Riverbend Environmental Education Center Inc

RIVERBEND TEACHES ENVIRONMENTAL PRINCIPLES TO CHILDREN THROUGH A DIRECT CONNECTION WITH NATURE INSPIRING ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND ACTION.

WE DELIVERED NATURE EDUCATION LESSONS TO 10,755 STUDENTS, WITH 56% OF OUR PROGRAM HOURS GOING TO TITLE 1 SCHOOLS. NATURE-BASED STEM PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOLS - WE DELIVERED HIGH-QUALITY, CUSTOMIZED SCHOOL PROGRAMS (PRE-K THROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL) IN SCHOOLS ACROSS THE REGION THAT TOOK PLACE DURING THE SCHOOL DAY. THIS PROGRAM SUPPORTS AND CULTIVATES HANDS-ON, MINDS-ON INVESTIGATIONS AND CREATES A GREATER CONNECTION TO NATURE ALONG WITH THE SKILLS AND RESOURCES NEEDED TO MAKE GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL DECISIONS. THE CURRICULUM ALIGNS WITH THE PA SCIENCE CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK AND NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS (NGSS). 73% OF THE STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED REPORTED AN INCREASE IN CONNECTION TO NATURE, AND AN INDICATION OF INCREASED ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY. 3,232 STUDENTS IN NORRISTOWN, PHILADELPHIA, AND UPPER DARBY LEARNED ABOUT PENNSYLVANIA'S ECOSYSTEM AND THE SCHUYLKILL RIVER WATERSHED. OF THOSE STUDENTS, 100% ATTENDED TITLE 1 SCHOOLS, LACKING RESOURCES AND ACCESS TO NATURE. 18 TEACHERS RECEIVED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT VIA RIVERBEND PROGRAMS. COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE - WE RAN A PROGRAM THAT WE CO-DESIGNED WITH TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS IN THREE SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES TEACHERS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND LITERACY TO TEACH ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. THE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE PROGRAM CONSISTS OF A THREE DAY SUMMER WORKSHOP FOR TEACHERS, A TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM THAT GIVES YEARLONG SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS THROUGH MONTHLY MEETINGS, CLASSROOM VISITS FROM RIVERBEND EDUCATORS THREE TIMES A YEAR, AND A CUMULATIVE ACTION PROJECT, SUCH AS A STEWARDSHIP ACTIVITY. 18 TEACHERS COMPLETED OUR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN SPRING 2023, THROUGH WHICH 350 STUDENTS RECEIVED HIGH-QUALITY NATURE BASED EDUCATION IN THE SPRING. SCHOOLS ENROLLED INCLUDED DISTRICTS LIKE PHILADELPHIA, NORRISTOWN, AND UPPER DARBY. TREE PLANTING - WE PLANTED 175 TREES IN 2023. HABITAT INTERNS PROGRAM- RIVERBEND HOSTS UP TO FOUR HABITAT INTERNS EACH SUMMER. THIS OPPORTUNITY ALLOWS INTERNS TO GAIN MEANINGFUL HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE, CONTRIBUTING VALUABLE IMPROVEMENTS AND MAINTENANCE OF RIVERBEND'S PRESERVE, AS WELL AS INFUSE NEW SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE INTO THE INTERN'S PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT. THE PRESERVE REMAINED OPEN 365 DAYS OF THE YEAR. THE 30 ACRE PRESERVE SERVES AS AN OUTDOOR CLASSROOM FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING FOR SCHOOL-BASED GROUPS AND SUMMER PROGRAMMING. IT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC YEAR-ROUND AND ENCOMPASSES THE SNIDER BARN, AN AQUAPONICS GREENHOUSE, NUMEROUS HIKING TRAILS, OUTDOOR LEARNING CLASSROOMS, A BIRD OBSERVATION AREA, AND ACRES OF OPEN SPACE.

SUMMER CAMP - IN 2023, WE ADDED A THIRD CAMP LOCATION IN KING OF PRUSSIA. OUR WEEKLY CAMPS ARE FOR CHILDREN AGES 4 TO 14 AND RUN FOR 11 WEEKS. IN 2023, WE ENROLLED OVER 1,083 CHILDREN. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT WHEN CHILDREN SPEND TIME IN NATURE, THEY ARE NOT ONLY MORE RECEPTIVE TO LEARNING ABOUT THE TASK AT HAND BUT ALSO LEARNING IN GENERAL. RIVERBEND EDUCATORS USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ENCOURAGE CAMPERS TO PRACTICE 21ST CENTURY SKILLS LIKE RESILIENCY, SELF-REFLECTION, AND GRIT. MOST IMPORTANTLY, RIVERBEND CAMPERS FALL IN LOVE WITH NATURE.