Day Programs
Attending a day program at the McKeever Environmental Learning Center is one way of becoming more involved with the environment. Participating in environmental education activities will assist your students in building an empathy with the natural world. During their brief but important visit to the center (usually 4 hours) the students will be involved in many sensory awareness activities to:
- share discoveries with others,
- enjoy and learn to be unafraid of the outdoors, and
- feel a sense of relationship with the natural world.
In many of these day programs, we deal with feelings because we want to convey a feeling for life — the complex, interlocking systems in which we are bound with every other living thing on Earth.
Depending on the age level, size of group and background we may choose to incorporate activities to develop understandings of how the Earth works ecologically. These activities may focus on such concepts as Energy Flow, Interrelationships, Cycles or Change.
If time permits, including a “solitude enhancing” experience provides a nice balance to the day and an additional method of getting in touch with the life that surrounds us.
Our activities for these experiences may be chosen from such nationally known curricula as “Earth Education”, “Project Learning Tree”, “REEP”, “OBIS”, and “Project Wild”.
Schedule your day program today by filling out our contact form! We will contact you soon to schedule your day program.
Sample Schedule
The following schedule reflects the activities we might offer your students during their visit to McKeever Environmental Learning. Please be aware that we may choose to deviate from this schedule due to weather or availability and training of our leaders.
9:30……….Arrival
9:45……….Get Acquainted Games
10:00……..Earthwalk (a series of sensory awareness exercises)
11:00……..Munchline Monitor (conveys the concept of food chains, energy loss/flow and pyramidal hierarchy)
OR
……………..Connection Inspection (Builds upon a students understanding of cycles and energy flow to demonstrate the delicate interconnections between all living things)
OR
……………..Artists & Scientists (Students explore a stream area using tools of the artist and of the scientist in order to gain a broad perspective of understanding this community)
12:00……..Lunch
12:30……..Lost Letters (Provides a structured, off-trail exploration of the many wonders of the natural world using a story-line revolving around an old pouch of letters which will reveal treasures to those who can discover their meaning)
1:30……….Depart
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Links
- Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania – A Rock Solid Education
- PA State System of Higher Education Let a state system university be your answer.
- Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators PAEE unites, supports, and empowers a community of Environmental Educators throughout Pennsylvania.
- EnviroLink Network Non-profit organization providing access to thousands of online environmental resources.
- GreenTreks Network, Inc. Telling Stories that Change the World
- PA Fish and Boat Commission Protect, conserve, and enhance the Commonwealth’s aquatic resources and provide fishing and boating opportunities
- Mercer County, PA Everyone needs an escape plan.