Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy expands environmental education programs for youth thanks to renewed investment from the PPG Foundation

The continued partnership between the nonprofit and Pittsburgh-based foundation increases access to hands-on nature learning experiences for local students.

PITTSBURGH – MARCH 19, 2025 – The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy is proud to announce a renewed partnership with the PPG Foundation to expand environmental education opportunities for youth across the region. Through this collaboration, the PPG Foundation's generous support will help provide hands-on learning experiences that inspire the next generation to explore and protect the natural world.

"We know that time spent in nature has incredible benefits for young people, from improving academic performance to enhancing mental health," said Catherine Qureshi, President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. "With the PPG Foundation's continued support, we can expand these opportunities and inspire more youth to become environmental leaders in their communities and develop life-long connections to nature."

Research shows that access to nature is critical for children's development, improving cognitive function, reducing stress, and fostering creativity. According to a Children & Nature Network study, children who engage in outdoor learning perform better academically and develop stronger problem-solving skills. By providing immersive experiences in Pittsburgh's parks, this partnership ensures that more young people can connect with nature meaningfully.

“Opportunities to connect with nature and learn the science behind sustainability are essential to the next generation of leaders,” said Malesia Dunn, PPG executive director, PPG Foundation and corporate social responsibility. “We’re proud to partner with PPC to educate young people in Pittsburgh about environmental stewardship and prepare them for future STEM careers.”

The PPG Foundation's support will directly enhance three key environmental education programs offered by the Parks Conservancy:

• Ecosystem Investigators: This program immerses middle school classes in real-world scientific inquiry and exploration through two in-school sessions and two park visits each academic year. Currently, the program serves all eighth-grade students (more than 350 in 18 classrooms across eight schools) in the Propel Schools network, including Braddock Hills, East, Hazelwood, Homestead, McKeesport, Pitcairn, Montour, and Northside. By engaging in outdoor exploration and scientific inquiry, students build critical thinking skills and gain firsthand experience in environmental science.
• High School Urban EcoStewards (HSUE): This program is designed to engage teens year-round through hands-on conservation projects, helping them develop leadership skills and environmental stewardship. Participants actively restore green spaces, learn about sustainability practices, and gain valuable experience that can shape future career paths in environmental fields. The activities in HSUES are intentionally designed to support increased comfort in the outdoors and to foster a sense of agency in confronting ecological challenges. The program consists of an in-school orientation session followed by three visits to Frick Park, during which students execute and evaluate real-world stewardship projects such as habitat improvement, native tree planting, invasive species removal, stormwater mitigation, and erosion control. The PPG Foundation’s support has allowed the Parks Conservancy to add a sixth school to the program cohort. Participating schools include Woodland Hills, Pittsburgh Allderdice, Pittsburgh SciTech, Pittsburgh Westinghouse, City Charter High School, and Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf.
• Young Naturalists: The Parks Conservancy has hosted the Young Naturalists program, an intensive paid internship for high school students focusing on environmental stewardship, team building, conservation ethics, and careers in the environmental field, for the past 11 years. Following an application and interview process, each summer, a diverse cohort of 12 teenagers spends five weeks working outdoors in city parks. Participants gain hands-on environmental restoration and field study opportunities and develop self-confidence, communication, and leadership skills. The program offers meaningful, paid experience and mentorship by seasoned naturalist educators and other environmental professionals. Thanks to the PPG Foundation’s support, the Parks Conservancy has raised the stipend amount per student participant.

Hosted at the Frick Environmental Center (FEC), one of the most sustainable public buildings in the world, and in the 660-acre Frick Park woodlands surrounding the FEC, the Parks Conservancy’s nature-based and STEM-focused Young Naturalists program unlocks critical outdoor, hands-on learning for teens from communities across Allegheny County, offering career exploration in growing fields with family-sustaining wages and utilizing our parks as a natural laboratory. In 2023, the program earned a prestigious Environmental Excellence award from Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro in acknowledgement of the program’s demonstration of exemplary efforts in environmental protection, innovation, partnership, economic impact, consideration of sustainability and environmental justice.

By strengthening and investing in these programs, the partnership between the Parks Conservancy and the PPG Foundation ensures that more young people have access to high-quality, nature-based learning experiences that cultivate a lifelong appreciation for the environment.

For more information on the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy’s environmental education programs, visit pittsburghparks.org.

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About Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy:
The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy was founded in December 1996 by a group of citizens concerned with the deteriorating conditions of Pittsburgh’s historic city parks. A non-profit organization, the Parks Conservancy works closely with the City of Pittsburgh under an official public-private partnership agreement to restore and improve the city’s park system to its full potential. To date, the Parks Conservancy has raised more than $150 million and completed 24 major park improvement projects. The Parks Conservancy works with thousands of volunteers, hosts hundreds of events, and provides programming for more than 7,500 children annually.