Two SDoL teachers, a husband and wife duo, are recipients of a 2025 Fund for Teachers grant. Taylor Faff of Wickersham ES and Kelsey Faff of Wharton ES are traveling across Japan to research trout and their habitats, explore marine ecosystems, and document sustainable fishing practices to enhance environmental science education and enrich the third-grade marine life literacy unit for both elementary and special education students.
What starts in the classroom sometimes finds its way across the world.
This summer, Wickersham Elementary learning support teacher Taylor Pfaff and his partner, Kelsey Pfaff, an educator at Wharton Elementary, are heading to Japan as part of a $10,000 Fund for Teachers grant. The national program supports educators who seek to expand their instructional practice through immersive, teacher-designed fellowships. Their focus: to explore sustainable fishing, trout ecosystems, and marine life education in one of the most dynamic environments on Earth.
At the heart of this grant is a vision that connects environmental science instruction to real-world experiences both local and global. Taylor and Kelsey already lead one of several “Trout in the Classroom” programs across the School District of Lancaster. Through this Pennsylvania state initiative, students raise trout from eggs to fingerling size before releasing them into approved local waterways, such as Chickies Creek. Along the way, students build science journals, explore life cycles, and connect lessons in reading and writing to hands-on observation.
But the impact of the program goes far beyond the tank.
“At Wickersham, students receiving special education services are deeply engaged in the process,” said Taylor. “They’ve watched every stage of development, made predictions, and observed changes. It’s been a way to not only understand scientific concepts but to feel part of something larger. Even younger classes have been invited in to learn alongside us.”
The Japan fellowship builds directly on this momentum. Over the course of three weeks, the Pfaffs will travel to Tokyo, Hokkaido, Niigata, Toba, and Sapporo, with a focus on sustainable fishing practices, aquaculture, and cultural traditions that inform marine life ecosystems.
Highlights of their itinerary include visiting Tokyo’s wet markets and famous tuna auctions, exploring the koi farms of Niigata nestled in mountain landscapes, studying sustainable carp and trout farming, and witnessing firsthand the free-diving practices of the Ama pearl divers of Toba, a group of women whose expertise spans generations.
Hokkaido, home to a rich trout population, offers unique parallels to Pennsylvania’s own waterways. These international case studies will allow Taylor and Kelsey to draw connections between global environmental stewardship and local science instruction, reinforcing Pennsylvania’s environmental literacy standards with renewed perspective and relevance.
“The trip is designed to enhance our third-grade marine life literacy unit and continue building on the success of our Trout in the Classroom work,” Taylor shared. “We want to bring back not only knowledge but also tangible examples that spark student curiosity, especially for learners who thrive on visual and experiential approaches.”
The connection to student interest is intentional. Many of the students at Wickersham are already fascinated by Japanese culture through anime, cuisine, and global media. By aligning science instruction with those interests, Taylor believes students will not only retain more but begin to see their own questions and cultures reflected in the curriculum.
Six teachers in Pennsylvania received the 2025 Fund for Teachers grant, and Taylor and Kelsey are among 355 educators nationwide who were awarded a share of $1.6 million for their self-designed fellowships. As part of their grant deliverables, they will document their findings and create learning resources for students and fellow educators when they return.
“I want to keep building something meaningful for our students. This isn’t just about trout or Japan. It’s about opening up opportunities for kids to be excited to learn, to wonder about the world, and to feel empowered by what they discover.” says Taylor.
They leave June 4 and return June 21, just in time to prepare for another year of connecting Lancaster to the world, and back again.