What we Do
Green Explorers Club is designed for students ages 4-10 years and includes summer camps, book clubs, after school programs and a variety of activities for kids. In addition to our in-person programs we also have curriculum downloads, classroom supplies, and school garden programs for teachers!
Every project starts with a book to introduce an environmental, life science, or sustainability topic. We read it aloud with the kids to get them thinking about the ecosystem they are studying, and we discuss the concepts as a group before we get started on our project. From there, Green Explorers Club instructors work with students to create hand-on projects that take the themes in the book a bit further and bring the environmental concepts to life. Our projects are Montessori-inspired, and typically involve movement, observation, outdoor exploration, and creativity.
Our Story
How We Do It
One thing our entire leadership team has in common is that we are all moms. Because of that, we think about our campers and their experiences in the same way we think and plan for our own kids to learn, play, and thrive. Everything is designed with love, and the goal is for our students to learn something new, have fun, and get a little messy!
Our teachers at Green Explorers Club are particularly well-suited to work with our students because they are local, and they represent the varied backgrounds in the communities we serve, bringing with them local insights and lived experiences that help guide environmental education. This experience allows them to connect with students more authentically and make environmental education more relevant to students’ everyday lives.
Who We Serve
At Green Explorers Club, we pride ourselves on creating a nurturing space where everyone can thrive. Green Explorers Club is designed for elementary-aged students (4-10 years). Our curriculum has been adapted for public, private, and homeschool programs and is ideal for students in Kindergarten through 3rd Grade. Green Explorers Club provides a foundation to inspire children to become the next generation of environmental leaders.
Our History
Did you know the average American child can identify roughly 1,000 corporate logos, but can only identify a handful of plants and animals native to their hometown? We created Green Explorers Club to help change those numbers.
Green Explorers Club started in 2016 as an after-school program in a handful of elementary schools in Chicago. Our vision was to use science, art, food, and fun to teach kids about some of the tough issues that face our planet, while also empowering them to do something about it.
In our first year, we were only in a handful of schools, but by 2017 we were growing fast, and adding instructors and new school contracts at a rapid rate. As we expanded to more and more schools, the success of the after-school programs led to the expansion of our organization into a full-fledged brick and mortar studio with classes, summer camps, and a variety of kids programming in 2018. Green Explorers Club now has a collection of over 300 curriculum units, 12 weeks of summer camps, a line of project boxes, a school garden program, and educational resources that can be used in a variety of settings.
For close to a decade, Green Explorers Club has been serving the Chicago area. We have hundreds of students take part in our activities each year, and we are so proud of the number of repeat campers who come back year after year. As we grow, we plan to continue our efforts in Illinois while also expanding into California where we aim to build the program’s first physical studio space near the coast. Our Founder, Erin Gibb, is spearheading this expansion effort in California.
Meet Our Leadership Team
Support our Mission
Through our camps, programs, and educational resources, we empower kids with the knowledge, curiosity, and basic skills they’ll need to one day change the world.
Discover how you can support Green Explorers Club! Whether through donations, volunteering, sponsoring a child, or shopping from our Amazon Wishlist, there are countless ways for you to make a meaningful impact!