Spring Valley Programs

Programs

The Nature Center offers numerous school field trip opportunities. Program themes change seasonally and include outdoor activities. Programs inspire curiosity and teach about the natural world.

Farm Programs

Schaumburg was once a German-American farm community supported by the dairy industry. Volkening Heritage Farm is a reminder of what life was like in the 1880s. Visitors are invited to participate in farm chores and learn about farm life. School programs are available Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Home School Programs

An integrated and multidisciplinary approach to learning about the natural world that weaves math, science, social studies and literature into a meaningful story that makes learning easy and effective. These programs are specifically designed for home school groups.

Outreach Programs

We will bring the outreach program to your site. Topics include forest, worms, spiders, mammals, food chains, food webs and the water cycle. Students participate in hands-on activities such as puppet shows, songs and games. Topics are appropriate for students in grades 1-6 and are correlated with Illinois state standards.

Scout Programs

Spring Valley offers a full range of scouting programs (Webelo, Cub, Scout, Daisy, Brown and Junior Badgers). These do NOT require all of the requirements for a badge, but they will cover MOST of them.

Reservations/Cancelations/Fees

Environmental Programs (Group Venture)

Reservations MUST be made at least two weeks in advance. There is a minimum charge per group of $45. Payment is expected on the day of the program. Checks should be made to the Schaumburg Park District. A deposit of $45 is required to confirm reservations for all summer programs. Upon receipt of the deposit, confirmations will be mailed out. A lunch room is available at no extra charge, but reservations must be made at the time the program is scheduled.

With the exception of the Sugar Bush Programs, all Pre K/K Programs are one hour long; all Early Settler Life and Caddie Woodlawn Programs are two hours; and all other programs are 1.5 hours in length.

Please call 847/985-2100 for pricing and additional information.

Outreach Programs

To schedule call 847/985-2100 two weeks in advance. Reservations MUST be made at least two weeks in advance. Fees are per class (maximum class size is 30) and are discounted when class visits are scheduled to run consecutively. The fee structure for one-hour programs is:
$70 for the 1st class*
$60 for the 2nd class, when scheduled consecutively
$50 for the 3rd class, when scheduled consecutively
*If there is a wait exceeding 40 minutes between scheduled class visits, fee is $70/class.

Lessons are one hour in length and include a variety of hands-on activities. Topics are correlated with Illinois State Standards and the National Education Science Standards.

Scout Programs

Programs may be scheduled Monday through Friday from 9AM-5PM and 9AM to noon on Saturday. Length of time and number of sessions vary with badge. All reservations require two weeks notice. There is a $3.50 fee/participant per session. Groups of fewer than 15 will be charged a minimum fee.

Adult Venture Programs

Large groups (up to 50) are divided into smaller groups of 12-15. Programs vary in length from 1.5 to two hours and are offered for adult business/social groups and high school students. Monday through Saturday, 9AM - 5PM and 7-10PM. Schedule at least two weeks in advance by calling 847/985-2100.

Spring Valley Nature Center and Heritage Farm
1111 E. Schaumburg Road
Schaumburg, IL 60194
Phone: (847) 985-2100