The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources began educating Pennsylvania residents on water quality issues in 1972 with the Water Quality Monitoring Program. The program was redesigned in 1998, giving rise to Watershed Education, a comprehensive educational study of watersheds for students in grades 6-12. The program promotes classroom and field research, hands-on ecological investigations, networking, partnerships, stewardship, and community service in an effort to produce environmentally literate citizens. Statewide, the Bureau of State Parks has 48 environmental education specialists trained to facilitate the Watershed Education program for their local schools; these staff members work at 31 different state parks and environmental education centers operated by the Bureau of State Parks. All 501 school districts in Pennsylvania are serviced by one of these sites. The program culminates with an annual summit of students from the same watershed gathering to network and share what they've learned throughout the year.