At the 2009 Governor’s Conference on the Management of the Illinois River System in October, several IISG specialists presented a talk titled Strategies for Sustainable Unwanted Medicine Collection Programs: in Communities, in the Classroom and Beyond as part of a session about community action success stories. The article from the conference proceedings is now available.

In their session, Beth Hinchey Malloy, Great Lakes ecosystem health specialist, and Robin Goettel, associate director for education, discussed the work that has been done related to unwanted medicine collection programs. They highlighted the Sea Grant tool kit—Disposal of Unwanted Medicines: A Resource for Action in Your Community and IISG’s partnership with the Prescription Pill and Drug Disposal Program (P2D2), which is a component of the program’s new education initiative. Coming soon for high school teachers and other educators is The Medicine Chest: A Collection of Safe Disposal Curriculum Activities and Education Resources.

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Looking for a fun way to teach about marine debris? Check out Me and Debry, which is a whimsical, 30‑minute, audience‑participation play created for @UWiscSeaGrant. It helps students explore what marine debris is, why it matters, and how we can make a difference in the Great Lakes.The full script (English) and participation scripts (English, Spanish, and Hmong) are free to use, along with marketing materials for performances.Bring learning to life and start a conversation about litter in our waters!Check it out at the link in bio.#TeachingTuesday
Do you work or live along the Great Lakes coasts? Watch our newly released video series collection, containing several short videos that overview the range of coastal protection options in the Great Lakes, including:- Natural processes in the Great Lakes- Hard coastal protection structures and how they interact with/alter natural processes- Nature-based coastal solutions in the Great Lakes, ranging from green to gray approachesFind our two new video series at the link in bio.
Located in Washington, D.C., the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources, and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. This is a one-year fellowship open to any student, regardless of citizenship, who is enrolled toward a degree in a graduate or professional program on the day of the deadline.Students enrolled at an Illinois or Indiana university or college should submit their applications through Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant by emailing Angela Archer at amcbride@purdue.edu. Students in surrounding states without a Sea Grant program should contact the National Sea Grant College Program at oar.sg.fellows@noaa.gov for a referral. Application deadline: June 3, 2026.To learn more about the fellowship, visit the link in bio.