SETF serves students, educators, adults and families through its Environmental Education program. The goal of the Environmental Education program is to create environmentally aware communities in southeast Chicago; communities that contribute to the area’s redevelopment and respond to environmental threats. To create such communities, we work to foster a love for the environment among residents. We educate them on issues that affect quality of life in their neighborhoods and in the remarkable natural areas of the Calumet region.

"In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we have been taught."

– Baba Dioum

Whether you are a student, parent, teacher or concerned citizen, SETF can help educate your community or school about the historical and environmental uniqueness of the Calumet region. Our full-time Community Educator will personally tailor a curriculum to your environmental education needs. You can request:

• An Environmental Education Workshop on an issue in the Calumet Region;
• A presentation on the history and environmental issues of the Calumet region and how your community or school can get involved;
• A list of environmental education programs offered by our CSI Partners and help in choosing the one best suited for your students or community;
• A Toxics to Treasures Tour (to schedule a tour, please call SETF at 773-646-0436. Cost for a typical school group is $200);
• Service Learning Opportunities.

Student Chapters
Environmental clubs that show strong interest and commitment to local issues can become a SETF Student Chapter. Participating students qualify for internships and scholarships provided by SETF and our partners.

Participating schools to date: Seton Academy, St. Francis de Sales High School.

Marian R. Byrnes Scholarships
Scholarships totaling more than $10,000 have been awarded to students participating in our education programs since 2003.

Partnerships
Our partners are engaged in major efforts to link students with the Calumet. The Field Museum involves students from third grade through high school through Mighty Acorns, Earth Force and UrbanWatch programs. Chicago's city-wide public high school leadership program has teamed up with local partners to create the Calumet Is My Backyard (CIMBY) program that integrates leadership training with service-learning opportunities focused on conservation stewardship work. The Calumet Ecological Park Association (CEPA) is a grassroots organization that offers educational and restoration opportunities for residents (adults and children) to get involved in. For more information on CSI partners and programs, please visit the Calumet Stewardship Initiative website.

To better coordinate the educational and stewardship programs offered by all providers including IDNR, Chicago Park District, Cook County Forest Preserve District and others, the Chicago Department of Environment initiated the Calumet Stewardship Initiative (CSI) in 2001. One of its first collaborations was the coordination of the annual Calumet Stewardship Day.

The CSI consortium continues to publish its seasonal newsletter and calendar of educational workshops and environmental stewardship events. Click on CSI Newsletter to browse the current calendar of events for this season.

Sustaining the Initiative
CSI partners are striving to create an experiential learning continuum. This “ladder” of environmental education will provide a full range of learning opportunities for students from pre-school through college. Plans are also underway to get more students and community groups involved in grassroots conservation efforts.

Creating a learning continuum
SETF puts the following programs into the Calumet experiential learning continuum:

• Toxics to Treasures Tour for student and adult groups;
  
• Evening environmental education workshops for adults.
  
  

SETF hosts a number of events and workshops for community members at its office throughout the year. Most programs are offered in both English and Spanish. Check back frequently to browse upcoming events. Or call SETF at 773-646-0436.