Youth Education
Engaging Youth in Environmental Stewardship
Empowering Youth
Our future is in the hands of our children, which is why it’s important to educate them on environmental stewardship. When they have the tools and knowledge, children feel empowered to take on new challenges. It is our goal to give them those tools to make the world a better place to live and protect for future generations to come.
To support formal and non-formal educators in their mission to educate our youth about caring for the environment, Keep Louisiana Beautiful has created these free educational resources and programs:
- Leaders Against Litter Youth Video
- Lesson Manual for K-5
- Litter-Free Louisiana Activity Book
- Litter-Free School Program
- Rocksey’s Toolbox
Scroll down on this page to learn more about these free resources and programs. Thank you for teaching our young people to be Leaders Against Litter!
Learning with Rocksey & Friends
Rocksey and her animal friends are Leaders Against Litter! They are teaching students across Louisiana’s 64 parishes about the negative impact litter has on our environment, and ways we can all step up to prevent it in the first place. This short animated video was created to introduce students to the concept of litter, and it is a companion piece to the Litter-Free Louisiana Activity Book. We encourage you to share it with your students when teaching environmental lessons.
Free Educational Resources
Lesson Manual for K-5
This manual includes 10 lesson plans that align with the student standards targeting grades K-5. The lessons cover the topics of:
- Litter prevention
- School litter mapping
- Recycling
- Reducing
- Reusing
- Microplastics
- Nonpoint source pollution
- Watersheds
We encourage K-5 classroom teachers to use these new lessons, but they are also a wonderful resource for scout leaders, non-profit organizations, parents, youth leaders, and others who work with children. The fun, hands-on activities that follow each lesson are simple to implement and allow children to engage, explore, and dig deeper into the presented topics.
Lesson Plans & Activities
Lesson 1 (Grades K-5)
Lesson 2 (Grade 3)
Lesson 3 (Grade 3)
Lesson 4 (Grade 3)
- Lesson Plan 4: What Happens to Trash & Recyclables
- Lesson Plan 4 – Activity Sheet 1: What Happens to Trash & Recyclables
- Lesson Plan 4 – Activity Sheet 2: What Happens to Trash & Recyclables
- Lesson Plan 4 – Activity Sheet 3: What Happens to Trash & Recyclables
- Lesson Plan 4 – Activity Sheet 4: What Happens to Trash & Recyclables
Lesson 5 (Grade 4)
Lesson 6 (Grade 5)
Lesson 7 (Grade 5)
Lesson 8 (Grades K-3)
- Lesson Plan 8: Plastics in Marine Life
- Lesson Plan 8 – Activity Sheet 1: Plastics in Marine Life
- Lesson Plan 8 – Activity Sheet 2: Plastics in Marine Life
- Lesson Plan 8 – Activity Sheet 3: Plastics in Marine Life
- Lesson Plan 8 – Activity Sheet 4: Plastics in Marine Life
- Lesson Plan 8 – Activity Sheet 5: Plastics in Marine Life
Lesson 9 (Grade 3)
Litter-Free Louisiana Activity Book
Keep Louisiana Beautiful has created a fun, engaging 12-page activity book for youth. Children will learn about environmental stewardship, litter, and recycling. Included are activities that encourage reflection, problem-solving, and creativity.
Become a Litter-Free School
Litter-Free Louisiana Schools, a free program by Keep Louisiana Beautiful, recognizes schools with grades K-5 for their commitment to maintaining a clean campus and educating students about environmental stewardship. Schools that join this initiative help to create lasting behavior changes that reduce litter, strengthen school pride, and build a culture of environmental responsibility.
Rocksey’s Toolbox
Additional lessons and activities are available in Rocksey’s Toolbox developed by KLB in 2016. Lessons are geared towards students in grades K-5 and focus on litter, waste plastics, recycling, and other relevant topics.
Lesson Plans & Activities
Lesson 1 (Ages 5-11)
Lesson 2 (Ages 5-12)
Lesson 3 (Ages 5-11)
Lesson 4 (Ages 6-11)
Lesson 5 (Ages 5-11)
Lesson 6 (Ages 5-11)
Lesson 7 (Ages 5-12)
Lesson 8 (Ages 6-11)
Lesson 9 (Ages 5-11)
Lesson 10 (Ages 5-11)
Lesson Plan 11: Saving Our Seas (Ages 5-12)
Ready to do more?
Keep Louisiana Beautiful Girl Scout Guide
Use this guide with your Girl Scout troop while achieving various badges. Many of our resources help you to fulfill patch requirements.
Love the Boot Week
Sign your school or group of students up to host a cleanup or beautification event every April!
Get Down & Clean Up
Libraries around the state have partnered with Keep Louisiana Beautiful to offer clean-up supplies for check out. This is a great opportunity for students to get service hours for school.
Rocksey’s Reading List
With help from our library friends, we created Rocksey’s Reading List. These books teach kids how to be a friend to the environment.
