School Programs

Kindergarten through High School In-School Programs:

BIRDS OF PREY: K-12
(indoors)

Your students will be thrilled to experience an up-close encounter with living raptors! Utilizing live birds of prey and hands-on discoveries, students will explore the natural history of Pennsylvania’s raptors, the similarities and differences among species, the importance of habitat and habitat conservation, and direct and indirect human impacts on these fascinating creatures. Avian ambassadors such as the Red-shouldered Hawk or Screech Owl will be "on hand" to assist. 

1 hour

Bald Eagle Virtual Presentation

Using a specifically designed education web portal, our educators connect Western Pennsylvania classroom students to our local Pittsburgh Bald Eagles. This program enables classroom teachers to download ASWP designed lesson plans, along with the ability to schedule and stream a one-hour virtual program with our own professional educators. Using today’s online technologies, we engage students with the excitement of live Bald Eagles, and educate them with real-world environmental conservation methods through common devices in their own classrooms.

WONDER OF BIRDS: K-6
(indoors)

What is a bird? What makes feathers so cool? How do birds fly? How do you build a nest with a beak? Learn the answers to these questions and more as your naturalist guide leads you on an adventure into the world of bird basics. Discover the unique adaptations that separate birds from other animals by investigating bones, beaks, feet, wings and feathers. And your class will meet one of our live doves. 

1 hour. May be paired with SCHOOLGROUND SAFARI.

SCHOOLGROUND SAFARI: K-6
(outdoors) 

What natural treasures are hidden around your schoolground? This naturalist-led outing can be tailored to a particular theme (such as birds, insects, or plants) to suit your needs.

Citizen Science on the School Ground
Citizen Science on the School Ground is a school-focused citizen science program that provides both the resources (plants, garden design, bird identification), along with the educational and design support for schools and classrooms involved in real-world scientific study. Schools engage in hands-on activities and projects by enhancing or restoring school grounds to natural areas rich in species diversity and accompanying habitat components while propelling kids into the role of active observers and participants in science. Students learn to keep notes, record their observations, ask questions, and formulate hypotheses. Students will submit their observations via the internet to scientists researching the subject species. The final outcome is a school ground which provides STEM curriculum and outdoor teaching connections, benefits wildlife, and gives students a first-hand role in scientific research.

EARLY AMERICAN SKILLS: K-12

Imagine if everything you owned was built by hand from materials you scavenged yourself. Students will learn how the early colonists split boards, made soap, made candles, planted their fields, built cabins, made iron, cooked their food, and made fires. This is a great program for social studies teachers who wish to get personal with the past. 

2 hours.

PreSchool In-School Programs:

BIRDS OF PREY
(indoors)

Your little ones will love meeting a real-live raptor. Through stories and hands-on discovery, they will learn all about how hawks and owls survive, and that they may live closer to home than they ever realized. 

Up to 1 hour.

WONDER OF BIRDS
(indoors) 

What makes a bird a bird? What makes feathers so cool? How do birds fly? How do you build a nest with a beak? Learn the answers to these questions and more as we investigate bones, beaks, feet, wings and feathers. 

Up to 1 hour.

FURRY FRIENDS
(indoors) 

You’re a mammal, I’m a mammal…what’s a mammal? We’ll learn all about our local fuzzy friends through stories, activities and hands-on discovery of pelts, paws, and bones. 

Up to 1 hour

SCHOOLGROUND SAFARI
(outdoors)

Discover nature in the world right outside your pre-school or daycare. We can create a naturalist-led walk that is tied to one of the themes above, or a simple seasonal discovery. 

Up to 1 hour.

Scheduling a Program:

Reservations for the school year are open. Call (412) 963-6100 to schedule your program.

All reservations must be made at least 4 weeks in advance.

Program Fee Schedule:

Example: You book a Birds of Prey and an Owl Pellet lab for two classrooms in one day. Your fee would be $150 for the first Raptor program, plus 3 times $75 for the subsequent programs on the same day, plus $50 travel fee, for a total of $150 + $75 + $75 + $75 + $50 = $425.

Matching grants available! Contact us for information.

* All programs are for classroom size of 26 students or less. Assembly-style programs are not available.