Shapiro Administration Invests Over $1 Million in Environmental Education Projects – Supporting Summer Camps, Field Research, and Classroom-to-Creek Learning Across Pennsylvania

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has awarded $1,019,523 in grants to 46 projects that will bring environmental education to life for Pennsylvanians – from summer camps and streamside field research to schoolyard gardens, outdoor classrooms, and community workshops across the Commonwealth.

These investments will support hands-on learning experiences that connect people directly to Pennsylvania’s air, water, and land – helping students test water quality in local creeks, explore forests and watersheds, build sustainable gardens, and learn how their communities can protect natural resources. This year, 35 projects will serve environmental justice areas and communities, expanding access to these opportunities statewide.

“Environmental education is lifelong learning, and whether you are a kid or a kid at heart these projects will help connect you to the ways we can protect the air we breathe and the water we drink,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. “Nearly every grant we are awarding will support people in environmental justice communities to improve educational opportunities and people’s connections to their environment.”

In total, the 46 projects will deliver hands-on environmental learning in classrooms, parks, waterways, and neighborhoods across Pennsylvania – including summer camps focused on watersheds and climate resilience, student-led air and water quality research, outdoor classrooms and schoolyard gardens, and community workshops on conservation and sustainability. From exploring local streams and forests to building real-world skills in environmental science, these programs are designed to help Pennsylvanians better understand and protect the natural resources that sustain their communities. All types of communities benefit from EE Grants Program funding, with priority given to projects delivering meaningful environmental education to people who live, work, recreate, and/or attend school in environmental justice and/or underserved areas. 

Established by the Environmental Education Act of 1993, the Environmental Education (EE) Grants Program dedicates five percent of DEP-imposed pollution fines and penalties to Pennsylvania’s environmental education. To date, the program has awarded more than $16.1 million to approximately 2,370 projects. Grant-funded projects explain the effects of human impact on the land, water, and air and empower individuals and communities to protect the quality of life guaranteed by Pennsylvania’s Constitution.  

Awarded projects provide participants with unique immersive field experiences, engage communities in practical conservation projects, support educators in developing STEELS standards-based curriculum, and more. 

Projects were awarded in the following counties: 

Allegheny County

• Allegheny GoatScape: $4,963 for Allegheny GoatScape (AGS) to host twelve educational outreach events, called “Bleat and Greet” events, between July 2026 and June 2027. These events will offer the public opportunities to learn about the importance of land management by reducing invasive plants in our ecosystems, while meeting our hoofed teammates – four herds of goats that eat unwanted vegetation in Pittsburgh public spaces.
• Allegheny Land Trust: $29,370 for the “Aquatic Academy: Becoming Water Wise on Our Waterways” program, a series of six interactive workshops designed for educators working with students in kindergarten through 12th grade. These workshops will explore the challenges facing local watersheds, trace the journey of tap water from source to treatment, and deepen understanding of water’s role in environmental and community health.
• Grounded Strategies: $5,000 for the “Safer By Design: Youth Environmental Design Lab,” focused on how land use and greening impact community health, safety, and climate resilience with the Kingsley Association’s Teen L.E.A.D. program. Youth will explore a local vacant lot studying heat, water flow, vegetation, and maintenance patterns to reimagine it as a safer, greener, and more connected community space.
• Venture Outdoors Inc.: $29,996 for the “Venture Outdoors Learning Lab.” Venture Outdoors will partner with five Pittsburgh area schools and out-of-school time providers to teach 30 environmental education lessons and field trips to elementary, middle, and high school students. In addition to our regular lessons, each site will go on a field trip to a local park to explore the outdoors with a more in-depth learning activity.

Beaver County

• Aliquippa School District: $5,000 for the “Roots of Change: A Living Laboratory for Environmental Education” program. Aliquippa Elementary School will transform its garden into an outdoor classroom where four 5th-grade classes (about 100 students) engage in hands-on environmental investigations aligned with the HMH Grade 5 Science curriculum and PA STEELS standards. Students will explore soil health, water conservation, and pollinator habitats while designing sustainable improvements to the garden.
• Riverwise Inc.: $30,000 for the “Summer Sustainability Institute 2026,” a summer program for middle and high school students in Beaver County, PA, that partners with local environmental experts and leaders to provide environmental education around the issues of food access, water and air quality, climate change, sustainable development, and environmental justice. The program uses hands-on activities, such as air and water quality testing and organic urban farming; lectures and group discussions led by experienced educators; and student-led learning through student-orchestrated interviews with environmental experts. 

Berks County

• Alvernia University: $4,995 for the “Component Prototyping for Future Balloon-based Air Quality Observations Research” program, an innovative pilot program under the Seed Grant track of this funding opportunity. Undergraduate engineering students at Alvernia University will design and build high-altitude balloon (HAB) system controls to measure atmospheric and air quality data, supporting DEP priorities in air quality and environmental awareness.

Bucks County

• Heritage Conservancy: $30,000 for the “Building Inclusive Environmental Literacy for All Students” program, a partnership with the Bucks County Intermediate Unit, Bristol Township School District, and Silver Lake Nature Center, that will expand inclusive Environmental Literacy (ELit) practices to increase access for students and educators in Environmental Justice communities. Focused on Land Use and Water, the project includes two Inclusive ELit professional development days, adapted lessons for diverse learners, and SEL and nature-based activities that support K–5 self-regulation and connection to the environment.
• Quakertown Community School District: $22,590 for Quakertown Community School District to integrate the Smart Hydroponics and Solar Energy Kits into grades 4-5 classrooms across 5 schools to enhance environmental literacy and STEAM skills.
• Pennsbury School District: $14,975 for the “Advancing Sustainability Education Through STEELS Science Standards in the Pennsbury School District” program. Pennsbury School District will advance sustainability education by integrating Pennsylvania’s STEELS standards into a K–12 curriculum. 

Dauphin County

• Pennsylvania State University: $30,000 for the “Teaching the Air We Breathe: Empowering Teachers for Student-led Environmental Research” program, which will provide professional development for 20 secondary educators on using PurpleAir PM2.5 sensors, Air Quality Index (AQI) interpretation, and PA STEELS standards that emphasizes the Environmental Justice implications of air quality in marginalized communities.

Delaware County

• Southeastern Pennsylvania Stormwater Authority: $5,000 for the “Stormwater: Community Education for Cleaner Streams and Safer Neighborhoods” program, which will engage residents, families, and students in learning how everyday actions impact local waterways through a series of free workshops, interactive demonstrations, educational signage near new detention basins, and printed and online resources, including “Stormwater at Home” guides and youth engagement activity sheets.
• Hiking Hound Adventures, LLC: $2,468 for “Watershed Education Through Hands-on Learning,” which integrates the EnviroScape Watershed Nonpoint Source Model into Hiking Hound Adventures’ after-school Leave No Trace (LNT) programs, Adventure Summer Camps, and public outreach events.

Erie County

• Gannon University: $30,000 for the “Breaking Barriers: Shoreline Scholars Summer Program,” a free week-long summer camp designed for low-income and underserved middle school aged (grades 6-8) youth. Each day will have an educational theme based on the Lake Erie watershed, including the relation between land-based activities and water quality, and will feature science, history, and art all aligned with PA STEELS standards.
• Groundwork Erie: $29,983 for “Community Resilience Teams: Mapping, Learning, and Taking Action in Erie,” which will implement Community Resilience Teams: Mapping, Learning, and Taking Action, an intergenerational environmental education project engaging 48 residents from Erie’s Environmental Justice neighborhoods. Participants will study air, water, soil, brownfields, heat, and health through hands-on workshops, mapping, and data collection using Groundwork USA’s Environmental Justice Literacy Curriculum. 
• Regional Science Consortium at Presque Isle Center: $30,000 for the “Community Environmental Workshop Series: Protection Water Quality Through Land Stewardship,” which will host four community interactive workshops for the general public/families at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, providing base knowledge about land use, stormwater runoff, pollutants (including nutrients), and water quality which provide in-home/personal property solutions.
• Presque Isle Light Station: $30,000 for “The Sunflower Project: Using Phytoremediation to Remove Heavy Metals at Historic Site,” which will develop and implement The Sunflower Project — a 4-part series spanning the academic year for students Grades 4-9 from 3-5 school districts, educating on industrial pollution.
• Erie County Conservation District: $30,000 for the “Hidden Creeks Public Art Project,” which will create and install 8 public art pieces and accompanying signs, 2 stand-alone signs, and an interactive website to highlight the history of the Mill Creek Flood, the engineering of the Mill Creek Tube, the impact on water quality by burying a creek beneath city infrastructure, and how the community can assist with the preservation and conservation of our water supply.

Lackawanna County

• Keystone College: $18,812 for the “Environmental Explorers: The Woodland Campus at Keystone Campus” program, which, in partnership with the Scranton School District, will host Environmental Explorers – The Woodland Campus at Keystone College program, a five-day immersive program designed to engage students through inquiry-based projects, citizen science, and cross-disciplinary activities that explore the environmental factors affecting water quality.
• Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit 19: $30,000 for the “Flowing Forward: A Watershed Education Initiative for Grades 3-5" program, which prepares teachers from over 20 local school districts to lead a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) while incorporating instructional strategies aligned with Pennsylvania’s STEELS and Environment Literacy and Sustainability Standards.

Lancaster County

• Riverstewards, Inc.: $4,900 for the “Riparian Native Food Forest Pilot,” which, in partnership with educator SC Wharton, proposes to establish a 100 sq. ft. Miyawaki Native Food Forest in a riparian area of Lancaster County with the help of students in 4th and 6th grade.

Lehigh County

• Lehigh County Conservation District: $5,000 for the “Reclaiming Roots: From Classroom to Courtyard” program, which, in partnership with Whitehall-Coplay Middle School, will transform an underutilized courtyard into a vibrant outdoor classroom that will offer hands-on learning opportunities that connect students to concepts of climate resilience, water systems, and sustainability

Luzerne County

• Luzerne Conservation District: $4,987 for “Fostering Inclusive Connections to the Watershed,” which, in partnership with Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation and North Branch Land Trust, will hold six high school level workshops for underserved communities. The workshops will address PA Academic Standards and engage the audience in hands-on activities, classroom, and field experiences.

Montgomery County

• Greener Partners: $5,000 for the “Gardening for Environmental Justice” project, which expands a youth-centered garden program at Gemma Services’ Residential Treatment Program for underserved children and adolescents who are facing loss, trauma, and significant challenges. The project will provide hands-on education in the garden at Gemma Services’ campus.
• Wissahickon Valley Watershed Assn: $30,000 for “The Environmental Literacy Learning Collaborative: A Regional Model for Transformation.” Wissahickon Trails will lead the Environmental Literacy Learning Collaborative, a coordinated system of professional learning connecting teachers, preservice educators, and nonformal partners across Montgomery County.

Northumberland County

• Bucknell University: $29,997 for an “Air Quality Sensor Toolkit and Workshop for K-12 Schools.” Bucknell University will create an air quality sensor toolkit to support student-directed science education (grades 6-12) and will host a workshop for formal educators from the area, including the Lower Anthracite Coal Region, to support the use of the toolkit.

Perry County

• LEAF Project: $29,348 for the “From Creek to Crop: Youth Water Monitoring and Sustainability Project.” LEAF will partner with ALLARM to equip youth leaders to build a deeper relationship with Shermans Creek, the waterway that nourishes our farm and community. Youth will develop a stream-monitoring SOP to understand water quality, non-point source pollution, and soil and water conservation on our land.

Philadelphia County

• Green Woods Charter School: $5,000 for the “Watershed From Creek to Classroom: Expanding Watershed Literacy” project, which integrates watershed education into the Green Woods Charter School science and Green STEM curriculum to promote hands-on learning aligned with Pennsylvania’s Environmental Education Grant priority areas of Water Quality and Climate Change. 

Schuylkill County

• Schuylkill Conservation District: $3,751 for the “Outdoor Wildlife Learning Summer Nature Camp,” which, partnering with Assumption Blessed Virgin Mary School in an environmental justice area, will deliver the nonformal four-week Outdoor Wilderness Learning (OWL) Summer Nature Camp in 2026, with funding requested for three weeks.

Washington County

• Charleroi Area School District: $5,000 for the “Charleroi Area School District Edible Learning Lab,” which will convert and expand a small greenhouse to become a year-round growing lab where students learn plant science, hydroponics, and sustainable farming.

Wayne County

• Lacawac Sanctuary Foundation: $29,905 for the launch of “WAVE: Water Camp: Action for a Viable Environment,” a regional education and engagement initiative designed to address the interconnected challenges of water quality and climate resilience in northeastern Pennsylvania.
• Wayne Conservation District: $867 for “Under the Leaves: Exploring the Lacakwaxen River,” a hands-on streamside workshop for members of the public to learn about stream ecology and water quality using the Stroud Leaf Pack Network, tree identification, and fishing recreation, in partnership with volunteers from Trout Unlimited chapter #462. 

Westmoreland County

• Franklin Regional Intermediate School: $4,477 for the construction of “Panther Pride in Every Drop: A Rain Garden for Franklin Regional” project, a native plant rain garden to mitigate stormwater runoff and provide an interactive outdoor classroom for K–5 students.

Multi-County

• Pennsylvania Resources Council, Inc: $22,485 for “Zero Waste at Home.” PRC will conduct eight Zero Waste at Home workshops for adult residents in Environmental Justice communities in Southeastern and Southwestern Pennsylvania. The program addresses common barriers to sustainable living by providing practical, low-cost strategies to reduce household waste and consumption. (Beaver, Fayette, Allegheny, and Delaware counties)
• The Watersmith Guild, Inc.: $28,894 for the “First Waves Regional Series” program that fuses paddleboarding, river exploration, conservation, and the art of filmmaking with hands-on environmental education to engage underserved youth across Western Pennsylvania. Through 20 workshops and 65 non-formal education modules, students explore waterways, conduct citizen science research, study connections between air, land, and water quality, and create their own environmental documentaries. (Cambria, Erie, Allegheny, Beaver, and Indiana counties)
• Pennsylvania State University: $30,000 for the “Supporting the Robust Environmental Education Pipeline Within Science-U Summer Camps,” project which strengthens Science-U’s Environmental Education Pipeline by delivering cohesive, grade-aligned environmental learning for students in grades 2–12. Updated 2026 programming includes Earth Keepers, Eco Investigators, Middle School Ecology, and ArtLab, each offering hands-on field studies, STEELS-aligned lessons, and citizen science investigations. (Centre and Huntingdon counties)
• Lower Merion Conservancy: $30,000 for “Growing Greener Communities: Building Resilient Neighborhoods Through Partnership and Education,” an environmental education initiative that teaches community members how green landscaping can conserve and build soil, create habitat, sequester carbon, and improve water quality. (Delaware, Philadelphia, and Montgomery counties) 
• The Pennsylvania State University: $64,125 for “The Penn State K-12 Sustainability Summit,” which will bring together 50 education leaders from 25 school districts and Intermediate Units to strengthen K12-University partnerships for sustainability. This third annual two-day event will support educators in advancing STEELS standards, pursuing PDE Pathways to Green Schools recognition, and collaborating on curricular projects. (Huntingdon and Centre counties)
• Allentown City School District: $12,543 for the “Third Grade Climate Camp Water Data Detectives: Comparing PA Ecosystems” program. Third grade students at Central STREAM Academy will compare climate and water quality across three environments: Jordan Park, Hawk Mountain, and Lake Nockamixon, through field-based data collection using multiparameter kits. (Lehigh, Berks, and Bucks counties)
• BLaST Intermediate Unit 17: $29,870 for BLaST Intermediate Unit 17 to lead “Cross Connectors: Environmental Education for Real World Application,” a formal education initiative designed to connect high school, grades 9-12, and college students through environmental literacy, watershed awareness, and community action projects. (Lycoming and Bradford counties)
• Spirit and Truth Fellowship: $29,897 for “Faith-based Climate Justice Education Initiative in Philadelphia.” The Climate Witness Project (CWP), operating out of Spirit and Truth Fellowship (STF), will work with partners in the low-income community of Hunting Park (HP), Philadelphia to (a) run three more bilingual 10-wk solar installer vocational training courses prioritizing local residents; and (b) run one 4-wk course to train residents in applying cool roof coatings. (Philadelphia and Delaware counties)
• California Area School District: $29,823 for “Teaching Sustainability Through Honeybee Behavior and Genetics” workshops. California Area School District, with three partner districts, will lead nine monthly workshops on honeybee science and environmental education. Aligned with PA STEELS standards, sessions will use honeybee behavior and data to explore environmental challenges through hands-on experiments and expert guidance. (Washington and Allegheny counties) 
• Women for a Healthy Environment: $30,000 for the implementation of the “Eco-Student Stewardship Program (ESSP)” for grades 6-12 in PA Environmental Justice communities. ESSP is aligned to PA STEELS standards and will be implemented through school- and community-based workshops. Workshops will cover topics including: Clean & Safe Water, Air Quality & Climate Change, and Waste, students will conduct hands-on investigations, interpret data, and design a student-led Community Service Learning (CSL) project. (Westmoreland and Allegheny counties) 
• Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette, Inc.: $20,347 for “Environmental Education.” PIC Water Wise Summer Camp is a 10-day educational program in Lemont Furnace, PA, for 20 middle school students in Westmoreland or Fayette County School Districts to explore the importance of healthy waterways. (Westmoreland and Fayette counties) 
• Chester County Economic Development Foundation (CCEDF): $64,982 for CCEDF to launch “The Climate Connect: PA's Weather and Air Quality Explorers,” a state-wide program engaging students in grades K-8 with hands-on environmental learning through the installation of portable weather and air-quality stations, interactive related educational lessons, and real-time data collection.(Statewide)
• Pennsylvania Envirothon Inc.: $55,173 for the “Pennsylvania Envirothon,” one of the longest-running, hands-on environmental education programs, training high school students in five STEELS-aligned topics: Soils/Land Use, Aquatic Ecology, Wildlife, Forestry, and Current Environmental Issues such as climate change and water quality. (Statewide) 

The EE Grants Program anticipates accepting applications in August 2026 with a submission deadline of mid-November 2026, and project implementation July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2028.

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