July 23, 2009

Bon Voyage: Teachers Embark on Lake Huron Exploration

Fifteen educators and several Great Lakes researchers ship off Saturday to study the science of Lake Huron aboard the 180 foot EPA research vessel Lake Guardian.
 
The Lake Huron Shipboard and Shoreline Science workshop runs from July 25-31, beginning Saturday morning at Hart Plaza. The ship will leave at noon, traveling north through the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River and Lake Huron ports of call throughout its journey. The educators will conduct research alongside scientists while learning about ecology and lake systems.

Four teachers from Detroit Public Schools, as well as one from Flint and one from Carson City, are participating in the workshop. A  full list of the participants is available at the end of the page.
 
The program focuses on working Great Lakes research into school curricula and programs. “We have an array of talented scientists on board and joining us at various ports to discuss research and involve the participants,” said Steve Stewart, Sea Grant Extension Educator in Southeast Michigan. “I think the educators will find the experience very memorable and directly applicable to their teaching.”

Participants are coming from as far away as Duluth, Minn. and King of Prussia, Penn., but Kimberly Stevenson will travel only a short distance. Stevenson is a 10th grade biology and chemistry teacher at Central High School in Detroit. She joined the crew in order to “broaden my students’ understanding of the importance of the Great Lakes” and to “spark their interest to explore various career opportunities in marine science, research and technology.”
 
Sea Grant Extension educators from Michigan and Wisconsin will facilitate the expedition and help translate the onboard experience into meaningful classroom lessons, emphasizing human impacts and parallels between Great Lakes and ocean systems.

The Shipboard and Shoreline Science expedition is a component of the COSEE (Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence) Great Lakes program supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network.   
 
Michigan Sea Grant helps to foster economic growth and protect Michigan’s coastal/Great lakes resources through education, research and outreach. A collaborative effort of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, Michigan Sea Grant is part of the NOAA National Sea Grant network of more than 30 university-based programs.

Lake Huron Shipboard and Shoreline Science Participants:

Detroit Public Schools Participants
Jennifer Edwards, Ronald Brown Academy
Ellen Hoyer, Ronald Brown Academy
Kathleen Keenmon, Phoenix Academy
Kimberly Stevenson, Detroit Central High
 
Other Michigan Participants
Laura Rainey, Flint Mott Middle College High
Pat Trommater, Carson Elementary – Carson City
 
Illinois
Kristi Backe, Chicago Academy of Sciences'
Peggy Notebaert, Nature Museum
Jennifer Roth, Shedd Aquarium - Chicago
 
Indiana
Stephanie Santos-Crook, Portage High School – Porter
 
Minnesota
Dave Johnson, Marshall School – Duluth
 
New York
Patricia Connor, West Genesee Middle School – Camillus
 
Ohio
Ron Pilatowski, Linworth Alternative Program – Worthington
John Taylor-Lehman, Tri-Valley High School – Dresden
 
Pennsylvania
Charles Daniels, Upper Merion Area High School – King of Prussia

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