a free middle school curriculum designed to introduce students to soil and its connection to our food, health, and climate. 
National Geographic Kids offers interactive and educational games and quizzes about science, animals and more.
National Science Teachers Association provides free online teaching resources in addition to other resources with a paid membership.
New York Restoration Project offers many environmental education resources including virtual field trips, and lesson plans.
NOAA Planet Stewards Education Project provides webinars and workshops on a range of environmental topics integrating citizen science, STEM, community resilience, and climate science.
North American Association for Environmental Education provides training, workshops, conferences and more for educators in the field. 
Pierce Cedar Creek Institute offers a wealth of educational YouTube videos.
Population Education offers free classroom resources for all grades.
Science Friday offers a Remote Learning Kit that provides free educational STEM activities. 
U.S. EPA Environmental Education Center provides access to classroom ideas, activities and other resources for educators and students.
U.S. EPA Region 5 Environmental Education website provides access to environmental education materials such as books and posters. Educators and students in Region 5 can order printed publications at no cost. Additionally, some materials are available in PDF format to print or download.
U.S. Department of Energy offers online resources on energy efficiency and clean energy through its multiple offices, including the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, Office of Electricity, and STEM Rising.