Field Trips & School Programs
Standards-based Nature Programs for Grades PreK–12
school programs
Squam Lakes Natural Science Center partners with schools to offer field trips and in-school programs that connect classroom learning to real New Hampshire wildlife and habitats.
Whether you are searching for educational trips near you or looking for a way to bring phenomena-based science into your schoolyard, our programs are designed to complement what you already teach and to get students learning with all their senses outdoors and with live animals.
All programs are aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and encourage students to ask questions, investigate real-world phenomena, and build understanding over time. Each experience is tailored by grade so that concepts, vocabulary, and activities are developmentally appropriate from PreK through high school.
Flexible options for your school
We offer two main ways to engage your students:
Field trips to Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
Students explore the Live Animal Exhibit Trail along our forested campus, and hands-on exhibits. These educational trips give students a chance to see, hear, and feel the natural world while deepening concepts from your curriculum.
Programs at Your School
Our naturalists come to you with live animal ambassadors and interactive lessons that turn your classroom, gym, or schoolyard into a living laboratory. These programs are especially helpful when travel is not possible but you still want students to experience authentic, NGSS-aligned science learning.
Why educators choose our programs
Our school programs are designed to be a trusted academic extension of your instruction, not just a one-off outing.
Educators tell us they appreciate the following:
Standards-based
Programs are explicitly tied to NGSS, making it easier to justify time and transportation and to integrate before-and-after activities in the classroom.
Experiential Learning
Students experience authentic phenomena with live animals and local habitats, which makes abstract concepts concrete and memorable.
Developmental Impact
Field trips and outreach visits support inquiry, critical thinking, and evidence-based reasoning, while also sparking joy and curiosity about science and the outdoors.
You can explore detailed program descriptions, NGSS connections, and logistics using the filters below, then submit a request to schedule your next school visit or in-school program.
Programs Designed for each grade
To make it easy to find the right fit, school programs are aligned with NGSS standards for each grade. If there is a program that is listed for a different grade that fits with your curriculum, we can help!
Please contact us to discuss the best program for your class.
You can filter programs by:
- Location: at-school programs or field trips to the Science Center
- Topic: habitats, adaptations, food webs, human impacts, and more
Filter
Request a School Program