Gettysburg College receives $107,000 grant supporting Advancing Science program
Established in 1994, Advancing Science has delivered hands-on science resources to nearly 900,000 K-12 students throughout southcentral Pennsylvania. As the recipient of a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania mobile science education grant, Gettysburg College continues its commitment to promoting equitable access to science education tools and knowledge.
Since its founding more than 32 years ago, Gettysburg College’s Advancing Science program has enabled scores of Pennsylvania elementary and secondary school students to explore the wonders of science through hands-on learning.
As the 2026-2027 school year begins, young learners will once again be able to engage in observation, experimentation, and research through this unique College program thanks to an approximately $107,000 grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Administered by Biology Prof. Ryan Kerney and Assistant Program Director Valerie Stone P’28, Advancing Science partners with K-12 schools across southcentral Pennsylvania. This collaboration provides students and teachers with access to science equipment, hands-on science-based activities, professional development and training, and mobile educators to assist with co-teaching experiences.
Advancing Science hosted an event with local teachers at Gettysburg College on June 5, 2025, to unveil the new Adams County Environmental Literacy Plan for K-12 schools. Science teachers from various Adams County, Pennsylvania, schools ran through eight stations of outdoor investigations and tools in the area around McCreary Hall, Glatfelter Hall, the fountain, and Stevens Run.
Kerney and Stone also help educators align their science curriculum with the state’s science education standards, which were updated in 2023. These updates included the introduction of topics such as climate change, environmental literacy, and sustainability into the curriculum.
“This program is built on strong partnerships with teachers, schools, the College, and community organizations, allowing us to support science education in many ways and adapt to the changing needs of teachers and students,” Stone said.
During its first year of programming, Advancing Science supported science education for approximately 2,800 students. Today, more than three decades after its creation by Biology Prof. Emerita Kay Etheridge in 1994, the program has engaged nearly 900,000 students.
A teacher investigates a water sample from Stevens Run through a microscope during a program hosted for Adams County science teachers on June 5, 2025, at Gettysburg College.
Kerney explained that Advancing Science is supported by the Pennsylvania Mobile Science and Math Education Programs budget line, appropriated annually by the General Assembly and the governor and managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
“Through our state support, Advancing Science offered free lab activities to 101 teachers in 16 districts and 30 schools in southcentral Pennsylvania during the past academic year,” said Kerney, who has directed Advancing Science since 2022. “Our materials reached 35,447 student contacts.”
“Supporting Advancing Science is meaningful to me because of the people I get to serve. When I arrive at a school, there is a sense of excitement from the front office to the students in the classroom. They see my cart full of science tools, and they know they are going to get to do science,” Stone said.
The funding provided by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania supports Advancing Science through its parent network, the Science in Motion consortium. This consortium, comprising 10 colleges and universities in Pennsylvania, enables participating higher education institutions to collaborate and share scientific knowledge and resources with regional K-12 schools.
“Supporting Advancing Science is meaningful to me because of the people I get to serve.” — Advancing Science Assistant Program Director Valerie Stone P’28
Over the years, Advancing Science has received numerous external gifts and grants that make its operations possible. In 2022, Advancing Science was awarded a multi-year Partnership for Adams County Environmental Literacy (PACE) grant by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through the Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program.
Beyond its objective of developing enriching science content, Advancing Science is committed to ensuring equitable access to science resources for students and teachers, Stone explained. Programming allows resources to reach more students than would otherwise have access to them. In addition, Advancing Science also serves as a valuable hands-on learning experience for Gettysburg College students.
“When I work with teachers through professional development, they leave feeling empowered, knowing they have a partner in science education and access to our library of resources,” Stone said. “And when the College’s education students join me for a school visit, they connect with K-12 students and see the many possibilities for their own futures as educators.”