Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is seeking to expand its TEENS (Teenagers Exploring and Explaining Nature and Science) program in cooperation with six Chicago-area environmental and educational organizations: Friends of the Chicago River, Chicago Park District, Chicago Audubon Society, University of Illinois-Chicago, Lake Michigan Federation, and The Field Museum. The TEENS program will aim to serve more students in two new, enhanced career tracks focused on environmental monitoring and conservation (E-Investigators) and environmental education (E-Guides). These new tracks will provide additional hands-on, real-life environmental science experience and application of this knowledge in real work settings. This will encourage the students to continue their science education beyond high school. Activities are designed to parallel schoolwork, and some activities will result in high school credits. The expansion will be a model for museums nationally to capitalize on partnerships to address important national needs, such as the lack of diversity and decline in participation in the scientific and technological fields.