Chatham University
IN-24: Innovation A

The K-12 Program was founded by Chatham University in 2015 with the goal to introduce sustainability concepts to younger groups of students and allow those groups to practice sustainability during field trips to Eden Hall Campus. The program works with groups from all over the Western Pennsylvania region and focuses on offering opportunities for underserved communities by offering full field trip scholarships (including lunch scholarships). A typical field trip includes a tour of the Eden Hall Campus and 2-3 sustainability activities where students can gain a first-hand experience with inoculating mushrooms or an aquaponics system or a passive solar system. Chatham University's Eden Hall Campus K-12 Programs aim to support educators, youth, schools, and their communities to drive transformation and take action by creating healthy, happy, and equitable lives for all people. An estimated 4700 students have participated in the sustainability educational programs at Chatham University. The K-12 program uses Eden Hall’s 'living laboratory' concept at the Eden Hall Campus to create engaging experiential and place-based opportunities that inspire students and educators to be leaders in their communities, lifelong learners, systems thinkers, globally-minded change agents, and empathic beings. The Sustainable Leadership Academy was developed by the Eden Hall K-12 Program in 2017. The program is offered 10th, 11th, and 12th graders and aims to help students develop the leadership skills needed to be a change agent. Also, students explore the sustainability highlights of Pittsburgh to visualize what a career in sustainability might look like. Chatham'’ Falk School of Sustainability faculty and Pittsburgh'’ leading sustainability professionals to guide students to explore career options related to sustainability.