September 2, 2026
PITTSBURGH, PA - Aquatic Academy, a collaborative education partnership between Pittsburgh Water and Allegheny Land Trust, is expanding after a successful pilot year that has now gained national recognition. The partners will expand the program from four to six hands-on workshop with funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Environmental Education grant.
Aquatic Academy was selected for presentation at the North American Association for Environmental Education Conference and Research Symposium, chosen from more than 600 submissions nationwide. Pittsburgh Water and Allegheny Land Trust will share insights from the pilot year, the value of the municipal-nonprofit partnership and their approach to building meaningful relationships with educators on Friday October 9th.
Aquatic Academy Background
Launched during the 2025-2026 school year, Aquatic Academy connects educators with water professionals and environmental experts through hands-on workshops focused on drinking water treatment, water quality, stormwater management, green infrastructure, and watershed science. The program is designed to give teachers knowledge, experiences and resources they can bring back to their classrooms while connecting lessons to state educational standards.
“As a provider of a vital resource, our responsibility extends beyond delivering safe, reliable drinking water,” said Will Pickering, Pittsburgh Water CEO. “Educators are trusted voices in the communities we serve and giving them the tools to help students understand where their water comes from, how these systems work, and why protecting our waterways matters is a natural extension of our mission.”
The results were significant. Before participating, 93% of teachers reported that they were not very familiar with water treatment, regional stormwater or watershed topics. After completing the program, 100% reported gaining new insights, skills or ideas to bring back to their students, and 100% said they were likely or very likely to incorporate the topics and resources into their curriculum.
“In urban settings, the water resources, infrastructure, and dedicated professionals that support our communities often comprise ‘hidden systems’ that quietly keep bustling cities like ours functioning,” said Holly Bomba, Manager of Community Relations at Pittsburgh Water. “By engaging educators, we can increase engagement, understanding, and appreciation of these systems and inspire future generations to protect our shared water resources.”
Expanding for School Year 2026-2027
Pittsburgh Water and Allegheny Land Trust received a second year of DEP Environmental Education funding and will expand Aquatic Academy from four to six workshops for the 2026–2027 school year. The lineup includes new water quality and stormwater-focused workshops alongside the popular Water Treatment Learning Lab and Stormwater Science and Green Infrastructure workshop from the pilot program.
Aquatic Academy is supported by Pittsburgh Water experts in water quality, stormwater, green infrastructure, environmental education, and water careers, along with partners such as Pennsylvania Resources Council, Penn State Master Watershed Stewards, and Allegheny CleanWays.
