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Explore in the Classroom

WITF’s Explore in the Classroom program is designed for kindergarten, first, and second grade students enrolled in school districts that experience persistent, and often significant, opportunity gaps. Explore in the Classroom offers young learners the opportunity to engage in rigorous and exciting instruction that implements cutting-edge pedagogies while offering teachers classroom resources and lesson plans aligned with PA STEELS standards.  Led by WITF’s dynamic and experienced education team, each session connects children’s literature with two hands-on STEAM inquiry projects to spark curiosity and scientific thinking.  Students receive brand new books to take home along with other resource materials for classroom extension and learning at home.  Teachers receive classroom resources and instruction plans for future implementation and adaptation. And adding to the fun and excitement, students and teachers also get to meet a PBS KIDS costume character for hugs, high fives, and photo memories!  

Photos of EITC classes working with shapes and patterns and kaleidoscope science!

WITF has been supporting students and their amazing teachers through our Explore in the Classroom program since 2016, engaging with over 6,500 young learners in three school districts across central PA–with plans to expand even further, into new schools and classrooms!   We are happy to share that this program has distributed over 23,000 books, providing students and teachers with brand new books to build their home and classroom libraries.

A boy and a girl posing with books they received through the Explore in the Classroom program.

WITF Education is pleased to partner with the following school districts in our region:

  • York City School District (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 WITF’s Explore in the Classroom program in the 2023 – 2024 year. Thank you for your ongoing support!

Select Medical
Peoples Bank | A Codorus Valley Company
Capital Blue Cross
CHUBB
Mid Penn Bank
Orrstown Bank
UGI | Energy to do more

PPL, Traditions Bank, M&T Bank,
Fulton Bank, The York Water Company, Weis, Truist
, Morefield