This site was last updated on Thursday, March 27, 2008 9:45 PM
earth wellness festival
"Educating Future Stewards of the earth"
About earth wellness festival
earth wellness festival is an annual event offered to fifth-grade students of Lancaster County, Nebraska. This environmental education program was conceived in 1994 as the result of a petition request of 325+ local teachers who wanted an environmental festival in their own community. In its fourteenth year, earth wellness festival has impacted over 43,000 youth.
Students attending earth wellness festival experience science as an essential and exciting part of their lives. The festival is a culminating event reinforcing concepts introduced to students through current environmental curriculum like 4-H school enrichment.
The festival provides students with a 25-minute creative and "hands-on"/engaging learning experience in each area of water, land, air and living resources. The students participate in a culminating activity with raptors from the World Bird Sanctuary from St. Louis, Missouri.
earth wellness festival organizers work closely with local schools to ensure the activities and materials correspond with their fifth-grade curriculum. Educators, environmentalists and government representatives are utilized as the 300 presenters and volunteers for earth wellness festival.
Partner Agencies
The earth wellness festival steering committee is comprised of representatives from local educational resource agencies. The outstanding collaboration and cooperation of the committee is one reason for the festival's continued success. The partners in this project are:
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in Lancaster County
- Lower Platte South Natural Resources District
- City of Lincoln
- Lincoln/Lancaster County Health Department
- Lincoln Public Schools
- Southeast Community College-Lincoln
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln Water Center
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Natural Resources—Environmental Studies Program
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln National Drought Mitigation Center
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension
Year-Round Learning
Kits For Kids: earth wellness festival fosters year-round opportunities for students and teachers to link environmental issues with science-based curriculum. In October, a unique pre-festival learning kit is provided to classrooms attending the festival. Each kit contains curriculum and all the supplies (beans, rocks, vinegar, flashlights, magnifying glasses, pH paper and more) needed to complete 20+ activities covering topics in soils (land), water, air, living resources and impact.
Thank You Volunteers!!
Each year, over 300 volunteers take part in earth wellness festival activities. As classroom escorts, bus greeters, presenter and registration assistants; volunteers are essential to the success of this event.
You may choose to volunteer one or both days, all day (8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.) or morning only (8:30 a.m.-noon).
In return, you receive a festival T-shirt, a free lunch, an invitation to our celebration party following the event and an opportunity to participate in a rewarding volunteer experience.
The 2009 earth wellness festival dates will be posted when they are available. Please contact Meghan Sittler at 402-472-2712 or via e-mail at for more information.
Walk the Talk: A recycling program implemented at the festival substantially reduces waste generated by participants. An attractive station located in the college cafeteria collects recyclable items. Presenters, volunteers, and the college food services staff actively participate in this exciting recycling effort. Steering committee members, Gene Hanlon and Lyndsay Rogers, work closely with Food Services to creatively package and serve meals and snacks in a way that most items (including food wastes) can be recycled-no easy feat, but it works! Festival organizers, with the help of many supporters, are able to practice what they teach.
Festival Displays: In keeping with the environmental theme, beautiful kites of all sizes and shapes, are displayed in the main entrance and hallway of Southeast Community College. Students are greeted by colorful fish, fanciful birds, cubes, ribbons, and even a shark. Mike and Susan Kunkee of Lincoln, Nebraska donate these wonderful creations each year of the festival.
The LOGO: Copyright 1994 by The United States of America. The earth wellness festival logo, any part of or in its entirety, and name is exclusive to earth wellness festival programs and activities. All rights reserved. The earth wellness festival logo was designed by Robert Hanna, Hanna Architects, Lincoln, Nebraska.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln:
