Teachers meet for partnership in Adams County Environmental Literacy

By Ryan Kerney, Director of Advancing Science and Professor of Biology at Gettysburg College, and Valerie Stone, Assistant Director of Advancing Science

This past week, teachers from around Adams County gathered to learn, discuss, and plan new ways to teach environmental literacy in their classrooms. The group, comprising 52 teachers from four Adams County school districts, convened for the third annual Partnership in Adams County Environmental Literacy (PACE) workshop at Gettysburg College.

The workshop included nature journaling, bird watching, environmental literature, plant identification, habitat assessment, microplastic surveys, and air quality monitoring. The activities and lessons spanned all grade levels, were aligned with the new state Environmental Literacy standards, and were designed by Adams County teachers to teach environmental science with a focus specifically on Adams County.

Thirteen teachers from a core “PACE leadership team” began the workshop with tours of school grounds in the Bermudian Springs, Gettysburg, and Upper Adams school districts, exposing their district colleagues to outdoor learning experiences that can be conducted on their school grounds.

The PACE leadership team later taught their district colleagues and guests from Connewago Valley School District how to use the scientific equipment freely available through Advancing Science at Gettysburg College. Many of these resources are integrated into novel lesson plans that the PACE team designed through the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) model. This approach includes issue identification, scientific data collection, and civic action and stewardship to report findings and recommend solutions to community stakeholders.

This was the culminating activity for a grant awarded to Advancing Science by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Bay Watershed Education and Training initiative. Background on Adams County, the importance of outdoor Environmental Education, the MWEE model, and the standards-aligned resources will be available through a forthcoming Environmental Literacy Plan that was written by Valerie Stone of Advancing Science and the PACE leadership team.

The Environmental Literacy Plan document will be sent to Adams County schools and includes regional environmental education resources as well as partnering organizations that can support environmental education. There will also be an online version of the plan, which will include a resource hub for teacher-developed lesson plans, professional development opportunities, and access to the Advancing Science lending library of science education kits.

For more information, please visit the Advancing Science website at www.advancingscience.org

Advancing Science receives funding from both NOAA and the State Department of Education (PA-PDE). The PACE program included material purchases, teacher stipend support, conference travel, and over 1600 hours of professional development time. Unfortunately, this program is in serious jeopardy due to proposed budget cuts to NOAA. Similarly, the state Mobile Math and Science Educator line has been cut from the proposed 2025-2026 state budget. Readers who would like to help our program are encouraged to contact their federal (for NOAA) and state (for PDE) representatives to express their support.

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PACE member Anthony Pepoli (Bermudian High School, grey shirt) explains his tree lesson plan to Adams County colleagues.

PACE members Matt Royer (Bermudian Elementary) and Ashley Wilkinson (Upper Adams Elementary) discuss their lessons on erosion.

PACE member Justin Klingler (Gettysburg Middle School, left) shows the microplastics data collection and results to workshop participants.

Rachel Ventura (Upper Adams Elementary, right) discusses habitat MWEE’s with workshop participants.

Birdwatching with Emily Kissner (Upper Adams gifted support, center).

Jen Daniels (Gettysburg librarian) and Kelsey Renneker (Gettysburg James Gettys Elementary) discuss environmental literature with workshop participants.