South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control

We promote and protect the health of the public and the environment.

• Past & Present
• Earth Day Awards
• Get Involved!
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
• Spare the Air
• Energy Efficiency
• Saving Water
• Coastal Creeks & Beaches
• Programs & Resources
• School, Home, & Community
• Workplace, Industry & Government

• Eco-Jeopardy
• Governor's Proclamation
• Earth Day Contacts at DHEC

• Earth Day Events

Programs and Resources for your School, Home, or Community

Here are some activities that you can do at your school to learn more, raise awareness, and change behaviors at your school, at home, or in your community.

	abcteach is a site for kids, parents, students, and teachers; with free lesson plans, worksheets, posters, songs. and other activities. Get your local school to participate in Breathe Better (B2), an anti-idling/clean air campaign. This program helps reduce idling that frequently occurs during student drop-off and pick-up. This program also demonstrates how to reduce air pollution by planting trees and gardens around schools and starting recycling programs. Champions of the Environment wants South Carolina's young people to learn about and protect the natural world. So each year, Champions awards more than $10,000 to K-12 students and teachers for environmental action and awareness projects. Maybe you will be the next Champion of the Environment! Climate for Action motivates others to engage in activities to address climate change and reduce its effects on children’s health. Because children’s bodies are still developing and they interact differently with their environment, they suffer more than adults from the health effects of some environmental hazards. Changes in climate could increase some of those hazards. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will create a healthier environment where children live, learn, and play. The Dynamic Languages ToolKit (DLTK) has put together activity books, word finds and ideas for recycling, water conservation, and improving air quality. These craft projects from EnchantedLearning.com are for preschool, kindergarten and elementary school children. The crafts use materials found around the house, like egg cartons, cardboard, paper, boxes, string, crayons, paint, glue, etc. The Earth Day Groceries Project is a cost-free project in which students decorate paper grocery bags with environmental messages for Earth Day. Shoppers take their groceries home, and receive some complementary environmental awareness, too! edHelper.com is dedicated to providing teachers a single shop for educational resources. Look through this list of activities, worksheets, word finds, and lesson plans to help celebrate Earth Day. PrimaryGames.com provides educational games, stories, puzzles and videos about Earth Day and many other subjects. Green Steps Schools is an environmental education initiative that encourages individual schools in South Carolina to take annual sustainable steps toward becoming more environmentally responsible. Since 1997, The International Walk to School Program has been enhancing the health of children, improving air quality and the environment, and creating safer routes for walking and bicycling to and from school. Although celebrated in October of every year, activities and events can be celebrated all year long by your school and community. Change your ways and become an ENERGY STAR! There's tons of stuff that we can do every day to save energy and our planet. Come and meet the ENERGY STARS or join the Lorax and learn about ways to practice energy efficiency and how the products that your family buys and the way you use them can help keep a healthy environment.

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