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Plant Trees

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Tree Campus K-12

Tree Campus K-12 recognizes schools that lead the way in tree stewardship. When you make trees part of your curriculum and your campus, you make your school a better place to learn and live.

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Tree Campus K-12 recognizes schools that lead the way in tree stewardship. When you make trees part of your curriculum and your campus, you make your school a better place to learn and live.

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Support a Park

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Volunteer with Us (U.S. National Park Service)

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Volunteers support the National Park Service in its mission to preserve and protect our national parks. You can volunteer for a day or year-round; on your own or with friends and family; close to home or at a dream destination. Volunteer opportunities are available nationwide including in U.S. Territories.

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Participate in citizen science

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Spring is the perfect time of year for citizen science! It's warming up outside, students are getting antsy and exhausted, testing is underway, breaks are badly needed. On top of that, things start to get active in the world of wildlife, especially in temperate regions like Minnesota. Animals emerge from hibernation, migrating species begin their long journeys to their summer sanctuaries, and it's breeding season for many organisms. ​

Citizen science is when citizens, like your students, have the opportunity to play an active role in wildlife studies or projects going on around the world that benefit from participation by citizens. Hawk Watch International, for example, hosts hawk counting events at their migration sites that anyone can participate in. Volunteers count passing hawks and record their count to an online database.

Citizen science is a great learning tool for many reasons. One is the application of science concepts to the real-world, which is an element of experiential learning. Participating in citizen science also shows students that they can play a role in improving the community and the world around them. They are active citizens, an important 21st-century skill.

One way to approach citizen science experiences is through project-based learning. It is easy to turn citizen science projects into PBL experiences because many of the elements of PBL are organically there. Students connect with and collaborate with the community, the experience is authentic, as are the learning outcomes. Check out my PBL Toolkit for guiding materials.

The following is a list of some of my favorite citizen science projects to do with my high school students AND my own young children. The projects listed below are appropriate for ALL ages. There are many more citizen science programs out there other than the 20 listed below. I'd love to know about others! Feel free to leave those in the comments.

The purpose of this project is to raise awareness about light pollution and its impact on communities. Students can report their night sky brightness observations daily. All they need is a computer or phone. This would be a great supplemental learning experience to a broader PBL project on light pollution.

This website has a variety of projects to get involved in, which is nice when it comes to student-directed learning. Students can pick a citizen science project in line with their interests such as insects, mammals, migrating species, invasive species and more.

​What's really cool about this website is that is promotes communication and collaboration with naturalists and research scientists. Community experts are an important piece of the project-based learning experience, so if you are approaching citizen science through a PBL approach, this particular project is gold!

​Project Budburst focuses on plant observations. The intention of the program is to understand human impact on wildlife, particularly plants. One area of focus right now is determining how plants are and will continue to respond to climate change.

This site has a tab for educators with age specific learning activity recommendations, as well as collaboration opportunities with other citizen groups and scientists.

Project Noah is another citizen science option that emphasizes wildlife observation and inquiry. This citizen science project specifically caught my eye because students or classes can join a mission already in place OR they can create their own citizen science mission. This would be a neat group PBL project or great way to ease into self-directed project-based learning. Students can choose a local species, habitat, population, or community of interest and design a mission using the Project Noah website.

Check out my self-directed PBL starter kit PBL templates to help guide students through this self-directed project-based learning experience.

This citizen science project seems a bit dull. I mean, squirrels? They're so ubiquitous and kind of a nuisance. Squirrels, however, can tell us a lot about the health of the surrounding environment. Students can get involved in this project by recording squirrel observations and photos. It's a more interesting and hands-on way to learn about ecosystems.

Note: Almost all citizen science projects that my students get involved with are in connection with a project-based learning experience. Students participate in collecting data and use the data collected as a form of authentic inquiry.

​For help getting started and/or managing self-directed project-based learning, grab these free tools!

This resource is incredible. What's different about Zooniverse compared to the other citizen science options mentioned so far is that the projects cross disciplines. There are projects on climate, history, literature, medicine and even art, not just natural science. One of the projects is called "Anti-Slavery Manuscripts". This project was added by the Boston Public Library to include citizens in transcribing their collection of letters written by anti-slavery activists.

I think the best feature of this website is that students can create their own citizen science projects to add to the site, which citizens from all over the world can then contribute to. Another cool opportunity for self-directed PBL or large group/class PBL.

SciStarter is similar to Zooniverse in that there are a variety of citizen science projects available to choose from AND students can create their own. It is essentially a massive catalog of citizen science projects, which includes far more than natural science projects. Students can find projects around human behavior, literature, language, history, and even citizen science projects around Covid-19.

One of my favorite things about this website is their blog. The blog articles illuminate the impact of citizen science on our understanding of the world.

This is a super black and white, straightforward catalog of citizen science projects in the U.S. It is not fancy and does not have a special section for educators like many of the websites mentioned so far. However, the catalog is exhaustive.

If you are having your learners do student-directed PBL projects, this website is a great place to start. They can search for ideas relevant to their interests. They can build their own citizen science projects here and crowdsource any number of documents or data points. There is also a step-by-step guide included on this website to help guide users through the process of developing their own citizen science projects.

9. World Water Monitoring Challenge

This project is fantastic for raising awareness and educating students on water issues across the globe. Students monitor their local waterways by performing water quality tests. Consider implementing scientific open-inquiry labs on water quality in your area (check out my inquiry-based learning toolkit for guiding materials - I also have several student-directed water pollution activities in my store including inquiry, PrBL and PBL.) Students that are especially passionate about this issue and want to get more involved can apply to be ambassadors on the website.

The downside to this citizen science project is that it is not free. Specific water quality kits need to be purchased to participate. One upside (of many) is that it's global.

This citizen science project is only open for participation a few days per year. There are four designated days for citizens from all over the world to count birds. Those days often fall in February, so if you missed it this year, get it on your calendar for next year! Students count birds, submit observations, and explore the data.

​There is also a photo contest students can take part in! Your students will need access to smartphones and the eBird app to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Hawk Watch International, which I mentioned above, is a similar program, but specific to hawks.

Journey North is a citizen science option that specifically focuses on migrating species such as the monarch butterfly and whooping cranes. There are many organisms to choose from as well as specific projects.

​The Symbolic Migration project is one example where students from around the world create paper butterflies and send them to students in Mexico. Those students then care for them through the winter and return them in the spring, symbolizing butterfly migration. This is a cool way to integrate art, geography, science, history, and culture, as well as to encourage global learning and collaboration. My kids and I participate in the loon program each spring, which is the MN state bird (my place of residence).

As the title of this citizen science option suggests, this particular project is specific to butterfly and moth sightings across North America. Students can take photographs and record sighting locations of butterflies, moths, and/or caterpillars to the database. Students can open and analyze data maps.

Migrating moths and butterflies use the north as a summer sanctuary and the south as a winter sanctuary. They can be found in most environments from urban gardens to national parks. My students and children take part in this project every spring.

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This project can be found and your group managed through Zooniverse (#6). Scientists and conservationists need help tracking and identifying species in Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique. Students scroll through photos taken by wildcams placed in the park. Students identify organisms and their behaviors IN the photos.

Students can participate from anywhere in the world, including in a classroom. I understand some educators don't have the flexibility to get out of the building everyday to view wildlife. This is a great option for those in this situation. This project is also highly collaborative, and pretty addicting once you start!

This website is geared toward educators. Nature's Notebook focuses heavily on phenology monitoring, but what's cool is that you can create your own phenology monitoring program with your students relevant to your community. Your students could consider starting a citizen science program as an upper level project-based learning experience.

The Wildlab Bird is another citizen science opportunity offered by Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Students observe birds near their learning spaces and report sightings of GPS-tagged birds to Wildlab. One thing that is unique to this citizen science option is that they promote STEM. They put a strong emphasis on integrating technology, so much so, that they will provide iPhones to your students for this project. They will also visit your school or other learning environment free of cost to help you get started.

This project encourages urbanites to observe their surroundings and appreciate wildlife. You don't have to be in the middle of a national park to find wildlife. This is a great project for urban students that don't have easy access to natural areas.

I love this project! There are so many learning opportunities built into it. It is not simply a matter of counting birds in your school yard. You could take advantage of design thinking by having your students build their own bird feeders. The shape, structure size, color, and food included will all be dependent on the bird they're hoping to attract and count.

​In order to find this information students will have to do some research on the natural history of birds in their community. You could split your students up into groups, have each team determine a bird of focus, design a bird feeder specific to the species of their choice, and then observe and count the birds to report to Project FeederWatch. This would be a great PBL experience. Use my PBL tool kit to help organize this experience.

The purpose of this program is for citizens to help create a thorough map of ant species and their ranges across North America. This is a great supplemental activity or could be a PBL project in itself. Students would learn about the natural history of ants in North America, what they eat, their behaviors, distribution, and more while contributing to real science. This website has many resources for educators as well.

Another one on insects! The Lost Ladybug Project asks citizens to help them collect ladybugs, photograph them, and submit the images along with some basic information such as location, date, habitat, etc, to their database. This could be a great supplemental activity to a larger discussion or unit on topics like invasive species, habitats, competition, evolution, genetics, and more. Be creative, or let your students get creative by having them conduct student-led scientific open inquiry investigations.

The Great Sunflower Project emphasizes pollinators, a hugely important topic and one that has been in the spotlight for quite some time, as our pollinators are at risk. There are a few ways to get students involved in this program. Peruse the website for options.

Students can learn about important habitats for pollinators by literally designing and/or creating their own pollinator habitat such as a bee or butterfly garden. Check out my pollinator garden PBL project to pair up with this citizen science project for a deep, engaging, and authentic learning experience.

Another resource I have found helpful in successful citizen science projects is citizenscience.org . They have webinars, conferences, and Citizen Science Month (April) events that students can participate in.

Thanks for visiting! I hope you're able to get your students involved in at least one of these citizen science projects this year.

​Follow Experiential Learning Depot on , , , and for more on experiential education, and check out my TpT store for experiential learning resources .

Did you know there is an experiential learning Facebook group? Check that out - Experiential Learning Community for K12 Teachers - and join in the discussion about experiential learning ideas such as citizen science.

Relevant Blog Posts:

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20 Citizen Science Projects for Students of All Ages

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Get your students involved in citizen science! There are so many great projects out there for students of all ages to get involved in, many of which are geared toward students and educators. Check out my top 20 citizen science projects to do with my child

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Clean up the community.

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* Create signs to raise awareness about recycling on campus.

* Organize a coat drive or toy swap to reduce waste.

* Create posters to promote water conservation.

* Adopt a highway, park, or beach for ongoing cleanup.

* Build raised garden beds for a local daycare or nursing home.

* Schoolwide Campus Clean Up

*Create a Little Free Library on campus or in the community

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Start a school recycling program

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Recycling in your classroom can easily be made a daily activity. Try implementing one or more of these recycling activities into your regular routine, and before you know it, recycling will be second nature to your students. Recycling instills a lifelong habit of creating sustainability, and you can show them that even the smallest actions matter!

1. Start with a recycling quiz

Everyone knows what garbage is. But how much do your students really know about recycling? For example, what percentage of our trash can be recycled? How many years does it take for plastic to decompose? Test their knowledge with this colorful quiz. Then start doing the research.

Learn more: 8 Billion Trees

2. Add recycling lessons to your lesson plans

Wondering how to incorporate the principles of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle into the classroom in order to pass them on to the next generation? Check out these 11 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Lesson Ideas for every subject. These recycling activities can help students explore how to put this phrase to use in many different ways.

Learn more: Project Learning Tree

3. Read books about recycling

Picture books are always a good idea for introducing kids to important topics. Check out the intriguing titles at the link below and get your students amped up about making a difference through recycling.

Learn more: Children's Books About Recycling on Amazon

4. Use recycling writing prompts

Mix up your daily journal or writing activities by giving students recycling-themed writing prompts. Get your free download below to get your students thinking about recycling in completely different ways.

Learn more: Teacher's Notepad

5. Hold a coat or clothing drive

This is a fantastic way for kids to extend the life of their own belongings while helping someone in need. Ask students to bring in gently used items, then hold a garage sale at the school and sell the collected clothing for a very low price, or even offer them for free. Another option is to donate clothing items to a local organization such as a homeless shelter or nonprofit that serves low-income populations.

Learn more: Good Deed Tuesday

6. Hold a recycling contest

Which team can recycle the most in a day, week, or even a month? This is an easy challenge to execute-just get multiple recycling bins and start collecting. How you run the contest is up to you, but here are a few ideas: Divide up your class to form two to four different teams, challenge another classroom in the school, or even have a teachers-versus-students contest.

Learn more: askHRgreen

7. Take a field trip to a recycling facility

If your community has a recycling facility nearby, see if they coordinate tours. Seeing the work in action can have a much greater impact on students than just studying it. And if your field trip budget is already maxed out, try a virtual tour.

Learn more: PBS Learning Media

8. Play recycling games

Recycling games and activities for kids can help them learn about the hazards of pollution and ways of reducing it. Eco-warriors bottle bowling, tumbling towers, or a recycle relay are just a few ideas.

Learn more: Mom Junction

9. Create recycling anchor charts

Anchor charts are a great way to help elementary students learn. They are also a good way to encourage classroom discussion. Remember that anchor charts are meant to be created along with your students. So begin by charting out a main idea or question and then build the chart by getting your students' responses.

Learn more: 15 Fantastic Sustainability and Recycling Anchor Charts

10. Research programs that handle more challenging recyclables

Paper, aluminum cans, and plastic bottles are all items that students can see being recycled every day. But what about items like broken crayons, batteries, or old electronics? Start by dividing the class into several small groups and assign each of them a list of items that are more challenging to recycle. Then have them research to learn how those items can be recycled. As a final activity, they can present their findings to the class.

11. Play bingo and learn as you go

Practice separating recyclable items from trash by following the bingo cards of this printable Recycling Bingo Game! A fun activity for kids that will introduce them to the basic ideas of recycling.

Learn more: Adventure in a Box

12. Create a prize bag of used items

Get your students' parents involved by asking for items to use for the classroom prize bag. Give them suggestions-toys from restaurant kids' meals, little freebies from conferences, and other odds and ends-and you'll be surprised at the items you can collect. Students will love picking a prize from the "reuse" bag when they hit different milestones and goals.

13. Upcycle plastic containers

You can find oodles of plastic containers around the house that make for organizers and more. Challenge your students to look around their homes or in their recycling bins to find something that can be upcycled or reused. For instance, a yogurt container can be used as a crayon holder, a plastic bottle can be quickly transformed into a vase, and baby wipe containers can hold just about any classroom odds and ends.

Learn more: Doodle Craft

14. Hold a recycling poster contest

Hanging kid-made posters can send a strong message. Challenge your students to a create-a-poster contest and let them use their imaginations to inspire others. Ask students for their input about where the posters should go and also talk about what you hope the posters do for the school.

Learn more: WMCSD

15. Create your own infographics to hang in the classroom

Infographics are fun representations of important details. Assign students to small groups and have them research statistics and facts about recycling. Then challenge them to create their own infographic, presenting what they learned in a visual way.

16. Commit to zero waste

Start a committee to encourage your school to aim for zero waste for all school events such as class picnics, field day, assemblies, etc. Talk to representatives at your school district about moving to zero waste in your school cafeteria. Share the guide on zero waste with students to take home to their families.

Learn more: Free Permaculture

17. Start a Green Club

Green Clubs are a great way to bring environmental activism into the spotlight at your school. It might seem daunting to start one of your own, but it doesn't have to be. Start small-the club can be established with just a few engaged students and a single purpose. Check out the link below for 10 super-helpful tips.

Learn more: Mommy Poppins

18. Welcome worms into your classroom!

Worms?! You betcha. Vermicomposting is the method of composting using red wiggler worms. Long story short, the worms eat garbage and turn it into gorgeous, nutrient-rich compost-they are definitely doing a version of recycling. You can get started with this fascinating hobby in a relatively small space, and the kids will love it!

19. Watch videos about how recycling works

Be sure to cover the basics. You might think students have an understanding of how recycling works, but it might not be as clear as you think. Start with two great videos: Life of a Plastic Bottle and Life of an Aluminum Can. Videos are a good way to start the conversation about how recycling works, and they'll help students see that their actions really do matter.

20. Plant a garden or a tree

In general, gardening is an excellent hobby to implement in schools, as it gives back for years and years to come. Plus, you can use your garden for fun recycling activities. Get outside with your students to collect seeds, pods, and even nuts. They can plant the seeds at home in their own backyard or in their neighborhood.

21. Leave no scraps behind

Establish a rule in your classroom that both sides of a piece of paper must always be used. If students have a piece of paper that hasn't been used on the back, have them put it in a designated scrap paper container. The backside is great for notes and artwork.

22. Make your own recycled paper

Now that you've established a method for collecting paper, it's time to do something with it. Learn how to turn scraps into new paper for your classroom. This process can be a bit involved, and it might be best when spread out over a couple of days, but it's a wonderful hands-on lesson for students.

Learn more: The Craftaholic Witch

23. Hold a book or toy swap

Instead of buying new books or toys, why not hold a giant swap meet at school? So many kids have things that are perfectly good but they just no longer use them. Instead of filling up the landfill, why not pass them on to someone who will enjoy them?

24. Make art from recycled materials

Fill an area of your classroom with recyclable objects-cans, bottles, egg cartons, etc. Then have your students use them to create art. Encourage students to be creative and bring in their own items as well. Here's one of our favorite recycling activities, made from bottles.

Learn more: Clean River

25. Produce a PSA about recycling

A PSA (public service announcement) is a fun way to get kids to further research recycling and turn their newfound knowledge into a video. Encourage students to research PSAs and really work on their overall messaging until it's perfect. You can assign different roles, like director, writer, producer, and on-screen talent. Once it's ready, film the PSA, edit it, and then share it with parents and the public.

26. Sponsor a community cleanup day

Make flyers and recruit participants to clean up your community. Collect recyclable materials and make sure they are properly turned in to recycling facilities. Not only will you beautify your neighborhood, but you'll also help the environment.

Learn more: National Cleanup Day

27. Extend the life of everyday items

Instead of heading to the store every time you need materials for the classroom, take a look around at what you already have and see what you can use repeatedly. Have students follow along during lessons on whiteboards instead of paper. Laminate materials you know you will use over and over instead of making fresh copies every time. Show that not everything needs to be tossed after the first use.

28. Make the most of your markers

Is this messy? Yeah, probably. But is it also awesome? Most definitely! Try this activity in your class and turn old stale markers into paint. This activity would work best if you can be outside to experiment.

Learn more: Picklebums

29. Ditch single-use waste

Building on the previous point, ask students to think carefully about the lunches they bring to school. Instead of single-use bags and packaging, encourage them to pack lunches in reusable containers. Enclose sandwiches in reusable wax wraps and include a cloth napkin that can be thrown in the wash when they get home. Let them know they can purchase items like chips and cookies in bulk and pack them in their own containers. In addition, instead of plastic water bottles, encourage students to bring a reusable water bottle to keep at their desks.

30. Recycle crayons

This activity is not only a great lesson on not letting things go to waste, it also results in something new for your students to enjoy! Have your students break used crayons into small pieces then place them into paper cups. Now, this part is for teachers only: Microwave cups for approximately 4 minutes, until the crayons turn to liquid. Carefully pour into silicon molds and set aside. Let molds dry overnight, or if you have a freezer available, pop them in for about 30 minutes and voilà! You have new multi-colored crayons for the classroom.

Learn more: Little Bins for Little Hands

31. Teach a math lesson with a recycling theme

Incorporate recycling activities into your math lessons. In this activity, students will estimate the percentage of various types of trash that they generate (e.g., paper, plastic) and calculate the pounds of each based on the U.S. daily average of 7 pounds per person. Then they will create a pie chart as they consider how they can reduce their waste.

Learn more: PBS Learning Media

32. Make a paper roll bird feeder

Did you know that about 184 million toilet paper rolls get thrown away each year? Why not put them to good use by turning them into bird feeders? Not only will it help our fine feathered friends, it will cut down on a ton of waste.

Learn more: The Resourceful Mama

33. Learn how to sort recycling

So many people have good intentions but have no idea what goes where when it comes to recycling. Kids who learn how to recycle in school are one of the best resources for teaching the adults in their lives. Share this information with your students and help make the world a better place.

Learn more: Clean Green Rush

34. Make a robot from cardboard boxes

Looking for more recycling activities that save materials from the landfill? Building a cardboard box robot is a fun STEAM challenge and a recycling project all rolled into one. This version features silver and black paint and aluminum HVAC duct arms.

Learn more: My Kid List

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34 Ideas, Big and Small, to Bring Recycling Into the Classroom

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Bring more recycling into your classroom with these recycling activities and projects. Get ideas plus links to free printables and resources.

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Host a St. Jude Math-A-Thon

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Join the fight against childhood cancer by organizing a St. Jude Math-A-Thon at your school.

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Put on a campus book drive for local library

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Visalia Branch Library

About Visalia

The Visalia Free Library, built

with Carnegie Corporation

funds, opened on May 31,

1904. From 1910 to 1919 the County of Tulare maintained the Tulare County Free Library system under the laws of the State of California at the same location. In 1926 the city of Visalia offered to furnish a site and pay one-half the construction cost as well as to pay its share of maintenance for a new library building for the County. The offer was declined. On August 3, 1961, additional space was added to the Visalia Library when a children's reading room and a stack room officially were opened for use. In 1976 a new Joint Tulare County/Visalia City Library building was constructed with grant funds, for one and one-half million dollars. The Annie Mitchell History Room was added in 1983.

The old City Library, built in 1936 and used for storage since 1976, was converted into a children's wing in October 2008. The main library building, built in 1976, was remodeled following the opening of the children's wing in 2008.

Check us out!

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Tulare County Library offers services in Visalia, California.

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Craft blankets for kids

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Special Events

We have regularly scheduled events throughout the year, and would love to have you join us. More information about new, upcoming, and even past events is only a click away. Go ahead, you know you want to! Click one or all of the graphics below for further event details.

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We have regularly scheduled events throughout the year, and would love to have you join us. More information about new, upcoming, and even past events is only a click away. Go ahead, you know you want to! Click one or all of the graphics below for further event details.

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Run a food drive.

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FoodLink For Tulare County | Be the Link

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For 40 years, we have stood by our unwavering belief that food is a basic human right. We distribute millions of healthy meals every year, and are on the forefront of new approaches to ending hunger and poverty through nutrition education and food system change.

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Serve at a food pantry or raise money to donate for supplies for food pantry.

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Support mental health in your school

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If you talk to just about any middle school or high school teacher, they'll tell you-kids are struggling right now. Schools are sounding the alarm on the growing mental health crisis for America's kids, and according to a national poll conducted by Effective School Solutions, the country's school administrators, parents, and students continue to battle a significant youth mental health crisis. Results show "Nearly 90% of administrators and almost 60% of parents reported that the crisis is growing. Roughly 60% of administrators say young people's mental health remains the same or has worsened compared to a year ago." Obviously, it's never been more important to focus on supporting students' mental health. That's why we collected 22 mental health activities for teens to help you support their well-being in the classroom.

1. Create a positive vibe

Set your classroom up for student success by creating a supportive, safe environment in your classroom. Place a high value on relationships. Offer choices. Celebrate mistakes. Model compassion. Let your students know that their mental health is at the top of your priority list and include mental health activities in your curriculum.

Learn more: Easy Ways To Build a Mentally Healthy Classroom

2. Give students time to talk

From helping students process what they're learning and encouraging them to successfully work with one another to build connections, making space for talk time in your classroom is critical.

Learn more: Why Kids Need More Talk Time in the Classroom

3. Leave space for quiet

Much of the typical school day involves busy, noisy interaction. Preserve time in your schedule for snippets of peace and quiet to give students time to settle down and focus. Run relaxing videos in the background or put on soft, soothing music during quiet work time. Or dim the lights and light a few (battery-powered) candles for a few minutes of silence.

Learn more: How To Use Transition Times for Mental and Emotional Health Check-Ins

4. Go outside

The benefits (for both physical and mental health) of spending time outdoors have been well documented. Allowing students to step outside for just a few minutes helps counteract the overstimulation of the classroom. A breath of fresh air and a moment to look up at trees or stare up at the sky does wonders for recharging their batteries. If you don't have direct access to the outdoors, even five minutes at an open window can do the trick. Hold class outside as often as you can.

Learn more: Healthline/Health Benefits of Spending Time Outdoors

5. Incorporate calming mind-body exercise

The benefits of mind-body exercises for students include increased self-control, anxiety management, concentration, and mental focus. Teach focused breathing techniques. Experiment with relaxation exercises and guided visualizations.

Learn more: Calming Mind-Body Exercises To Try With Your Students

6. Get up and move

Movement breaks are great mental health activities for teens because they help help students reenergize and refresh. Incorporate short bursts of exercise like the one above into your agenda. Practice a few simple yoga poses or shake out pent-up energy. Or put on some tunes and have a five-minute dance party.

Learn more: Responsive Classroom/Movement Breaks to the Rescue

7. Introduce specific mental health tools

There are many resources available to help your students stay on top of their mental health. Tools like thought record worksheets, feeling wheels, daily mood trackers, and self-care assessments take very little time, but they can have a big impact.

Learn more: Positive Psychology

8. Allow fidgets

Fidget toys are a great tool for students to calm their nerves, relieve stress, and serve as a distraction in an overstimulating environment.

Learn more: Classroom-Friendly Fidget Toys and Devices To Help Students Focus

9. Tap into art therapy exercises

The healing power of art is especially beneficial for the mental health of teens. After all, art serves as a safe and effective way of expressing thoughts and feelings. Incorporate short art sessions into your week. Try one of these Spontaneous Art Therapy Activities.

Learn more: The Studio Director/Healing Art Therapy Activities

10. Create a quiet space

A calm-down corner, also known as a peace corner, gives students a place to take a breath and re-center so they can join the learning again. Fill the space with various mental health activities for teens, such as fidgets and poetry books.

Learn more: How To Create and Use a Calm-Down Corner in Any Learning Environment

11. Facilitate community with team-building activities

All work and no play doesn't work for anyone's mental health, regardless of their age. Build team-building activities into your curriculum throughout the year to encourage community and help strengthen relationships among your students.

Learn more: Icebreaker Activities for Middle and High School Students

12. Cultivate a class garden

Nothing is more grounding than digging in the dirt and watching something grow. And though tending to a garden-from seed to harvest-is a slow process, the rewards are immeasurable.

Learn more: Growing Minds: Farm to School

13. Set up a tea station

Another great way to calm your nerves-a good cup of tea. Set up a tea station in your classroom, complete with electric tea kettle and mugs. Ask families to donate boxes of tea, sugar packets, bottles of honey, etc., then invite students to visit your tea station when they need to take a break.

14. Adopt a classroom pet

Studies show interaction with animals can help decrease stress, improve physical and mental health, and even help kids with their emotional and social skills. Consider adopting a classroom pet. Or if classroom pets are not allowed at your school, look into finding registered Pet Partners volunteers who can bring a therapy animal into your classroom.

Learn more: Dogs in the Classroom Improve SEL, Cognitive, and Even Reading Skills

15. Have a supply of adult coloring books on hand

From reducing stress and sparking creativity to utilizing their brains, taking a few minutes to zone out and just color helps students hit the reset button and get back to learning.

Learn more: Project Helping/Benefits of Adult Coloring

16. Let the music flow

From stress relief and self-soothing to emotion regulation and physiological benefits, music plays a powerful role in mental health and well-being for many people. For teens, music often takes on an even greater significance-it can contribute to the process of identity formation. Whenever possible, allow your students to tune in to music.

Learn more: Princeton Health/Music Fosters Healing for Teens

17. Practice mindfulness

It's hard for students to focus when they're experiencing stress and anxiety. Mindfulness is an excellent tool to help reduce tension and recharge students' attention spans. Try these Mindfulness Practices for High Schoolers.

Learn more: Ways To Bring More Mindfulness and Self-Care Into Your Classroom

18. Write it out

Writing activities are a powerful tool to help teenagers convey their feelings. Writing allows the expression of sensitive emotions that might be difficult to state verbally. These mental health activities can help teens gain a better perspective on their emotions while also building confidence and self-esteem.

Learn more: Mom Junction/Therapeutic Activities for Teens

19. Reinforce the importance of diet and sleep at home

For the most part, teachers don't really have a lot of control over what students eat and how much they sleep, but these things do matter when it comes to managing anxiety. Not surprisingly, a healthy diet and plenty of sleep make a difference in how well a student is able to handle situations that could be overwhelming.

Learn more: Ways To Help Students Who Struggle With Anxiety

20. Allow snacks in your classroom

Along those lines, trust students to know when they need to feed their bodies. Yes, snacks can create messes in the classroom, but the benefits of preventing low blood sugar, hunger headaches, etc., are worth a little mess. Simply have a chat with your students and lay out your expectations for responsible snacking in your classroom.

Learn more: Real Mom Nutrition/Healthy Snacks for Teens

21. Try aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is thought to help activate certain receptors in the brain, potentially easing anxiety. Whether in the form of essential oil, incense, or a candle, natural scents like lavender, chamomile, and sandalwood can be very soothing. Check for sensitivities among your students before introducing a scent to the whole class. An alternative could be an unlit candle, dried herbs, or a sachet treated with essential oil kept in the classroom safe space for students to use individually.

Learn more: Ways To Help Students With Anxiety

22. Brain breaks are for big kids too

Sometimes we forget that our seemingly grown-up kids still like to have a little fun in the classroom. Brain breaks are a great way to take five, move around, and even giggle together. You can adapt these ideas to fit your particular crew.

Learn more: Educational Brain Breaks Your Students Will Love

If you liked these mental health activities for teens and want more articles like this, be sure to subscribe to our newsletters!

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22 Empowering Mental Health Activities for Teens

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Looking for ways to support your teenage students' social-emotional well-being? Try these mental health activities for teens .

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* Create a mindfulness and stress relief club.

* Make care packages with hygiene items for shelters.

* Create and distribute recipe cards for quick, healthy meals.

* Organize a healthy snacks drive for after-school programs.

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Create and Awareness Campaign (anti-bullying, healthy lifestyles, environmental issues, etc)

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Awareness Campaigns, which typically focus on a wider awareness day, week, or month, are one of the most popular ways to raise public interest and educate people about a specific charitable issue. Because awareness days and months attract such a wide audience, many charities and nonprofits run specific campaigns around these timeframes to capitalize on the exposure and increase donations.

You've probably heard of the most famous Awareness Campaign, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, which has raised more than $115 million for ALS charities since it began in 2015.

If your team is running an Awareness Campaign during a larger awareness day, week, or month, it can be hard to break through the noise. That's why we've pulled together nine fail-safe steps to plan and execute your Awareness Campaign.

Do Awareness Campaign research

Because there are so many different awareness days on the calendar, your team might have to do a little research to make sure the opportunity is there.

First, find an awareness day that fits your mission and message. Stay on top of other charitable campaigns that are also focused on this same awareness day. What are some things these campaigns are doing well? Where do you see gaps in the campaign that your team could do better?

Additionally, this is the time to plot and come up with ideas about what type of Awareness Campaign you'll run. Look at your current donors and determine what type of campaign they will be most excited about. Are they interested in annual giving or do they fall into the Social Donor category. Take your time, do the right research, and make a sound decision that will set your Awareness Day up for success.

This research process should also include long-term campaign ideas such as types of events that your donors might be supportive of, what aspects of your mission that you want to draw the most attention to, as well as the current perception of your cause in the public. Will this Awareness Campaign be targeted mainly towards current donors? Or are you going to try to grow and expand within a new audience?

Select the right date

As with any fundraising campaign, your campaign should be scheduled efficiently to allow both your internal team enough time to plan and your supporter audience enough to engage with your campaign.

For Awareness Campaigns, there is usually a set timeframe that you want to aim for, which is on or during a larger awareness day, week, or month. For campaigns that are more than just one day, an entire awareness week could correspond with the length of your campaign. Scheduling your awareness campaign in tandem with a larger awareness date ensure you can leverage larger awareness marketing and is easier for supporters to remember.

As soon as you have the date of your campaign sorted out, set the date for your awareness event. Whether this kicks off your Awareness Campaign or concludes it, you want to get it on your supporters calendars early so they can plan in advance.

Identify the right audience

Next, it's time to figure out your target audience. While some Awareness Campaigns might target a nonprofit's entire supporter base, this isn't always the case. Narrowing down this audience segment can help your team target the message, voice, and even the communication channels of your campaign. Use donor personas to pinpoint the supporters most likely to engage in your Awareness Campaign.

The best place to start is in your CRM looking at audience demographics. How does your audience stack up financially against your fundraising goals? If your campaign event is local, do you want to only target local supporters? Use CRM data to figure out the answers to these questions and more to help build a more successful campaign right off the bat.

Additionally, having a good idea of your target audience can help your team narrow down campaign ideas. If you're dealing mostly with Millennial donors, for example, you might want to focus more on social media and peer-to-peer fundraising. For more traditional audiences, however, channels like direct mail or email might work better.

Your team can also use these audience segments to ensure adequate content, awareness and education is being created.

Build your Awareness Campaign message

While your Awareness Campaign should connect back to your overall charitable mission. Research shows that donors who understand and are connected to a nonprofit's mission, have a higher likelihood of completing their donations. To create the most effective message, your promotional efforts should aim to increase awareness and excitement with both your current donors as well as with a new, wider audience.

Sometimes, nonprofits find that an Awareness Campaign falls pretty close to another annual fundraising event. This is okay, and it's why messaging is so important. Many nonprofits actually brand their Awareness Campaigns differently than their general message to make them stand out more.

It's all about understanding the goals and purpose of a campaign and conveying this purpose through your messaging. Awareness Campaigns can trend towards a sillier, more social-compatible side to increase online sharing and engagement. As with any nonprofit marketing and promotion, be sure your message stands out!

Engage Ambassadors to reach and raise more

Creating reach and casting a wide awareness net is core to your campaign's success. Involving your board, junior board, executive team and most loyal supporters can really help to create reach for your efforts.

Enlist your most ardent supporters as "Ambassadors." Ambassador Fundraising allows you to turn these loyal activist into active fundraisers for your Awareness Campaign.

Ambassador Fundraising leverages social fundraising to motivate loyal supporters to social fundraise, before, during and sometimes even after your campaign.

Because Ambassador Fundraising uses competition to reach fundraising goals, it can bring added energy, enthusiasm and motivated giving to any Awareness Campaign.

Secure the campaign sponsors

Sponsors and partners are a must-have in the world of nonprofit fundraising, and this trend doesn't end with Awareness Campaigns. If you're worried about competing with other nonprofits during a cause's specific awareness week or month, try partnering up! This way both of your groups are benefiting from each other's audience and donor base.

Awareness Campaigns are also the perfect time to partner up with local businesses or local celebrities. Because Awareness Campaigns often last for at least a week, they are the perfect candidate for a restaurant or radio station partnership, which often rely on repeat customers or listeners to drive donations.

Create omnichannel marketing

Now it's time for the creative part! For promotion and marketing plans during Awareness Campaigns, it's all about the omnichannel reach. Don't throw all your eggs in one basket. Instead, spread your campaign out across multiple channels to reach all of your supporters, no matter where they engage with you.

Some popular channels include:

One best practice here is to know where and how your supporters want to engage with your team before you even launch your campaign. If most of your donors prefer to receive phone calls, it might be a good idea to strengthen your outbound call team. Or, if social media seems to draw the most donations, step up your production schedule and post multiple social posts every day.

Set up your online donation site

Once your campaigns are all in place, you need to figure out a way to drive your supporters to actually donate to your cause. To simplify this process, try investing in an online donation platform that makes it easy for supporters to engage, support, and donate to your nonprofit.

If you're just getting started with online fundraising software, keep the following in mind:

Determine your budget, and keep this in mind as you evaluate platforms on the market. Do extra features and functionality cost more?

Make a list of must-have features, and don't just stop at this one campaign. Will your team need auction software?

What type of support and training do your vendors provide?

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If your nonprofit team is running an awareness campaign during a larger awareness day, week, or month, it can be hard to break through the noise. That's why we've pulled together nine fail-safe steps to plan, implement, and execute your awareness campaign to maximize exposure, recognition, and success. Get the tips here.

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Build homes for community members

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Thank you for wanting to invest in the future with Habitat Youth Programs. We aim to instill a love of volunteering from an early age by providing a variety of volunteer opportunities for those ages five to 40.

Younger generations have always inspired the rest of us to better our world. That kind of idealism can be infectious, and when paired with tangible service, real change can occur. Our Youth Programs are the intersection of aspiration and action.

There are numerous benefits to volunteering in general, but volunteering with Habitat specifically provides the ability to:

Meet and work with those who are different than you, including other volunteers and future Habitat homeowners.

Understand the needs of others, particularly concerning poor living conditions versus safe, affordable housing.

Become involved in the strengthening of your own neighborhoods and communities.

Participate in meaningful work resulting in a sense of accomplishment.

Learn new skills and gain confidence.

Improve your own life and the lives of others in practical and long-lasting ways.

Have fun in a way you may not have thought possible.

There are several ways to engage in our Youth Programs listed below.

Learn more about other ways to involve youth in the mission of Habitat through games or activities.

To get involved in your local community, find your local Habitat.

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Thank you for wanting to invest in the future with Habitat Youth Programs. We aim to instill a love of volunteering from an early age by providing a variety of volunteer opportunities for those ages five to 40. Younger generations have always inspired the rest of us to better our world.

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You can also organize a letter-writing or holiday-card campaign.

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Write a letter, knit a scarf, organize a collection drive, or engage in our many other ways to show your gratitude and make every minute count.
Explore volunteer OPPORTUNITIES

EVERY AMERICAN
Do you know a deployed service member?

REQUEST A PACKAGE FOR A DEPLOYED TROOP

UNIT COMMANDER, FIRST RESPONDER, VETERAN ORGANIZATION, OR FAMILY READINESS GROUP
Request packages for Deployed Troops, First Responders, Veterans, Wounded Heroes and Caregivers or Children of Deployed Troops.

REQUEST CARE PACKAGES

The Care Package that was sent to me was very appreciated. From the toothpaste, hygiene items, and the snacks, I can tell you none of it went to waste. We are all so thankful to have awesome Americans back home who haven't forgotten about us-people who take time out of their busy day to do something nice for others they will never meet or possibly ever hear from."
J.H.

BECOME A CORPORATE PARTNER

Team up with us to thank our Troops, First Responders, Veterans, and their families.

CONNECT WITH US

See the spirit of gratitude come full circle with messages and updates from Care Package recipients.

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Write a letter, knit a scarf, organize a collection drive, or engage in our many other ways to show your gratitude and make every minute count. Explore volunteer OPPORTUNITIES EVERY AMERICAN Do you know a deployed service member?

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Write cards (pen pals), sing holiday songs, visit and play games with local senior center.

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This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data.

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Knit for charity

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10 Free Chick Patterns to Knit and Crochet

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NobleKnits is a knitting blog for crafters to get knitting news, tips, how-to tutorials, knitting videos, and lots of free patterns. NobleKnits features fun, easy, and fearless knitting and crochet!

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Help a local animal shelter

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As a volunteer, you are essential to the successful operation of Valley Animal Center. As we have grown into a shelter, clinic, and dog park, volunteers have been, and continue to be, a vital part of our growth.

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Service and skill building: students can help teach the basic principles of business and economics to younger children

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Junior Achievement’s purpose is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. Learn more about JA here!

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Upcycled Product Sales: Students research and create a product from recycled materials (e.g., by upcycling old t-shirts into bags) and sell them. All profits are donated to a local charity. This teaches entrepreneurship, pricing, and the value of giving back to the community.

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Community Business Fair: creating and distributing guides that highlight community economic information.

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Question-based reflection

Journaling or drawing

Rating scales and Rubrics

Simple checklists