Fallingwater is a house designed in 1935 by renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The house was designed as a private residence and weekend home for the Kaufmann family of Pittsburgh and is one of Wright’s most widely acclaimed works and best exemplifies his philosophy of organic architecture: the harmonious union of art and nature. Today, Fallingwater inspires students, scholars and artists during architectural tours, Learning through Architecture school programs, residency programs at the Fallingwater Institute and continuing education opportunities for adults.
The Conservancy works closely with teachers and partner organizations to fill specific needs for their students. Whether we lead a nature walk, attend a club or facilitate a scientific investigation at a summer camp, we love bringing students closer to nature. Here are some examples of our education partnership work.
EYE Con provides a fun, hands-on STEM opportunity for high school students to experience conservation science while earning college credit. The Institute is led by biologists and educators from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Natural Heritage Program, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and Westminster College.
Students work with biologists to design field-based experiments that will answer research questions relevant to natural resource management. EYE Con’s data collection methods are very similar to methods used by conservation professionals. This allows students to learn more about long-term monitoring of natural communities and populations of rare species in Pennsylvania, especially as it relates to climate change.