The McKeever Environmental Learning Center (McKeever), located in Sandy Lake, Mercer County, Pennsylvania, opened originally in 1972. As a public service institute of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), its primary purpose was to increase knowledge and understanding of the environment through educational programming and research.

Slippery Rock University (SRU) assumed supervision of McKeever from Clarion University in 1986. SRU was already involved with the center, principally through Dr. Craig Chase, SRU’s representative on the Board of Commissioners since 1975. McKeever was located about 22 miles from SRU on approximately 205 acres of wooded land. The property boasted dormitory-style lodges, a dining hall, a 200-seat auditorium, meeting rooms, an outdoor amphitheater, and much more. With approximately 4 miles of trails, the center was a popular spot for local hiking and outdoor activity enthusiasts.

McKeever held school programs for thousands of K-8 students annually, focusing on hands-on outdoor learning experiences. School programs such as Earthkeepers and Sunship Earth, for example, were exceptionally popular with students and student interns alike.

McKeever’s student internship program provided a unique experience for college students earning degrees in elementary education, environmental education, early childhood education, or biology/science education. Many student interns from Clarion University, Slippery Rock University, and other institutions throughout Pennsylvania took charge in the organization and management of the school programs offered at McKeever through these internship programs.

In the spring of 2018, after roughly 32 years, Slippery Rock University turned over the management of the McKeever Environmental Learning Center to Pennsylvania’s Department of General Services. In 2022, a transfer was initiated by the Department of General Services to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry in the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.