Field Trips

Bring your students to the Innovation Barn for a hands-on, interactive field trip where they’ll explore the circular economy and discover how small actions can make a big impact! Offering field trips that align with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards for grades Pre-K through 12th grade. Our curriculum-based field trips are designed to support classroom learning through hands-on experiences and real-world connections.

Now offering a 6th–8th Grade Capstone Program at the Innovation Barn that engages students in hands-on learning that connects STEM, the circular economy, and real-world sustainability solutions.

What to Expect:
Students will dive into the world of sustainability through engaging activities, real-world examples, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we reduce waste, repurpose materials, and rethink our environmental impact.

  • Learn what the circular economy is and how it differs from the traditional "take-make-waste" model.

  • See innovative recycling solutions in action, including how plastic waste is shredded and repurposed right here in Charlotte.

  • Discover practical ways to be more sustainable at home and in school.

Boxed lunch options available for purchase - must be ordered in advance

Field trips are scheduled Tuesday through Saturday 8am to 3pm

Add a behind the scenes tour of the Innovation Barn for an additional fee

Add an aquaponic deep dive with 100 Gardens for an additional fee

email us for questions and to schedule your field trip

  • Choose from our list of educational field trip experiences below. Each option costs $250 per group of up to 30 students and is offered for grades Pre-K through 12th.

    Want to create a more in-depth learning day? You can easily combine multiple field trip options:

    • 2 field trip options for $500 (per 30 students)

    • 3 field trip options for $750 (per 30 students)

    • Add a boxed lunch or one of our add ons to customize your visit!

  • Planning a visit with more than 30 students? We offer 3 field trip options to make your experience engaging and memorable.

    Choose from Eco-Engineers, Deputy of Diversion, or Rethinking the Circular Economy.

    Cost is $10 per student

    Each field trip is 60 minutes

    Reach out at erica@envisioncharlotte.org to learn more and start planning your visit!

    Our field trips make it easy to meet your learning goals while giving students a fun, interactive experience they’ll never forget.

  • In person field trips at the Innovation Barn for groups of 30 students or less:

    Cost is $250 for up to 30 students for one field trip listed below.

    Each field trip is 90 minutes.

    Eco-Engineers

    Reuse Commonly Wasted Items

    Subject: Science, Engineering

    NGSS: ETS1, ESS3, LS1, LS2

    CCSS: MD, OA, W, RI, SL, R

    EcoEngineers will learn to REUSE items commonly thrown in the trash. Learn to reuse materials brought to the Innovation Barn such as plastics, glass, cans, textiles, and organics. Students will expand their knowledge of the circular economy and learn about our plastic lab, glass crusher, bailer, and t-shirt projects. In addition, EcoEngineers will use the engineer design process and problem based learning to design and create something new.

    Exploring our Environment and Organisms

    Subject: Science, Math, Engineering

    NGSS: LS1, LS3, LS4, ESS3, PS1, LS2

    CCSS: MD, OA, EE, RP, F, G, G.MG, A.SSE,

    RL, RI, W

    Students will explore gardening, identify living and non-living organisms, and dive deeper to understand their impact on the environment and the circular economy. Students will also engage in hands-on activities involving measurement and problem based learning, all while using sustainable materials.

    Scraps to Sustainability

    Subject: Science, Math, Engineering

    NGSS: LS1, LS2, ETS1, ESS3,

    CCSS: MD, OA, RP, NS, SP, G, SCP, G.MG, W, RI

    Explore our impact on the environment. Students will learn about food waste, composting, food growing, ecology, and reducing our negative impact on the environment around us. Scraps to sustainability will focus on the influence our soil and gardens have on the success of our community and the circular economy. Students will create healthy compost, enjoy our edible gardens, and observe worms, fish, and bee habitats at the Innovation Barn. Through the engineer design process and problem based learning, students will create sustainable solutions from food scraps, pollinator watering stations, and more.

    Rethink the Circular Economy

    Subject: Science, Math, Engineering

    NGSS: ESS3, ETS

    CCSS: MP, RST, WHST

    Get the inside scoop on Charlotte’s first in the nation Innovation Barn, a circular economy focused hub. Students will take a tour and explore behind the scenes of the Innovation Barn. Expand their understanding and rethink the way we all have an impact on our community. Help in our mini MRF at the Innovation Barn to sort and learn how our waste in Charlotte is re-circulated. Students will use the engineer design process and problem based learning to create a blueprint that can RETHINK a way the Innovation Barn re-circulates waste to divert it from the Mecklenburg County landfill.

    Deputy of Diversion

    Subject: Science, Math, ELA, Engineering

    NGSS: ESS3, ETS1, LS2

    CCSS: MP, SL, RI, W, SL, L, RST, WHST

    Learn how to recycle right and become a Deputy of Diversion in partnership with Mecklenburg County’s Wipe Out Waste recycling program. Students will learn about recycling; how it works, why it's important, and how to “recycle right” to divert waste from the landfill. Students will work in teams to become a Deputy of Diversion and make an impact. Each Student will earn a certificate and badge that they can take with them and pledge to educate others to Recycle Right.

    Repair and Rewear

    Subject: Science, Engineering, Math, ELA

    NGSS: ESS3, EST1, LS2

    CCSS: MD, G, MP1, SL, RI, W, SL, L, RST, WHST, SL

    Join us to repair and rewear our commonly discarded clothes and make an impact on the circular economy. Help divert waste from the landfill and learn how to repair and reuse textiles. Roughly 92 million tons of textile waste is generated each year worldwide. Students will learn their part in repairing clothes that can be worn longer or recirculated back into our community. Walk away with a new design, a new skill, and improve the circular economy with problem based learning.

  • In-school sustainability presentations are now available—let us come to you! Skip the bus and bring a 45-minute, assembly-style sustainability presentation directly to your school. Choose from two great field trip options!

    Deputy of Diversion, created in partnership with Mecklenburg County’s Wipe Out Waste program, where students learn how recycling works, why it matters, and how to recycle right.

    Rethink the Circular Economy, an engaging overview of Charlotte’s Innovation Barn and the principles of the circular economy.

    Aligned with NGSS and Common Core standards, these presentations support science, math, ELA, and engineering curriculum goals while inspiring students to rethink waste and their impact on the environment.

    Cost: $250 per class of 30

    Duration: 45 minute presentation

    Grades: K-12

    Reach out at erica@envisioncharlotte.org to learn more and schedule your presentation!

  • In this three-year Capstone Field Trip Series at the Innovation Barn, 6th–8th grade students explore how communities and individuals can drive a zero-waste, sustainable future. Our capstone projects are designed for 6th–8th graders and can be taken at any grade or completed consecutively to build on your learning each year.

    Sixth graders explore the fundamentals of the circular economy by examining tipping-point data, comparing linear and circular systems, discovering how their own choices influence a zero-waste future, and learning about green careers and opportunities.

    Seventh graders take these concepts further by exploring Envision Charlotte’s Innovation Barn behind-the-scenes and designing their own community-based waste-reduction solutions through the engineering design process. 

    By eighth grade, students broaden their perspective to a global scale, linking the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals to the essential needs of food, water, air, and shelter, and developing innovative models for sustainable consumption. 

    Aligned with CCSS and NGSS standards, these capstone experiences blend math, science, engineering, and environmental studies, giving students the tools and inspiration to create lasting change. 

    Before and after a half-day visit to the Innovation Barn, students complete about four hours of pre-visit and four hours of post-visit classroom activities, deepening their understanding and linking the experience to core curriculum.

    Each grade level stands alone, yet builds naturally for schools that want to return year after year. The fee is $20 per student, which includes the visit plus all pre- and post-work materials. 

    Teachers can book a field trip now to empower the next generation of sustainability leaders and connect classroom learning to real-world impact.

    email us for questions and to schedule your field trip!