GREER, S.C. (WSPA) – During the school year, teachers look for ways to inspire and encourage learning. Field trips are a great way to do that thru hands-on learning.

The National Weather Service in Greer offers a unique way for students to learn about weather. One of the exciting programs available to teachers is the Nation Weather Services’ Education Outreach Program.

Trisha Palmer is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Greer.

“What we do with our education and outreach program as we try to reach out to the community, especially to kids to explain about the weather, hazards and weather safety, especially across the weather like in Western Carolina Inn northeast Georgia family safety plan how to stay safe from hazardous weather.”

She sees the Education and Outreach Program as one way to keep the public safe.

“It’s so important for us to reach out to the community. Whether at school talks, whether it’s going to community festivals or homeschool events. Because we will reach out to the homeschool community as well. Anything that we can do to take the safety message to the community we are happy to do it.”

Palmer said that during the school year, the NWS focuses on taking their safety message to kids.

“When we’re talking to kids, we try our best to line up with a different weather curriculum across the area. Now, each state is slightly different, but we generally see a little bit of weather taught in kindergarten. We see another area of weather in second grade and then either fourth or fifth grade and a science unit in eighth grade. So, we really have a pretty diverse area that we try to reach out to across the area.”

Also, she said they strive to make the presentations hands-on and detailed.

“What we will do first is We will do a presentation and talk about our office talk about whether safety will do some demonstration and then will take them out and do a tour of our operations area.”

These presentations are designed to leave an impression on school groups for an important reason, according to Palmer.

“When we were young, we learn things like stop drop and roll that have stayed with me for years, we’re trying to explain to kids things like when thunder roars go indoors turn around don’t drown when you learn things like this as a child, it will stay with you all the way through your adolescence and into adulthood.”

Palmer said getting that message into homes is especially important when it comes to weather hazards.

“It’s great when kids are able to recognize things like that. Kids are getting really good at telling their parents, “Hey, you need to put down that phone.” So, kids are recognizing safety hazards and so if we can bring the safety message to the kids, they are going to take it to their parents.”

During every season, it’s important to know what to do when weather hazards strike and the National Weather Service wants to educate people on more ways to stay safe and prepared whatever the weather may be.

National Weather Service visits are available to school and community groups, through video and in Spanish.

Any groups interested in scheduling a tour can contact the NWS office directly through their website.