Field Trips
Day or Overnight
LEEP offers one-day programs for grades K-12, and multi-day, overnight programs for grades 4-12. Each program is customized to suit the specific educational needs of each group. Our environmental education staff can help formulate objectives and design a program that will accomplish the goals of each group. Customized field trips are available in the Winter, Spring, and Fall. For more information on the process for scheduling a field trip, see the "Booking a Field Trip" section below.
The Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program makes use of the variety of ecosystems found on Lutherlyn's 660 diverse acres. Students participating in programs at Lutherlyn will be exposed to much more than can be experienced in a schoolyard or classroom. All of the activities are hands-on and can be conducted outdoors, and weather permitting, almost all of them are. There are advantages to each season, from the wildflowers of Spring to the brilliant colors of Fall.
A Program Options Guide to LEEP's activities is available, and makes it easy to plan a one-day or overnight event. The program options are divided into ten areas: Animals, Awareness of the Natural World, Ecosystems, Geology, History, Night Activities, Outdoor Skills and Group Building, Plants, Stewardship, and Water. At this point, the activities have been cross-referenced to the Pennsylvania Department of Education Academic Standards. If you are interested in concepts which are not listed under these options, please contact the LEEP staff and we will work with you to design an appropriate activity or activities.
See below for sample schedules, booking and logistics information, program rates, and downloadable forms.
One-Day Field Trips
A LEEP field trip can be the highlight of a school year. It is a great way to emphasize concepts that are being taught in the classroom. LEEP’s hands-on activities engage all students in learning and provide lasting educational memories.
Each field trip begins with an introduction by the LEEP staff, including “tree cookie” name tags for all students, teachers, and chaperones. Each school is given a meeting place that is near restroom facilities and where they can store extra bags, lunches, etc. Each meeting space includes recycling bins and garbage receptacles. If the school has brought their own lunches, this meeting space is also where lunch will be eaten. Schools may also request a hot dog cookout or fully prepared lunch courtesy of Lutherlyn’s food service staff.
Typical One-Day Schedule:
9:30 Overview/Orientation
9:45 Activity I: Pond Study
11:00 Activity II: Habitat and Wildlife
12:10 Lunch
12:40 Activity III: Terra Dei Homestead Tour
1:50 Activity IV: Predator/Prey Relationships
2:15 Wrap-up Session
2:30 Return to School
*Optional store time available upon request in advance: books, souvenirs, shirts, and hats are available.
All schedules are flexible according to arrival and departure times and particular curriculum needs.
Overnight Programs
Many schools tell us that an overnight LEEP experience is not only the highlight of a school year, but the highlight of their academic career. Senior essays are often written about the educational significance of an overnight LEEP field trip.
The overnight trip allows students (and teachers) to be immersed in the environment and surrounded by learning opportunities. This immersion is an extremely effective tool for connecting scientific concepts with real life experiences.
When overnight groups arrive, the LEEP staff meets them at their buses and helps everyone find their cabin. Lutherlyn’s cabins are all modern, heated, and carpeted. They sleep 12 people total (we suggest 2 adults and 10 students per cabin) and contain two bathrooms each. Lutherlyn has four cabin villages and each village contains five cabins.
The LEEP staff takes care of all of the programming (except for some evenings) during the field trip. Meals are provided by Lutherlyn’s food service staff and are renowned for their nutrition and taste. Evening programs, including campfires and night hikes, are offered for an additional fee. However, field trips of three days or longer receive one evening of programming, including a snack, at no charge.
Some schools prefer to stay at Lutherlyn, but have the teachers provide the educational experiences for the students. These schools rent Lutherlyn’s facilities, but stay in the same cabins and are fed by Lutherlyn’s food service staff.
Typical Two-Day Schedule:
DAY 1:
10:00 Arrive and Settle into Cabins
10:45 Overview/Orientation
11:00 Activity I: Pond Study
12:15 Lunch
1:30 Activity II: Insect Investigation
2:45 Bathroom and Drink Break
3:00 Activity III: Habitat & Wildlife
4:15 Activity IV: Predator/Prey Games
5:15 Dinner
6:15 Recreation Time
7:00 Evening Program*
9:00 Return to Cabins
* Evening programming is the responsibility of the school and a list of recommended programs is available upon request. For an additional fee, the LEEP staff will provide 1-2 hours of programming.
DAY 2:
7:00 Birding Observation Hike (only offered as an optional activity)
8:15 Breakfast
8:50 Pack/Clean-up Cabin
9:30 Activity V: Stream Investigation
10:50 Activity VI: Forest Study
12:15 Lunch and Wrap-up
1:00 Store Time
1:30 Depart for School
Two-Day Schedule ~ Multidisciplinary Focus:
DAY 1:
10:00 Arrive and Settle into Cabins
10:45 Overview/Orientation
11:00 Activity I: Orienteering (Math)
12:15 Lunch
1:30 Activity II: Habitat & Wildlife (Science)
2:45 Bathroom and Drink Break
3:00 Activity III: Stream Flow (Math)
3:30 Activity IV: Stream Investigation (Science)
4:35 Activity V: Creative Expression (Language Arts)
5:15 Dinner
6:15 Recreation Time (Phys. Ed.)
7:30 Campfire/Sing-along (Music)
9:00 Return to Cabins
*Additional fee would apply for evening programming
DAY 2:
7:00 Birding Observation Hike (optional) (Science)
8:15 Breakfast
8:50 Pack/Clean-up Cabin
9:30 Activity VI: Early Settlers & the Venango Trail (Social Studies)
10:50 Activity VII: Life Skills of the Woodland Tribes (Social Studies)
12:15 Lunch and Wrap-up
1:00 Store Time
1:30 Depart for School
Typical Three-Day Schedule:
DAY 1:
10:00 Arrive and Settle into Cabins
10:30 Overview/Orientation
10:45 Activity I: Pond Study
12:15 Lunch
1:30 Activity II: Sensory Exploration
2:45 Bathroom and Drink Break
3:00 Activity III: Ecosystem Hike
4:15 Journal Writing
5:15 Dinner
6:15 Recreation Time
7:00 Evening Program
9:00 Return to Cabins
DAY 2:
7:00 Bird Observation Hike (only offered as an optional activity)
8:15 Breakfast
9:30 Activity IV: Geology Hike
10:45 Activity V: Forest Comparison
12:15 Lunch
1:30 Activity VI: Stream Investigation
2:45 Bathroom and Drink Break
3:00 Activity VII: Early Settlers and the Venango Trail
4:15 Activity VIII: Predator/Prey Relationships
4:45 Journal Writing
5:15 Dinner
6:30 Recreation Time
7:00 Campfire/Sing-along*
8:00 Night Sounds Hike*
9:00 Return to Cabins
* Events of two or more nights may request 1-2 hours of LEEP programming for one night, free of charge. See Night Activity listing for options.
DAY 3:
8:00 Breakfast
8:40 Pack/Clean-up Cabin
9:15 Activity IX: Insect Investigation
10:30 Activity X: Terra Dei Homestead Tour
11:45 Wrap-up and Review
12:15 Lunch
1:00 Store Time
1:30 Depart for School
Booking a Field Trip and Other Logistics
Setting up a LEEP field trip is easy. It all starts by contacting the LEEP staff at (724) 865-9079 or leep@lutherlyn.com.
The staff will help you find a date or dates that will work best for you. You are then free to make arrangements for transportation and, once these are set, the LEEP staff can send you a contract packet. The packet will contain two copies of your contract (one of which should be signed and returned), a letter that you can distribute to parents, a list of Expectations of Adult Chaperones, directions to Lutherlyn, and an Activity Selection Form. Overnight schools will also receive a Health History Form that each participant will need to have completed before the trip and a Food Service Information Form. This latter form will enable our food service staff to prepare for any food allergies in your group.
We ask that a copy of the signed contract be returned to Lutherlyn with your deposit to lock in your reservation. If it hasn’t happened already, this is a good point to let the LEEP staff know what activities you would like our staff to lead for your trip. Please see the Program Options Guide for a list of all available activities. The LEEP staff will take your activity requests and formulate a customized schedule for your group. While they are doing that, you can line up your chaperones, organize your learning groups, and take care of any other details that need to be addressed at the school level. The LEEP staff prefers learning groups of 20 or fewer students. We ask that each learning group have at least two adult chaperones (teachers, parents, aides, etc.) and up to three adults per learning group are at no charge.
Once you arrive on your field trip, the Lutherlyn staff will take care of all your needs. They will lead your activities, prepare your meals (if applicable), take care of the garbage, and clean up your meeting and cabin space after you leave. The LEEP staff will generate an invoice for you based on the actual number of students and adults attending your trip. You are welcome to take the invoice back and mail payment to Lutherlyn.
Useful Downloadable Paperwork
letters and forms
