At the end of June, Heritage Conservancy collaborated with the Bucks County Intermediate Unit to host a teacher training at Aldie Mansion and out in the field, at Heritage Conservancy's local nature preserves.
The program immersed educators in local environmental literacy topics. Over three days, they learned how to develop PA STEELS (science, technology, engineering, environmental literacy, and sustainability) storylines to implement with their students. The STEELS standards are new and go into effect across Pennsylvania starting in the summer of 2025.
Some education leaders in attendance began to develop action plans to support environmental literacy and sustainability across their school district, including incorporating improvements to their school buildings and grounds.
This program comes on the heels of a high-impact spring for Heritage Conservancy's Community Engagement Team, who were also busy with their Watershed Connections program, running Motus wildlife tracking tower assemblies at Keystone Elementary in Croydon, and hosting their first field trip to our Fuller-Presell Nature Preserve for Tinicum Elementary School.
In April and May alone, Community Engagement Programs Manager Shannon Fredebaugh-Siller estimates her team reached over 3,000 people through public programming, education efforts, and tabling at community events.
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