Explore in the Classroom, a signature initiative of Pennon Education, is designed to support student learning within and beyond the traditional school day. Through strategic district partnerships, these innovative programs enhance classroom instruction by fostering meaningful collaboration with teachers. Instruction is designed by the Pennon Education Team and is carefully aligned with Pennsylvania’s academic standards, ensuring rigor, relevance, and real-world application.
Using modeled teaching, co-teaching, and embedded professional learning, the programs equip educators with effective, research-based strategies. Partner teachers also benefit from Act 48-approved professional development opportunities, creating a sustainable model for instructional growth. These in-district programs are tailored for students in grades K–12, with a focused commitment to communities facing persistent and significant opportunity gaps.
Explore in the Classroom extends its reach through dynamic afterschool and summer learning experiences. These out-of-school programs offer students immersive, hands-on learning in high-interest areas such as STEM, literacy, and digital creation.
Explore in the Classroom Program Offerings
Elementary Explorers
Elementary Explorers brings high-quality STEM and literacy learning directly to K–3 classrooms through engaging, standards-aligned experiences. In partnership with district educators, Pennon Education and the dynamic WITF Education Team deliver interactive lessons aligned with PA Core and STEELS standards, enhancing existing instruction through collaboration and co-teaching.
Each visit features a focused read-aloud to introduce the lesson theme, followed by hands-on activities in areas such as robotics, coding, engineering design, environmental science, and literacy. Students receive a copy of the book to reinforce learning and strengthen home-school connections.
STEM and Career Exploration
Designed for students in grades 3-12, this program delivers STEM content in a meaningful way. STEM and Career Exploration are embedded within the program to spark interest in STEM and STEM related careers! Exploration topics include robotics, coding, engineering design, environmental science and careers. Design thinking elements, technology components, and career exploration are naturally woven into lessons to provide a high impact and relevant learning experience.
Digital Detectives and Youth Voice
Tailored for students in grades 3-12, this program aims to bolster student understanding of what it means to be a critical consumer of information, while empowering students to be creators of information. Students engage critically with all forms of news and information- magazines, newspapers, television reporting and digital media via social platforms. Topics include but are not limited to (a) the psychology and emotion of information, (b) evaluating sources through inquiry, (c) lateral reading for information gathering, (d) arguing from evidence, (e) career exploration in media related fields and (f) content creation.
Slide into Summer Camp
These summer camps are week-long, half day programs hosted at WITF’s Innovation Studio. The half-day camps are offered as a morning and afternoon option during the same week, providing access to a full-day camp. Camp offerings are developed for students in grades 2-12. All Slide into Summer Camps foster curiosity and passion for STEM among camp participants through inquiry-based activities and hands-on experiments. In addition, camps promote critical thinking and collaboration while developing a deeper understanding of scientific concepts and principles. Interactions with experts in the field are embedded into several camp offerings as an authentic approach to spark interest in STEM and STEM related careers!
The Youth Voice Imperative
This program builds on Digital Detectives and Youth Voice, integrating digital inquiry, language arts, and social studies to provide an engaging experience for students in grades 3–12. Offered during after-school hours, summer camps, or school breaks, it fosters community, critical thinking, and student expression on self-selected topics. Guided by the Pennon Education team, production staff, and journalists, students use digital tools to explore podcasting, video, blogging, and journalism. Lessons are age-appropriate and tailored to meet the needs of each student group.
Expanding Pennon Education programming creates opportunities to increase support for the communities we serve. With your support, Pennon Education can continue to deliver these high-quality STEM and literacy programs and strengthen our outreach to engage with more students across our region, sparking curiosity and fostering a love of learning!
What teachers are saying about Pennon Education’s
Explore in the Classroom
This program is such an amazing opportunity for our students to engage in science activities tied to literacy. They bring in materials that we do not have which gives the students the opportunity to use those new resources which is wonderful. Then we can build on the lessons with the materials we have. They have books they can use in their home to further support their curiosity and learning at home. Words cannot truly describe how grateful I am for this program. I wish we had three lessons in the fall/winter and then three in the spring because they are so engaging and meaningful for my students. WITF/Pennon Education is truly making a positive impact in the life of my students and myself. They give me great ideas and inspire me to continue to make science fun! I hope Pennon in Education is always here to stay!!! I even enjoy taking my children to the community events and encouraging my students to attend them as well. Thank you for all that you do.
— Kindergarten Teacher
(School District of the City of York)
Thank you so much for all of the really fun activities… the students truly enjoyed each one! It was so awesome that they each got a book to take home as well! It was a fantastic experience… I feel lucky that 2nd grade got the opportunity to do it!
— 2nd Grade Teacher
(Central Dauphin School District)
Thank you so much for the compelling and specific data! We LOVED seeing what you all brought to Hannah Penn and how engaged our students were! We look forward to connecting with you to plan for the Fall!
— Director of Curriculum and Instruction
(School District of the City of York)
We can’t thank you enough for the books and activities you provided for our students. The bilingual books were amazing. So many students came back and said they’ve been reading with their families at home. This wouldn’t be possible without you!
— Kindergarten Teacher
(School District of the City of York)
I already have recommended this to other teachers and truly enjoyed these lessons very much! It was very well presented, and the students loved it. It definitely provided a lasting effect on my students and myself that was very positive.
— 1st Grade Teacher
(Steelton-Highspire School District)
Pennon Education is pleased to partner with the following school districts in our region:
School District of the City of York (since 2016)
Harrisburg School District (since 2017)
School District of Lancaster (since 2021)
Steelton-Highspire School District (since 2023)
Central Dauphin School District (since 2023)
Interested in learning more about the program and if your school/district qualifies?
Funding for this valuable program is made possible through the Pennsylvania Education Income Tax Credit Program (EITC) and our generous corporate sponsors.
And Special Thanks…
…to these generous businesses sponsoring Pennon Education’s Explore in the Classroom program in the 2024 – 2025 year. Thank you for your ongoing support!
Impact Level: $20,000
Impact Level: $10,000 – $19,999
Additional EITC support provided by:
M&T Bank, PPL, Morefield, Orrstown Bank, Fulton Bank and Weis Markets