Environmental Education
Learning experiences in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, in partnership with National Park Service.
Welcome to Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center (CVEEC). Nestled within Cuyahoga Valley National Park, CVEEC is a unique learning place for children and adults run in partnership with the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park and National Park Service.
If you’re looking for an unforgettable nature experience, you’ve come to the right place.
How to Contact Us Directly:
Phone: (330) 657-2796
For virtual programs and field trip inquiries, please contact [email protected].
For extended day programs and overnight trips at the CVEEC, please contact [email protected].
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Youth Programs
Day Programs
Day programs allow students to explore ecology, natural history, and Ohio history in Cuyahoga Valley National Park or in their own classrooms. Programs are provided for a wide age range of students from public school districts, independent and private schools, daycare centers, and preschools. See program descriptions below! [Printable PDF]
All programs meet Ohio academic content standards for the recommended grades listed. Programs are 2-3 hours at a cost of $20/student. Financial assistance is available for Title I Schools and others demonstrating financial need. Transportation cost assistance is also available. For field trip inquiries, please contact [email protected].
Schedule for the 2026/2027 school year:
Info & RegistrationAMONG THE TREES | GRADES 2-5
Explore a forest ecosystem to discover which organisms live here. Search for producers, consumers, and decomposers and learn how they are all connected. 2-hour program. Max 60 students. Offered September-November, April-May. This program takes place at the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center.
JOURNEY TO THE RIVER | GRADES 6-12
Learn about and test for common pollutants that enter the Cuyahoga River through daily human activities. Students will understand how people impact the water quality of the river and the health of the watershed, and how they can become stewards of the environment. 2-hour program. Max 45 students. Offered September-November, April-May. This program takes place at the Lock 29 Trailhead.
LEARN AT THE LEDGES | GRADES 4-8
Hike the Ledges and discover how geologic processes have shaped the land. Look for evidence of how erosion and deposition have changed the land, examine how weathering occurs and explore the rocks that make up the Ledges. 2-hour program. Max 75 students. Offered September-November, April-May. This program takes place at the Ledges Shelter and Trailhead.
LOW BRIDGE EVERYBODY DOWN | GRADES 3-5
Explore the Canal Exploration Center to learn about the history and economic importance of the Ohio & Erie Canal. Learn about this time period as you view a historic canal lock, hike on the Towpath Trail and discover primary sources that provide narratives of life during the canal era. 2-hour program. Max 45 students. Offered year-round. This program takes place at the Canal Exploration Center.
PREHISTORIC PRACTICES | GRADES 3-4
Discover the culture of prehistoric Native Americans who once inhabited this region. Learn about their daily life by examining artifacts, practicing your hunting skills, grinding corn and sharing Native American stories. 2-hour program. Max 60 students. Offered year-round. This program takes place at the Octagon Shelter or the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center.
SEED’S JOURNEY | PRE K-1
Follow the amazing journey of a seed from small beginnings to magnificent tree, then from fallen log into soil. Explore the forest’s fascinating variety of bark, leaves, stumps and nuts. 2-hour program. Max 30 students. Offered September November. This program takes place at the Octagon Shelter or the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center
WATERSHED WISDOM | GRADES 4-8
Learners will identify watersheds in the park by observing physical features and water flow, explore methods for assessing water quality (chemical testing and biological monitoring), and analyze how water quality impacts ecosystems and human activity. This program takes place Everett Covered Bridge. 3-hour program. Max 30 students. Offered September-November, April-May.
WHO’S HIDING? | PRE K-1
Who lives in these woods? We’ll search together for animal homes, tracks, scat, and other signs of forest animals. These clues reveal how animals survive in their habitat. 2-hour program. Max 30 students. Offered March-May. This program takes place at the Octagon Shelter or the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center
WINTER WILDLIFE | PRE K-1
Wondering what animals do in the cold weather? Through science, play, crafts and a story discover how some of our park residents survive the winter. Be prepared to take a short hike to look for signs of animals that may be out and about. 2-hour program. Max 30 students. Offered December-February. This program takes place at the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center.
Every Kid Outdoors for 4th Grade
If you are a 4th grade teacher, your students may qualify for a free program and transportation! Programs available include Prehistoric Practices, Low Bridge Everybody Down, Learn at the Ledges, and Among the Trees. See program descriptions below!
Schedule for the 2026/2027 school year:
Info & RegistrationPREHISTORIC PRACTICES | GRADE 4
Discover the culture of prehistoric Native Americans who once inhabited this region. Learn about their daily life by examining artifacts, practicing your hunting skills, grinding corn and sharing Native American stories. 2-hour program. Max 60 students. Offered year-round. This program takes place at the Octagon Shelter or the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center.
LOW BRIDGE EVERYBODY DOWN | GRADE 4
Explore the Canal Exploration Center to learn about the history and economic importance of the Ohio & Erie Canal. Learn about this time period as you view a historic canal lock, hike on the Towpath Trail and discover primary sources that provide narratives of life during the canal era. 2-hour program. Max 45 students. Offered year-round. This program takes place at the Canal Exploration Center.
LEARN AT THE LEDGES | GRADE 4
Hike the Ledges and discover how geologic processes have shaped the land. Look for evidence of how erosion and deposition have changed the land, examine how weathering occurs and explore the rocks that make up the Ledges. 2-hour program. Max 75 students. Offered September-November, April-May. This program takes place at the Ledges Shelter and Trailhead.
AMONG THE TREES | GRADE 4
Explore a forest ecosystem to discover which organisms live here. Search for producers, consumers, and decomposers and learn how they are all connected. 2-hour program. Max 60 students. Offered September-November, April-May. This program takes place at the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center.
Multiday Overnight Programs
The curriculum incorporates the arts, technology, science, math, social studies, language arts, and social-emotional learning into a discovery-based program that complements classroom instruction. See program descriptions below!
For multiday overnight trips at the CVEEC, please contact [email protected] and complete the booking application:
Booking ApplicationEXPEDITIONS EARTH | GRADES 4-12
How can we use maps to understand, interpret, and tell the story of Earth’s landscapes—how they are shaped, how we locate ourselves within them, and how three-dimensional features are represented on a two-dimensional surface? Students will explore in-depth mapping activities through hands-on experiences throughout CVEEC and CVNP including using stream tables, small group orienteering and making their own topographical and story maps. Students will be immersed in stories of this area and will learn to tell their own story through their experiences at the park. Students take a field trip to the Virginia Kendall Ledges.
HABITAT HEROES | GRADES 4-12
How can we understand what makes an ecosystem healthy—and how can humans protect, restore, and strengthen native biodiversity and climate resilience in the face of environmental change? Through hands-on activities, students will understand the impacts of climate change and actions they can take to be climate resilient. Contributing to real science throughout the park, students not only will plant native species or remove invasives but will also capture chronolog data that will show changes in the environment over time.
NATURE EXPLORATION | GRADES 4-12
How do the living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem—its energy flow, organisms, biodiversity, and habitats— work together to sustain healthy environments like those found in Cuyahoga Valley National Park? Students will explore different ecosystems at CVEEC discovering the diversity of organisms and recognizing the interconnectedness of each through the flow of energy. Students participate in student-centered exploration activities to get them thinking like scientists by observing organisms, recording observations and sharing discoveries. Students can take a field trip to either Lock 29 or the Virginia Kendall Ledges.
WATER GUARDIANS | GRADES 4-12
How can we investigate what makes a watershed healthy, what factors influence its condition, and how water quality shapes issues of environmental fairness and justice for communities? In addition to conducting water testing and analyzing findings at the Cuyahoga River, students will use stream tables and an augmented reality sandbox to better understand the health of our shared watershed and how healthy waterways are an environmental justice issue of the past and present. Students take a field trip to Lock 29 and Everett Covered Bridge for watershed health assessments.
Virtual Programs
Free virtual Every Kid Outdoors (EKO) programs are offered to a variety of grades. All 4th grade students who attend receive a national park voucher! All EKO programs include three program pieces: an asynchronous video to welcome and introduce students to the concept of national parks, a live presentation with a CVNP ranger or educational staff member, and a follow up activity that can be done at your own pace. See program descriptions below!
Schedule a virtual program:
Info & RegistrationNORTHEAST OHIO GEOLOGY | GRADES 3-5
This program focuses on earth science by exploring the Ledges area of the national park. Students will learn about local landforms and discover how geologic processes including erosion, deposition, and weathering continue to shape northeast Ohio.
OHIO AND ERIE CANAL | GRADES 3-5
This program explores Ohio’s canal era. Students will learn about the history and economic importance of the Ohio & Erie Canal. Through primary and secondary sources, they will learn how and why the canal was used and why it eventually became obsolete.
PREHISTORIC PEOPLES | GRADES 3-5
This program explores what archeologists have discovered about the prehistoric peoples of northeast Ohio. Students will learn about how these prehistoric groups met their needs, and how their cultures changed over time.
WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS | GRADES 3-5
This program explores the concept of an ecosystem by focusing on wetlands in the national park. Students will learn about the living and non-living components of wetlands, and how energy passes through local wetland food webs.
WILD ABOUT ANIMALS | PRE K-2
This program introduces students to animals that live in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Through games, a story, and skulls and pelts students will learn about these animals and discover the adaptations that help them survive in their habitats.
Current Programs Open for Registration
Summer Camps
Summer Camp—Check back soon for Summer 2027 Offerings!
Give your child a summer filled with adventure, discovery, and fresh air at the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center. Through hands-on exploration, campers investigate waterways, hike woodland trails, and connect with nature in their hometown national park. Programs are designed to spark imagination and build confidence while learning about the natural world through play. From Junior Ranger experiences to nature-based science and creative activities, every day at the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center brings something new to explore!
Financial Aid is available for those that qualify according to federal guidelines.
*Please submit your application at least two weeks prior to the camp’s start date.
Financial Aid Application
Teacher Development & Resources
CVEEC’s teacher professional development programs provide innovative hands-on outdoor and environmental learning opportunities for all educators. Through these professional development programs, educators engage in best practices to integrate the natural and cultural resources of Cuyahoga Valley National Park into classroom learning.
Our national park provides countless opportunities for learning across content areas. The Environmental Education Center strives to provide high-quality, relevant workshops that are correlated to Ohio learning standards and offer continuing education units (CEUs) when applicable.
For more information, contact Vice President, Education January Miller at [email protected].
Resources
Curriculum Materials
The National Park Service offers curriculum materials on their website:
Cuyahoga Connections
A variety of book recommendations, journals, activities and challenges to guide you and your family through various topics, including water quality, trees, geology and more.
Animal Posters
Available photos and facts of various birds and other animals you may see in the park.
Save the Date!
Join us for our Educator Open House on Friday, October 16, 2026 (5:30 – 8:30 pm). Learn about upcoming teacher professional development opportunities and the programs the CVEEC has to offer!
- Enjoy light refreshments
- Network with peers
- Tour our campus
- Engage in hands-on activities
- Schedule programs for the upcoming season
- First 50 registrants receive a swag bag full of CVNP & Conservancy goodies!
Contact Us
Tel 330.657.2909
Fax 330.657.2328
1403 West Hines Hill Road
Peninsula, Ohio 44264
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