GO Teach
The GO Teach curriculum aims to expose Pennsylvania’s youth to healthy, lifelong physical activities while creating a sense of responsibility and stewardship to protect the natural resources of the Commonwealth. To accomplish this, educators who participate in GO Teach workshops build skills and knowledge for a variety of outdoor recreational activities to share with their students. Lessons are designed for teachers of middle school-aged students but may be adapted for younger and older students.
Workshops
Currently three, cross-curricular GO Teach Workshops, which address current academic standards are offered. These workshops explore:
- Hiking — Help students develop a lifelong love of adventure while promoting a healthy lifestyle. Lessons focus on health and nutrition, fitness and trip planning, map reading, nature journaling, ecology, and Leave No Trace principles.
- Snowshoeing — Inspire your students to get excited for cold and snowy weather. It’s one of the easiest winter sports to learn and can be enjoyed almost anywhere. Lessons focus on basic snowshoe maneuvering, snow preparedness, weather pattern s and climate, and historical uses.
- GPS/Geocaching — Integrate technology with outdoor pursuits by traveling around your school grounds with a GPS unit. Learning how to use a GPS and how to geocache will get students active in any setting. Lessons focus on GPS basics, geocaching, animal tracking, understanding latitude and longitude, and community exploration.
Professional Development
Pennsylvania State Parks offer a variety of professional development opportunities for:
- Classroom Teachers (pre-kindergarten to college level)
- Pre-service Teachers
- Non-formal Environmental Educators
Workshops can be:
- Hosted at state park sites
- Scheduled for a school or district
All curricula address the PA Department of Education standards, including Pennsylvania's Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy, and Sustainability (STEELS) standards.
For Pennsylvania-certified educators, Act 48 hours are offered for all curricula listed.
Each GO Teach Workshop provides teachers with the full curriculum. In addition, teachers gain access to GO Teach equipment loaner kits. Loaner kits contain 24 pairs of trekking poles and backpacks, 24 pairs of snowshoes, or 24 GPS units along with sample cache containers. Requests are fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis. Loaner kits allow administrators and teachers to try the equipment and activities with their students to determine if future school investments would benefit students.
Interested in learning more about GO Teach workshops? The GO Teach curricula can only be obtained by attending a DCNR Bureau of State Parks educator workshop. Educators can find upcoming professional development trainings at DCNR Calendar of Events – Educator Workshops.
If a GO Teach teacher professional development training is not scheduled near you, with enough notice, one could be coordinated and facilitated at your local state park, school, or nature center (minimum 10 or more workshop participants).
Contact us
For questions about GO Teach, please contact the project coordinator.