Our education programmes
We offer a range of environmental education programmes for Canterbury/Waitaha schools that align with the New Zealand Curriculum. These are FREE for schools in the Waitaha region and content can be tailored to meet your needs.
We offer educators access to resources, support, connections and events focussed on the following areas:
- Biodiversity and pests
- Civics
- Marine and coastal environments
- Transport
- Stormwater
- Canterbury Waterways
🎓 View the New Zealand Curriculum programme areas below to learn more about each focus area.
Request education support: To request support for your school, please fill out this form or contact us at education@ecan.govt.nz if you have any questions.
New Zealand Curriculum Programmes
Explore our New Zealand Curriculum programme areas to learn about available topics, year levels, curriculum links, and supporting resources for your students and inquiry learning.
Biodiversity and pests
Brief: ‘What a Pest!’ is an inquiry learning programme designed to identify the effects that invasive pest plants and animals have on the natural biodiversity of Canterbury and to investigate what can be done to combat them. This programme was developed in partnership with the Department of Conservation.
Year level: 7–8 (we can adapt for other year levels)
Learning areas: Science, Social Studies, English, Mathematics and Statistics
Availability: All year
Supporting information
Stormwater
Brief: This Stormwater inquiry learning programme delves into the big issues — where stormwater comes from, where it goes, why it is contaminated, and what effect this has on the health of our waterways.
It also investigates actions that schools, individuals and communities can take to help improve urban stormwater quality, to protect the unique stream environments that make up our towns.
Year level: 7–8 (we can adapt for other year levels)
Learning areas: Science, Social Studies, English
Availability: All year
Transport
Brief: 'A to B with Billy the Bus,' is a programme that focusses on bus awareness and safety. It also looks at the environmental and health reasons for public and active transport.
Year level: 1–3
Learning areas:
Availability: All year
Supporting information
- Find out more about our role in transport
Canterbury Waterways
Brief: Canterbury Waterways educates young people and their communities about the importance of water and waterways in their environment, and how to maintain them for future generations.
We can provide a water monitoring activity that enables your students to discover the wonderful world of macro-invertebrates, their habitats, and what makes for a healthy stream.
Year level: 1 – 10
Learning areas: Science, Social Studies, Health
Availability: All year
Supporting Information
Other information
Air quality
Climate change
- Find out more about climate change in Canterbury
- Christchurch City Council, Climate change
- Christchurch City Council, Learning programmes, Future Proof: Climate change – Kaitiakitanga
- NIWA, Science topics for students, Climate change information for climate solvers
- New Zealand Curriculum, Education for sustainability
Marine and coastal environment
- Find out more about our coastal environment
- Seaweek.org.nz
- MM² Marine Metre Squared
- Sustainable Coastlines, Litter Intelligence Programme
We have kits to conduct MM² and litter intelligence beach litter monitoring. Contact us if you would like to borrow these or need some assistance.
Education and sustainability
For more information and support on how our work connects across the New Zealand curriculum, contact the education team.