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

See all Stroud Center Events


Program offerings

  • Virtual/online stream and watershed study experiences.
  • Outdoor-only education programs located 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


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! There are several funding sources that 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 to support citizens, conservation practitioners, municipal decision-makers, researchers, educators, and students to collaboratively advance knowledge and stewardship of fresh water. WikiWatershed 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

Screenshot from Model My Watershed release 1.18.
Have You Used Our WikiWatershed Toolkit?
Stroud Water Research Center’s WikiWatershed initiative is a web toolkit designed to help citizens, conservation practitioners, municipal decision-makers, researchers, educators, and students advance knowledge and stewardship of fresh water. The toolkit
Educators Go "Virtual" After Hurricane Cancels Conference
Educators Go “Virtual” After Hurricane Cancels Conference
Hurricane Maria forced the North American Association of Environmental Education to cancel its annual conference. After reaching out to support their Puerto Rican partners, they then organized a "virtual conference"
DNB First Renews Its EITC Support
DNB First Renews Its EITC Support
DNB First’s support will allow the Stroud Center to make its school programs, field trips, and professional development workshops available at no or reduced cost to public school districts whose budgets might not
Meridian Bank Contributes Funds for Educational Programs
Meridian Bank Contributes Funds for Educational Programs
Stroud Water Research Center gratefully acknowledges Meridian Bank’s recent gift through the Pennsylvania Education Improvement Tax Credits (EITC) program. The EITC program enables the Stroud Center to provide innovative programs at
231 Combined Years of Teaching Experience!
231 Combined Years of Teaching Experience!
Our educators have developed extensive resources for educating adults and students about watersheds and their importance. Register for spring programs now!
Natural leaf pack photo by Christina Medved.
Do You Know What a Leaf Pack Is?
Since the 1970s, Stroud™ Water Research Center scientists have used leaf packs to better understand stream ecosystems from Pennsylvania to Peru and beyond.