Holland Energy Park Field Trips

• Offered Year-Round
• 60 minutes
• Capacity: 50 students

Our signature program! Explore Energy Alley, Holland Energy Park’s visitor center, using Goosechase - an interactive, online scavenger hunt platform! Students are put into teams with each receiving their own tablet to use. To complete the Goosechase, teams must answer a series of questions called missions. Teams earn points for every mission they complete and the team with the most points at the end wins a prize. Mission topics include energy, energy sources, energy conservation, and Holland's combined cycle power plant.

This is a self-guided program. Students will receive a short introduction to Holland Board of Public Works and Holland Energy Park’s combined cycle power plant before beginning the scavenger hunt. Tablets are provided (maximum of 10 teams with 1 tablet per team).

Some program materials are also available in Spanish. Looking for a more extensive, hands-on experience for your elementary students? Check out the Energy Exploration Carnival program option. Want to add an additional activity to extend learning? Check out "Build Your Own Field Trip" for a full list of additional activities that can be added to this field trip experience!

Thank you to Latin Americans United for Progress (LAUP) for providing Spanish translation services.

• Offered Year-Round
• 90 minutes
• Capacity: 30 students

Discover energy transformations through play! Students completing the Energy Exploration Carnival will receive a presentation that introduces Holland Board of Public Works, Holland Energy Park’s combined cycle system, and energy concepts like energy resources and the forms of energy. Then, small groups will work together to complete a scavenger hunt using the online platform Goosechase. The scavenger hunt includes carnival-style activities related to energy concepts introduced during the presentation. Tablets to complete the Goosechase are provided (maximum of 10 groups allowed with 1 tablet per team).

Some program materials are also available in Spanish. Want to add an additional activity to extend learning? Check out "Build Your Own Field Trip" for a full list of additional activities that can be added to this field trip experience!

Thank you to Latin Americans United for Progress (LAUP) for providing Spanish translation services.

• Offered Year-Round
• 60 minutes
• Capacity: 25 students

Through story time, hands-on activities, and creative crafts, young learners will explore how electricity powers our community and where Holland’s energy comes from. They’ll explore electrical safety concepts and learn about the essential work line workers do to keep our lights on. To wrap up the experience, students will embark on a scavenger hunt through the visitor center. Each student will take home their own copy of “If I Were a Line Worker” to continue the learning at home.

• Offered year-round
• 60 minutes
• Capacity: 30 students

Introduce your students to the world of public utilities by embarking on an epic race at Holland Energy Park. Students will split into small groups and complete a series of tasks stationed along the 3/4 mile, paved, accessible trail to earn tokens they'll need to finish the race. Failure to complete the tasks results in "detours" – extra tasks that must be completed before earning a token. Once groups have acquired all four tokens, they will be able to solve the final puzzle.

This high-energy, self-guided program is a great introduction to public utilities and their role in our community. Students will perform tasks related to drinking water, electric production, wastewater treatment, and broadband. No background in utilities is necessary.

Program Notes:

• This program can be modified to meet the needs of your group. Please use the “additional comments” section of our program request form to request accommodations.

• Program Location

  • Spring-Fall - Program takes place outdoors

  • Winter/Poor Weather Conditions - Program takes place indoors

  • Optionally, this program can take place in almost any outdoor space, classroom, gym, or parks around the City of Holland

• Chaperone Requirements

  • Depending on your group and accommodations requested, a strict number of chaperones may be required

• Student Behavior Expectations

  • This program is mostly self-guided. Students are expected to be able to trek between stations indoors or outdoors along the trail with minimal supervision. If you believe your students need additional supervision, please plan to bring additional chaperones.

Want to add an additional activity to extend learning? Check out "Build Your Own Field Trip" for a full list of additional activities that can be added to this field trip experience!

• Offered Year-Round
• 60 minutes
• Capacity: 25 students

Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the plant floor led by one of our knowledgeable operators or engineers. Students will experience the working power plant and see machinery like combustion turbines, steam turbine, heat recovery steam generators, Holland’s snowmelt system, and will learn what makes Holland Energy Park’s combined cycle system unique and efficient. Due to the advanced content this experience is recommended for students taking coursework in mechanics, engineering, or AP classes such as Environmental Science. A worksheet is available for students to complete during the tour upon request.

*Please note that this experience is not ADA accessible and requires students to wear closed-toe shoes. All other PPE is provided, but students are welcome to bring their own hard hats and/or safety glasses.

Want to add an additional activity to extend learning? Check out "Build Your Own Field Trip" for a full list of additional activities that can be added to this field trip experience!

Holland BPW offers a range of additional activities that can be added to any of our field trip experiences to extend learning. The following activities can be completed at Holland Energy Park before or after a field trip, or in the classroom. Grade level and additional time required is provided for each activity. These activities are limited to groups of 30 or less if taking place at Holland Energy Park.

Energy Crafts

Add time for crafting! Crafts will vary and may include coloring, cutting, taping, gluing, etc.

• Grade - K-Elementary
• Adds 30 minutes

Build-Your-Own-Bucket Truck

Cut out and build a 3D model of a bucket truck.

• Grade: Upper Elementary
• Adds 30 minutes

Energy Transformation Stations

Students rotate through five stations to discover how the forms of energy are invovled in everyday life. Stations include hands-on experiments testing energy transfers, circuits, energy efficiency, and thermal reactions.

• Grade: Upper Elementary-High School
• Adds 60 minutes

Paper Circuits

Using copper tape, students create their own flashlight or seasonal light-up card.

• Grade: Upper Elementary-Middle
• Adds 30 minutes

Squishy Circuits

Introduce circuits using Squishy Circuits! Students will learn about simple circuits, polarity, short circuits, and test conductors and insulators. After, they'll have free time to make their own circuit project.

• Upper Elementary-Middle
• Adds 30 minutes

Energy Efficiency Expo

More info coming soon!