The Chesapeake Bay Foundation also applauded the Pennsylvania General Assembly for passing House Bill 2775 sponsored by Rep. Zug (R-Lebanon), a member of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, which creates the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education Program Act. The bill is now on the Governor’s desk.

The Act would provide grants of up to $5,000 to Pennsylvania schools and environmental education centers to support the development of watershed education curricula. Additionally, the program offers students opportunities to participate in meaningful bay and stream outdoor experiences. The program will be administered by the Department of Education.

"We encourage Gov. Rendell to sign the bill into law ensuring that Pennsylvania students and teachers directly experience the vast resources of the Bay watershed, from the small creek running behind the school to local rivers to the marshes and rich environments of the Bay itself," said CBF's Pennsylvania Executive Director Matt Ehrhart. "The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education Program Act is an excellent step toward meeting Chesapeake 2000's stewardship and community engagement goals."

For more than 30 years, CBF's award-winning environmental education programs have been a cornerstone of CBF's efforts to improve water quality and the Bay's health. CBF has worked with Pennsylvania teachers and students, both in and out of the classroom, to provide opportunity for hands-on education and the development of personal connections with their local waterways.

"Research has shown that students are more motivated and focused when their lessons are related to their local environment," said CBF's Pennsylvania education program manager, Kami Watson. "The connections that are made through outdoor experience are powerful. There is nothing like seeing the face of a child touching a fish for the first time, or seeing their first eagle, or watching the wings of a dragonfly unfolding. That sense of awe is priceless."

11/26/2004