Great Lakes Education Program

Led by extension educator Steve Stewart, Michigan Sea Grant and partners completed the 2005 season of the Great Lakes Education Program (GLEP), marking the 15th year on Lake St. Clair and 8th on the lower Detroit River.

A total of 76 classes participated in educational cruises on Lake St. Clair, bringing the cumulative participation for GLEP/Macomb since 1991 to 33,190 students, 4,838 adult chaperones, 1,191 teachers, and 523 volunteer instructors.

Students from 26 school districts participated in lower Detroit River cruises, bringing cumulative participation since 1998 to more than 14,280 students, 1,904 adult chaperones, and 493 teachers. Sea Grant’s strong partnership with Lake Erie Metropark continued in 2005, as each class was again involved in both an educational GLEP cruise as well as a shore-based education program focusing on wetlands, conducted by Lake Erie Metropark interpretive staff.

In follow-up evaluations, teachers gave the overall GLEP experience a perfect 4.0 on a 4-point scale, with 4 being excellent. Teachers were also asked how well GLEP helps them meet Michigan educational benchmarks on a 4-point scale, with the mean response being 3.69. The GLEP curriculum was used in the classroom by 83 percent of teachers.