If your ideal school is where the classrooms include more than 7,000 acres of forest, fields, wetlands and streams, and where learning about our environment goes hand-in-hand with having fun and meeting new friends, then consider enrolling in the Penn State Conservation Leadership School.

In the unique setting at the Pennsylvania State University’s Stone Valley Recreation Area near State College, students aged 15 to 18 learn about the environment and conservation during a one-week program that emphasizes field-based, hands-on learning, group problem solving, and leadership.

The year’s curriculum will focus on four current natural resource issues affecting each and every Pennsylvanian:

· The Pennsylvania Elk: A wildlife conservation success story;

· Riparian Zones: What are they and why are they important;

· History of the Land: Changes in land use over the past 150 years; and

· Leadership Building: Identifying the leader in each of us.

Two sessions are offered, June 24-30 and July 8-14. The curriculum for each is identical.

Students work in teams with faculty and staff from the School of Forestry Resources and representatives of the state Fish and Boat Commission, the state Game Commission, Department of Environmental Protection, state Rural Leadership program and state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Over the past 50 years, more than 7,100 young people have participated in this outdoor and leadership experience. The schools are excellent preparation for Envirothon programs.

Scholarships for Lycoming County students are available from the Conservation District in cooperation with the Susquehanna Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the Loyalsock Creek Watershed Association.

Scholarships are available from other participating Conservation Districts in Pennsylvania and area sportsmen clubs for students representing their district at CLS.

To learn more about CLS, watch this GreenWorks Network, Inc. video about the program.

More information can also be found at the Conservation Leadership School event webpage or contact the Office of Conferences and Short Courses at 814-865-8301 or by sending email to: shortcourse@psu.edu to receive registration materials. Registration is limited so apply early.

For questions regarding the content of the program, contact Mike Powell, Director of CLS, at 814-863-1113 or send email to: mjp175@psu.edu .

3/9/2007