We love talking to the community and teaching others about energy, fiber, water treatment, and wastewater reclamation! Whether your class takes a field trip or you take your business on a tour, we are here to answer your questions! Field trips and tours at Holland BPW facilities will immerse visitors into the world of public utilities. Visitors will gain an understanding of how public utilities work and career opportunities in the industry.
Field trips and Place-Based programs are designed for PreK-12th grade students. Educators should use the Field Trip Request Form to request a field trip or program at one of our facilities. To request a tour of our facilities for college level students or businesses, please use the Facility Tour Request Form.
Field Trips
Thank you for your interest in Holland BPW field trips! For more detail on our facilities and field trips offered, please scroll through the programs below. To request a field trip, complete the Field Trip Request Form. This form will be sent to our Education and Visitor Programs Specialist who will reply within 5-7 business days.
Curriculum Standards and Education Goals
Holland BPW field trips are developed with State of Michigan and Next Generation Science Standards in mind. Our field trips encourage students to explore beyond the light switch and water tap to learn how public utilities provide electricity, broadband, wastewater treatment, and safe drinking water to our community. Field Trips are offered free of charge and generally take place at one of our three facility locations: Holland Energy Park, the Water Reclamation Facility, and the Water Treatment Plant. We also offer programming that can take place in your classroom or elsewhere in the community upon request.
Chaperone Requirements
In general, a minimum of 1 teacher or adult chaperone is required for every 5 students in attendance for PreK-5th grade programs. A minimum of 1 teacher or adult chaperone is required for 6th-12th grade programs. Additional chaperones may be required depending on your choice of program.
Holland Energy Park
Holland Energy Park, Holland’s combined cycle natural gas power plant, offers a unique visitor center that teaches student about energy and electricity in their community. The Visitor Center, called Energy Alley, spans the length of the iconic red spine across the front of Holland Energy Park. This unique exhibit features interactive experiences for all ages and explores energy decisions made at the plant and the community.
- 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.
Water Reclamation Facility
Walk through the Water Reclamation Facility on the banks of Lake Macatawa! Students will tour the facility guided by expert staff and educators to learn what happens to wastewater after they flush the toilet.
Tours and field trips at Water Reclamation take place mainly outdoors. In the case of heavy wind, snow, ice, or other inclement weather, your field trip may need to be rescheduled. We recommend scheduling this program April-October.
- Offered April-October
- 60 minutes
- Capacity: 25 students
New for the 2025-2026 school year! Students become researchers for a day and go behind the scenes to experience the sights (and smells!) of wastewater treatment. Students will learn what happens after the toilet flushes and how the water reclamation process plays a vital role in keeping our aquatic ecosystems clean and safe for our community.
*Please Note: this experience is not ADA accessible and requires students to wear closed-toe shoes. All other PPE is provided. Program is available April-October and takes place entirely outdoors so it is weather dependent.
Water Treatment Plant
Take a closer look at how drinking water comes from Lake Michigan into your tap! Students will tour the Water Treatment Plant with BPW educators to get a firsthand look at this process.
- Offered April-October
- 60 minutes
- Capacity: 25 students
Discover the wonderful world of water at the Water Treatment Plant! Young learners will become a water droplet and explore the steps of the water cycle. Students will also see the drinking water treatment process and learn where our drinking water comes from, how it is treated so it's safe for our community, and how water goes from lake to taps!
Due to limited space at the treatment plant, this program takes place mostly outdoors (weather permitting). This program can accommodate larger groups by utilizing Tunnel Park. Please note that this field trip is not ADA accessible. Students are asked to wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes.
Place-Based Learning Programs
Holland Board of Public Works is proud to partner with teachers to create customized PBL programs that support classroom learning. PBL programs include classroom visits paired with field trips to BPW facilities and can be customized to suit your needs! After requesting a program, teachers will be sent a list of activity options and experiences to include in their program. To request a PBL program, complete the Field Trip Request form using the button below.
Students will complete a variety of hands-on games, activities, and tasks to learn about electricity, energy, or water in the classroom. Pictured in the photo above: students learn about energy efficiency using a thermal imaging camera.
Take your students on a journey through the human water cycle. This customizable program includes tours of the Water Treatment Plant and Water Reclamation Facility paired with your choice of additional experiences. Students will gain an understanding of how humans impact their environment and how water moves through the human water cycle.
This lesson was developed for upper elementary-middle school students and covers the following standards: 2-ESS2-2, 2-ESS2-3, K-2 ETS1-1, K-2 ETS1-2, 5-ESS2-1, 5-ESS2-2, MS-ESS2-4, MS-ESS3-4, MS-ETS1-2
Facility Tours for Businesses
Facility tours for Holland Energy Park (power plant), Water Reclamation (wastewater/sewage) and our Water Treatment (drinking water) facilities are available upon request for colleges or local organizations and businesses. These tours are not available for the general pubilc.
Please note that our facilities have age and group size restrictions for your safety and will also require attendees to wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes. These tours are not ADA accessible.
Resources
Electricity and Energy
Careers
Utility Career Fields Booklet
Holland BPW's Utility Career Fields booklet provides an in-depth look at various career opportunities within the utility sector, including energy, water, fiber optics, and business roles. It highlights the meaningful and essential work done by utility professionals, emphasizing the importance of providing electricity, clean water, and reliable internet services to the community.
Career Exploration Activities
Learn more about the people who work at Holland BPW and the jobs that they do to keep our community thriving, healthy and strong.
Holland BPW offers a wide variety of career opportunities for interests of all sorts, and we also offer job shadowing, apprenticeships and other career-related opportunities for high school and above. Interested in Holland BPW talking to your students about utility careers? Email our Education and Visitor Programs Specialist for more information.