Conklin: Nearly $100,000 secured for Penn State environmental education programs
Rep. Scott Conklin May 1, 2026 | 3:45 PM
STATE COLLEGE, May 1 – State Rep. Scott Conklin announced today that $94,125 in grant funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will go toward Pennsylvania State University programs.
A total of $64,125 will go toward the Penn State K-12 Sustainability Summit, while another $30,000 will go toward supporting the Science-U Environmental Education Pipeline. The investments will support hands-on experiences that connect communities directly with environmental learning.
The Penn State K-12 Sustainability Summit is an annual two-day event that brings together 50 education leaders from 25 school districts and intermediate units to strengthen K-12/university partnerships. The summit explores how sustainability can be integrated into K-12 learning environments and connects students with Penn State experts.
Science-U is a summer camp program run by the Penn State Eberly College of Science that delivers cohesive, grade-aligned environmental learning for students in grades 2-12. An updated programming schedule for 2026 includes Middle School Ecology, Eco Investigators and more activities that offer hands-on field studies.
“I’m grateful for this funding, which increases the resources that Penn State has to offer our local K-12 students,” Conklin said. “Exposing students to the sciences at a young age can have a tremendous impact on their education and future career choices, and I’m proud of the robust educational opportunities provided by the university.”
For more information on the K-12 Sustainability Summit, those interested can visit www.outreach.psu.edu/about/programs/k-12-engagement/sustainability-summit/.
More information is available on Science-U at https://science.psu.edu/outreach/ScienceU.