
Registration/Application Deadline: January 31, 2022
Event Dates: June and July 2022. See below for more details
Event location: Marquette and Alpena, MI
Intended Audience: 4th-12th grade educators, non-formal educators
Ten educators, three researchers, 15 crew, and one 180-foot boat
In June and July 2022, 10 educators will set sail aboard the Research Vessel (R/V) Lake Guardian, a vessel owned by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and conduct research alongside scientists. During the seven day workshop, educators network with one another, scientists, R/V Lake Guardian crew, and Sea Grant staff. Educators work in small teams with a scientist to develop research questions, collect field samples, conduct lab analysis, and generate data to analyze, visualize, and interpret. The workshops typically include two shore stops for educational field trips about locally relevant Great Lakes topics. A primary goal of the workshop is to increase Great Lakes Literacy among the participants. After the workshop, participants will be better able to:
- Understand the essential principles and fundamental concepts about the characteristics, functions, and value of the Great Lakes.
- Communicate accurately about the Great Lakes’ influence on systems and people in and beyond their watershed.
- Make informed and responsible decisions regarding the Great Lakes and the resources of their watershed.
Words from previous workshop participants
To learn more about the workshops from educators’ perspectives, read the 2017 Lake Huron Blog and 2016 Lake Superior Blog and visit this story map. The R/V Lake Guardian usually works on one Great Lake each year, so the last time the R/V Lake Guardian workshop was held on these two lakes was five and six years ago. 2022 is a special year because two educator workshops are being held on two Great Lakes.
One Summer, Two Workshops
Lake Superior Workshop details:
- Who: 4th-12th grade teachers and non-formal educators in the Great Lakes States of Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
- What: Ten educators will be selected to participate in a week-long research-focused workshop aboard the United States Environmental Agency’s research vessel, R/V Lake Guardian.
- Where: Participants will board the ship in Marquette, Michigan to conduct research on Lake Superior. Participants will return to Marquette, Michigan at the conclusion of the workshop.
- When:
- Workshop begins: 12:00 p.m. Sunday, June 26, 2022.
- Workshop ends: 12:00 p.m. Saturday, July 2, 2022.
- Why: This once-in-a-lifetime experience provides an opportunity for educators to participate in ongoing Great Lakes research and monitoring, collaborate with scientists, establish relationships with other teachers in Great Lakes states, and bring home Great Lakes educational resources for use with their learners.
- For questions about the Lake Superior workshop, contact Marte Kitson at minnesota@cgll.org and 218-726-8305.
Lake Huron Workshop details:
- Who: 4th-12th grade teachers and non-formal educators in the Great Lakes States of Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
- What: Ten educators will be selected to participate in a week-long research-focused workshop aboard the United States Environmental Agency’s research vessel, R/V Lake Guardian.
- Where: Participants will board the ship in Alpena, Michigan to conduct research on Lake Huron. Participants will return to Alpena, Michigan at the conclusion of the workshop.
- When:
- Workshop begins: 12:00 p.m. Friday, July , 2022.
- Workshop ends: 12:00 p.m. Thursday, July 14, 2022.
- Why: This once-in-a-lifetime experience provides an opportunity for educators to participate in ongoing Great Lakes research and monitoring, collaborate with scientists, establish relationships with other teachers in Great Lakes states, and bring home Great Lakes educational resources for use with their learners.
- For questions about the Lake Huron workshop, contact Meaghan Gass at michigan@cgll.education and 989-895-4026 ext. 5.
Health and Safety
Participants will be expected to adhere to any and all COVID-19 safety protocols required by the US EPA at the time of the workshops.
How do I apply?
Interested and enthusiastic educators can apply here: z.umn.edu/lakeguardian2022. Applications are due January 31, 2022.
R/V Lake Guardian workshops are funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency with funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. This article was written by Marte Kitson at Minnesota Sea Grant. Content questions can be directed to mkitson@d.umn.edu, 218-726-8305.
Additional Details
Target audience: 4th-12th grade educators, non-formal educators
Cost? Stipend? Travel costs? Credits?: Travel stipends are provided to cover or offset the cost of participation. In most cases, all expenses are covered, with the exception of two dinners.
For more information: For questions about the Lake Superior workshop, contact Marte Kitson at minnesota@cgll.education and 218-726-8305. For questions about the Lake Huron workshop, contact Meaghan Gass at michigan@cgll.education and 989-895-4026 ext. 5.
Application Materials
View online application