The Regional Office of Education for Henderson, Knox, Mercer, and Warren County, in partnership with Nutrien Ag Solutions, will host the annual 5th Grade Outdoor Education Day. Kathryn Jennings, Regional Superintendent of Schools, is proud to offer this exceptional program, which has been a tradition of the Regional Office of Education for many years. This year will mark the 39th year of this event!
The event will take place at Lake Storey in Galesburg on September 18, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. There will be over fifty volunteer presenters greeting more than 500 fifth-grade students from Knox County Schools and their teachers, while they rotate through eight different stations on outdoor and environmental education topics throughout the day. Some of the station topics include the following:
- Aquatics
- Renewable Resources Scavenger Hunt
- Butterflies and Bees
- Native American History
- Habitat Exploration
- Weather
- And the student-favorite annual Fishing Station
The Regional Office of Education appreciates Nutrien Ag Solutions for their monetary donation that helps cover the costs of Outdoor Education Day. We are also grateful to the many volunteers who come out every year to participate as a presenter. Many of the volunteers have been a part of Outdoor Education Day since its inception in 1985. One such volunteer was the late Ken Russell, who participated in the event as part of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources as a state fish biologist. Ken’s impact as an environmental enthusiast was far-reaching as he volunteered his time to work with kids in multiple counties throughout the state to share his love and passion for the outdoors. Ken Russell’s lifelong dedication to environmental education inspired the renaming of the event by former Regional Superintendent Jodi Scott. The event is now officially called the Regional Office of Education #33 Ken Russell Outdoor Education Day.
For questions, contact Kathy Wight at (309) 715-7314 or kwight@roe33.net
***Courtesy of the Regional Office of Education #33***
