https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/Education/WaterEducation/Pages/default.aspx

Carissa is a Pennsylvania native who has worked in the EE field for over 25 years. She spent her childhood playing in the creeks and woods of Northeastern Pennsylvania. This instilled an early passion for nature and conservation education. She is the Environmental Education Program Coordinator for the Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR)- Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks. She has a BA in Environmental Studies from Binghamton University. As EE Program Coordinator, Carissa’s focus is working with PA State Park Outdoor Programming Services (OPS) staff to offer top-quality teacher workshops, coordinate curricula, and improve and increase teacher professional development.

Carissa is the bureau’s Host Institution Coordinator for Project WET. She also coordinates the bureau’s Watershed Education (WE), PA Songbirds, and the PA Land Choices programs and curricula. In addition, she coordinates  Project WILD and Growing UP WILD (statewide). In her career, Carissa has facilitated over 150 teacher workshops, has coordinated more than 55 staff trainings, and has led numerous Train the Trainer sessions. Carissa is a NAI Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG).

Carissa has been teaching Project WET for 20+ years. Her favorite WET activity is a “A Drop in the Bucket.” It is a deceptively simple (yet complicated) lesson that imparts a dramatic message with the resounding “thunk” of that single water drop. She loves presenting Project WET workshops because most of what you need to facilitate a great workshop is contained in the guide. The lessons are well-written and material lists are clear and concise.

Project WET is a wonderful curriculum that is hands-on, minds-on fun and STEM-based learning for all ages of both formal and non-formal educators. Carissa is thrilled to work with the Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR)- Pennsylvania State Parks Outdoor Programming Services staff to facilitate all of the curricula that Project WET offers.

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Find a list of all PA State Park upcoming educator workshops here- https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/calendar/month?event_types%5B%5D=43173  (including upcoming Project WET workshops).