About

A Learning Tool for Advisors and Students

The DELAWARE ENVIROTHON is a problem – solving, natural resource education program for high school age students. It provides students with an integrated approach to exploring six natural resource categories and it tests their creativity, analytical thinking, and team building skills in a competitive format. Solutions to today’s natural resource issues may well come from a grassroots concern for nurturing our quality of life.

The ENVIROTHON is a ready-made program available to help advisors teach environmental education. It affords a unique approach to teaching environmental education and it’s fun! Tomorrow’s problems will be more challenging, but the solutions will be more apparent if students are encouraged to become environmentally aware, action -oriented adults.

The competitive nature of the program motivates students to expand their knowledge of natural resources and realize their responsibility as stewards of our natural resources. Advisors who sponsor teams have the opportunity to use training materials and expertise provided free of charge. This results in the opportunity to share their newly gained expertise with all of their students and not just ENVIROTHON team participants.

The ENVIROTHON competition is a ‘day -in -the -field’ where students are challenged as they answer written questions and conduct hands -on investigations of a variety of environmental issues in the following areas:

  • Air Quality
  • Aquatic Ecology
  • Forestry
  • Soil/Land Use
  • Public Speaking
  • Wildlife
  • Current Environmental Issue (changes annually)

Many DELAWARE ENVIROTHON participants have gone on to pursue environmentally -related careers as a result of their participation as an ENVIROTHON team member. Delaware’s program has come ‘full circle’ in that a few past participants are now Delaware high school science teachers serving as ENVIROTHON advisors.

Delaware ENVIROTHON Goals

The goals of the ENVIROTHON program include:

  • Promoting environmental awareness and stewardship;
  • Developing students’ skills in critical thinking, cooperative problem solving, and decision making;
  • Presenting balanced options for management of our natural resources; and
  • Providing awareness of and accessibility to resource organizations offering assistance in environmental issues.  

Benefits of Participation

The ENVIROTHON prepares our future leaders for environmentally related careers, and provides an environmental knowledge base for all participants, regardless of future careers. It allows adult advisors to interact with and instruct students in multiple learning situations, and provides expert instruction and materials for both advisors and students. Experience in preparing for and participating in state and international ENVIROTHON competitions gives all participants experience in real world situations which fosters sound decision making, problem solving, and critical thinking.

Eligibility

Students must be enrolled in grades 9-12. They may comprise a team from their high school or other youth group. Advisors are generally high school teachers, FFA advisors, 4-H leaders, or other youth group leaders. Teams are composed of five students and a suggested two alternate students.

People and Places

The Envirothon concept began in Pennsylvania in 1979. In 1988 the first National ENVIROTHON was held in Pennsylvania with five states participating. The program has grown over the years and is now a North American event with 47 states and nine Canadian provinces participating. This event is sponsored by the National Conservation Foundation and is now called the NCF Envirothon. The first DELAWARE ENVIROTHON competition was held in 1996. Since that year Delaware has sent the state champions to represent Delaware in the North American competition, which Delaware won in 2008.

Over the past 25 years, the Delaware Envirothon has been supported by hundreds of volunteers to provide training for students and host the competition at locations throughout the state. 

Click here to learn about some of the people and places that have been a part of this program!

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