Meta pixel
Menu

Environmental Education

A Watershed Approach to Education

Stroud Water Research Center’s education department interprets the research of our scientists. Our programs are multidisciplinary and oriented to a wide audience. We hope that through exposure to our programs and information, people will be motivated to become responsible stewards of freshwater resources.

Our educators have developed extensive resources for educating “K through gray” audiences about watersheds and their importance. On-site and off-site school and scout programs, professional development workshops, and community and family programs are just some of the available options.

Upcoming Education Events

No posts found.

See all Stroud Center Events


Program Offerings

  • Virtual/online stream and watershed study experiences.
  • Outdoor-only education programs at the Stroud Center.
  • Outdoor education programs at your site (e.g., school or local park).

Contact the Stroud Center education department or submit a request to schedule.

Subscribe to E-News

Join our education newsletter list to receive updates about education programs, professional training opportunities, and virtual learning resources.

View the email archive


Online Courses

Curricula

Virtual Learning Resources

Macroinvertebrate Resources

Projects and Partnerships

Publications

Videos

Podcasts


Programs

School and
Youth Programs

Scout
Programs

Photo of Brownie Girl Scouts and leaders planting trees.

Community and
Family Programs

Professional Development
and Training

Program scholarships are available! Several funding sources allow the Stroud Center to offer programs at no or reduced cost for your school or youth group. Our funding from the Pennsylvania Education Improvement Tax Credit program and other grants to subsidize education programs varies from year to year.


Program Feedback

“The students absolutely LOVED IT!!! All the staff were extremely engaging, enthusiastic and competent, which made our jobs extremely easy! We loved how hands on and engaging the entire activity was.”

“The facilitators were very knowledgeable. They challenged the kids and held their interest. As one of many field trips I have attended with my kids over the years this by far tops my list.”

“Thanks again for an outstanding field trip. Your ability to accommodate my student with hearing and visual challenges was exemplary! I’ve heard many favorable comments from our staff!”

“Thank you for an amazing day at your facility! I am sure every member of our watershed steward class left knowing much more than they did when we entered. You guys were great!”

“Just had an AMAZING field trip there with the 4th grade…. Thanks so much for a great day! Super day, really! The educators are super. They are the perfect ‘speed’ for the kids.”


WikiWatershed

WikiWatershed® is a web toolkit for citizens, conservation practitioners, municipal decision-makers, researchers, educators, and students to collaboratively advance knowledge and stewardship of fresh water. It is an initiative of Stroud Water Research Center.

Model My Watershed®

Model storms and compare conservation or development scenarios.

Leaf Pack Network®

Learn about your stream’s health by performing a leaf pack experiment.

Runoff Simulation

Explore how land use and soil determine stormwater runoff.

Leaf Pack Network Simulation

Leaf Pack Network Simulation screenshot
If you can’t get to a stream to perform a study, you now have a virtual option!

Monitor My Watershed®

Screenshot of Monitor My Watershed Browse Sites page
Share your water-quality data and explore data from other sources.

Macroinvertebrates.org

Macroinvertebrates.org homepage screenshot
Learn to identify 150 taxa commonly used in citizen science and education.

EnviroDIY

Photo of two men building an environmental monitoring sensor
Join a community for do-it-yourself environmental monitoring.

Water Quality Mobile App

Enhance stream study and monitoring activities with a mobile app.

Education News

WVU Tech, Millersville, and Stroud Center Secure Major Joint Grants for Clean Water Curriculum Research and Education, Call for Educator Involvement
WVU Tech, Millersville, and Stroud Center Secure Major Joint Grants for Clean Water Curriculum Research and Education, Call for Educator Involvement
The ENVISION project will bring cutting-edge water science into schools across West Virginia and Delaware over the next four years.
Two girls take a stream sample.
School-Days-Off Camps: Where Days Off Become Days of Discovery
When schools are closed, Stroud Water Research Center is open for young nature explorers.
A Cub Scout learns to fish in the Junior Rangers Angler program.
Junior Ranger Angler Program Comes to White Clay Creek
Stroud Water Research Center educators put a new spin on learning to fish by introducing participants to watershed ecology.
A penny shows the scale of seven-day-old New Zealand mud snails being reared in a laboratory.
Leaf Pack Monitoring Finds Invasive New Zealand Mud Snail in Ridley Creek
A community creek monitoring event revealed one of the highest densities of invasive New Zealand mud snails ever observed in the region.
Students engaging in watershed science using the Shared Waters curriculum.
Shared Waters Curriculum Brings the Leaf Pack Network to Elementary Students
Designed for grades 3–6, the curriculum teaches how everyday choices affect stream health and empowers students to protect local waterways.
Teachers collect macroinvertebrates from a stream.
Outdoor Learning Network Helps Teachers Grow and Students Thrive
OLNI empowers teachers to bring real-world watershed science into classrooms, inspiring curiosity and student engagement.