More than 100,000 students and adults immerse themselves in our heritage annually in outdoor and educational programs, including our award-winning Tales of the Towpath fourth-grade curriculum, Immersion Days field trips, the Freemansburg Canal Education Center, environmental education programs, conferences, and workshops.
This traveling curriculum offers 4th- and 5th-grade students a unique opportunity to explore mid-19th century life along the Lehigh and Delaware canals and understand the canals’ importance in America’s growth during our 19th Century Industrial Revolution. Developed by a team of advisors comprised of teachers, principals, curriculum coordinators, and historians, Tales of the Towpath is centered on an illustrated storybook that follows the life of a young Irish boy – Finn Gorman – whose father takes his family to America in 1846 and eventually becomes a canal boat captain. Young Finn’s adventures lead readers on a journey into the region’s past, when anthracite coal was fueling industrial and economic growth.