Every year we offer Illinois and Indiana K-12 formal and non-formal educator professional learning opportunities as well as stipend support for stewardship projects that extend Great Lakes learning and stewardship to students through place-based learning experiences. Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities.

Shipboard Science Workshop

Application deadline: February 10, 2025

What are you doing this summer? Fifteen educators will be spending July 7-13 alongside scientists aboard the EPA R/V Lake Guardian on Lake Michigan. The Shipboard Science Workshop takes place each year on one of the Great Lakes—2025 is Lake Michigan’s turn. The goal of this workshop is to promote Great Lakes sciences while forging relationships between researchers and educators. It is sponsored by the EPA Great Lakes National Program Office and facilitated by Great Lakes Sea Grant Network educators.
 
Application information can be found on the Center for Great Lakes Literacy website. If you would like to learn more about previous workshops, visit: 

• 2024 Shipboard Science Workshop on Lake Erie
• 2023 Shipboard Science Workshop on Lake Ontario
• Educators Onboard for Learning

Crayfish & Freshwater Ecosystems Curriculum Workshop

When: April 15, 2025, 8:00am-3:30pm CT
Where: Dunes Learning Center at Indiana Dunes National Park, 700 Howe Rd., Chesterton, IN 46304
Cost: Free
Registration Deadline: April 1, 2025

Register Today!

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, the Invasive Crayfish Collaborative, the Great Lakes Research and Education Center, and Indiana Dunes National Park have teamed up to offer a day-long workshop designed to support educators in implementing the new Investigating Crayfish and Freshwater Ecosystems Curriculum. Participants will earn six professional development hours during this interactive experiential learning workshop. All of the activities are aligned to Common Core and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

This workshop includes a presentation from an expert aquatic ecologist. Educators will also take part in hands-on science through crayfish sampling at Little Calumet River.

Participants should dress to be outdoors for a portion of the day, and bring water and a laptop for use in the classroom. After completing the workshop, participants will receive a copy of the Crayfish and Freshwater Ecosystems Curriculum, which includes educator guides and student handouts for each of the nine lessons.

Workshop Objectives

In this workshop, educators will:

• Gain knowledge about the role of invasive crayfish in Great Lakes ecosystems and the importance of invasive crayfish management.
• Learn how to implement a participatory science activity in their classrooms by sampling for crayfish and other macroinvertebrates and logging their data using GIS softwares.
• Review and practice at least seven hands-on activities from the Crayfish and Freshwater Ecosystems Curriculum.
• Learn how the activities are aligned with Common Core and NGSS.
• Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant provides equal opportunities in programs. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, please contact Julie Fiorito at fiorito4@illinois.edu or by phone at 217-300-0788. Early requests are encouraged to allow time to meet individual requests.