Purdue Programing for Teachers

A 30-minute lesson featuring non-toxic, phosphorescent material to illustrate the distribution of microorganisms and their elimination through handwashing. Participants will learn the importance of handwashing, how germs spread, the connection between germs and potential illnesses, and proper technique for handwashing.

Time: 1 session - 30 minutes 

Binary is extremely important to the computer world. The majority of computers today store all sorts of information in binary form. Students are guided to create binary bracelets using beads and pipe cleaners, allowing them to see how familiar words can be represented in binary form. Through this process, a foundational understanding of how computers communicate is developed.

Time: 1 session - 30 minutes

Students will learn to identify the four seasons and associate each season with its characteristics (weather, colors, nature). They’ll create a “Season Bracelet” to represent the cycle of seasons.

Time: 1 session - 30 minutes

Feelings are big — let’s make them visual, creative, and manageable! This engaging session helps students identify, express, and cope with emotions through books, movement, and their very own feeling monster.

Time: 2 session - 30 minutes (Recommended)

OR 1 session - 45 minutes

Growth Mindset Garden is a creative SEL experience designed for students to explore the power of “yeti.” Through hands-on flower crafts and meaningful discussion, students learn to reframe challenges, celebrate effort, and grow their confidence — all while helping “plant” a classroom mindset garden. Perfect for building emotional resilience in a fun, visual way!

Time: 1 session - 45 minutes

MyPlate is a simple, visual guide created by the USDA to help individuals understand healthy eating. It shows a plate divided into five food groups: Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Protein, and Dairy, emphasizing portion balance and variety for a nutritious diet. MyPlate helps kids learn how to build balanced meals that support growth, energy, and overall health. 

A 30-minute lesson focusing on foods with added sugar. This lesson dives into recommended versus actual sugar consumption based upon the Standard American Diet and involves a hands-on sugar measuring activity.

Time: 1 session - 30 minutes

In this engaging 8-week SEL program, students are guided through meaningful lessons on Kindness, Respect, Gratitude, Integrity, Friendship, and more. Each 20–30 minute session is designed to include journaling, discussion, and the creation of a growing “Kindness Chain” to support a more connected, caring classroom community.

Time: 8 sessions - 20-30 minutes each week

From Field to Fork is a 2-part healthy eating adventure for grades 1–4 that connects students to where their food comes from, how to make smart snack choices, and why local food matters. Through books, games, food group fun, and hands-on snack planning, students build their own “Snack Smart” cookbook to take home. It’s a flavorful blend of agriculture, nutrition, and real-world decision-making.

Time: 2 sessions - 30 minutes

Junior Engineers Challenge is a hands-on STEM experience where students build, test, and improve real-world structures like bridges, boats, and towers. It’s a high-energy session that blends teamwork, design thinking, and growth mindset — perfect for curious problem-solvers! Each challenge inspires creativity, collaboration, and learning through trial and error.

Time: 1 hour session per activity - 3 activity choices

Come along with Captain Ca$h and unlock the secret of becoming the captain of your own future. The Captains money voyage will take you on an adventure to the islands of Earning, Saving, Spending, and Borrowing during 4 sessions of money management lessons.

Time: 4 sessions - 30-45 minutes

Food for Thought is a collection of three engaging activities that equip kids with fundamental knowledge of factors that contribute to Food Security, how people are impacted both globally and locally, and how youth can personally contribute to creating a more food secure community. 

A 6-week, 30 minutes per week, series that uses the power of exposure and repetition to improve vegetable consumption among participants. Each week students will be provided with a taste-test of a different recipe highlighting various vegetables. The focus of the curriculum is to increase awareness and reflection on the experience of taste as well as allow for a safe environment to try new foods.

A three-part series where the class and Extension Educator meet at the planting site to discuss plant parts and needs; during plant growth for nutrition education; and at harvest for taste testing.

FoodMASTER involves ten different lessons that can be mixed and matched to use food to teach math and science skills. Each lesson focuses on a different skill and includes 2-3 different hands-on labs to choose from. Topics include: Weights & Measures; Food Safety; Vegetables; Fruits; Milk & Cheese; Meat; Grains; Sugar; Fats; and Energy Balance.

This four-part program introduces students to the concept of personal and community impact on the environment. Through engaging discussions, scenario-based activities, and student-led action planning, participants will explore sustainability, practice critical thinking, and design their own small-scale projects to make a positive difference in their school or local community.

Time: 4 sessions - 30 minutes

Electricity activities of squishy circuits, paper circuits and circuit boards provides youth with educational information about electricity and how it can be used to benefit the human race. The electricity/electronics program develops project skills (i.e., safe practices, proper use and techniques) and life skills (i.e., decision-making, using science and technology, developing communication skills).

Time: 45 minutes per activity - 3 activity choices

Water Protectors is an interactive environmental science experience that empowers students to understand how human actions impact our water systems. Through sorting challenges and a hands-on pollution model simulation, students explore the causes of water pollution and test real-world protection strategies. It’s a high-impact blend of science, critical thinking, and environmental stewardship.

Time: 1 session - 1 hour

Get kids excited about computer science (CS) through hands–on learning. Code Your World integrates CS First, Google’s introductory computer science curriculum, with 4-H’s research– based youth development model, to show kids how they can use code both as a form of personal expression and as a lens to understand the world around them.

Time: 3 hours for 4 activities

The three activities take youth on an ocean exploration–with robots. The challenge activities are designed to help youth develop observational and critical thinking skills while exploring the interconnections between the ocean and humans, regardless of where they live.

Time: 3 hours for 3 activities

Explore STEM through an expedition to Mars! A collection of activities that teaches STEM skills like mechanical engineering, physics, computer science, and agriculture.

Time: 3.5 hours for 4 activities

Explores the history of humans in space, the technology and resources needed for missions, and the obstacles humans encounter in orbit. Activities explore important STEM topics ranging from physics and engineering to computer science and space agriculture.

Time: 3.5 hours for 4 activities

Explores the topic of computer science in a way that’s fun for kids. Consists of three activities, each of which make connections between computer science topics and agriculture, healthy living, or civic engagement. It helps make computer science more approachable and to help kids understand the many ways it can be applied to the world around us.

Time: 2.5 hours for 3 activities

Coding and Drones towards a higher future

Introduces participants to the exciting intersection of technology, coding, and drone innovation. This session dives into beginner-friendly Blockly coding, allowing attendees to program and pilot drones in a hands-on, interactive environment.

Time: 6 sessions - 45 minutes

The three activities focus on renewable energy providing youth the fundamental knowledge of sustainable power sources, the energy people use on a daily basis and the importance of using energy wisely.

Time: 3 hours for 3 activities

Travel the globe without leaving your classroom! In Tastes Around the World, students explore food, culture, geography, and sustainability from six different countries through hands-on tasting and interactive activities. This flavorful adventure builds cultural awareness, critical thinking, and global citizenship.

Time: 30 minute session once a week for 6 weeks

FoodMASTER involves ten different lessons that can be mixed and matched to use food to teach math and science skills. Each lesson focuses on a different skill and includes 2-3 different hands-on labs to choose from. Topics include: Weights & Measures; Food Safety; Vegetables; Fruits; Milk & Cheese; Meat; Grains; Sugar; Fats; and Energy Balance.

From organizing finances to learning about savings, risk management, and consumer breadcrumbs, the My Financial Future curriculum helps middle and high school youth develop critical skills and knowledge in money management. Participants learn about financial literacy concepts through case studies and real-life scenarios.

Grades 5-8 (Beginner) Grades 9-12 (Advanced)

Beginner: 11 sessions - 45 minutes Advanced: 13 sessions - 45 minutes

Explore the basics of the stock market and learn the value of personal saving and planning for the future. Youth will use real-world stock market data to manage a hypothetical portfolio of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.

Time: 8 sessions - 30-45 minutes

Work Ready is designed to teach life skills necessary to increase the number of qualified applicants for job openings in the United States. Specifically, the Work Ready program’s goals are to increase participants' soft skills, increase participants' chances of securing a job and maintaining the position, resume development, and successful interview skills

Time: 10 sessions spread across a minimum of 6 hours

Our office offers so much more than what meets the eye. From youth to adulthood, we have programs that fit your needs! We also do lunch-and-learns, fairs, and events! Even if we don’t have the program for you, we can direct you to someone that does!