COVINGTON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- There's a program starting up in a few weeks in Lackawanna County that will get young kids outdoors and excited to learn about nature.
What kid doesn't like to plant a tomato or turn over a log? It's a simple question that Michelle Wheeler, an ecological educator at Lackawanna College Environmental Education Center, poses when asked about their Early Explorers program which starts up Monday, September 23.
"Our goal for the program is to create stewards of the environment. We feel that if you can get them at an early age, you're really going to embed that seed of curiosity and love for nature, to be good stewards of the environment that they'll take on with them for their whole lives," Wheeler said.
The Early Explorers program is for young kids ages 3 through 6.
"We'll always start with a story, get them acquainted with the topic for the day. We find that stories are a nice way to get them some information without talking at them or lecturing them," said Wheeler.
Students in the Early Explorers program will get to take advantage of all the resources available to them on campus, including the wonderful trails that surround the main building.
"We always do a hands-on exploration outside, whether it's in the garden or in the forest or in the meadow or in the field."
The Early Explorer program runs every other Monday from September 23 through December 2. It's a 90-minute program from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Parents can register their kids for all the classes for $40 or just one class for $8.
Contact the Lackawanna College Environmental Education Center at 570-842-1506.