Professional Learning

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.

Shipboard Science Immersion, July 7-13, 2026

Waves, Wildlife, and STEM: Coastal Science for Educators, July 16, 2026

Earth Systems: A Great Lakes Perspective, July 31 and August 1, 2026

 

Shipboard Science Immersion

When: July 7-13, 2026
Where: Lake Superior aboard the R/V Lake Guardian
Registration Deadline: Subscribe to our newsletter to the latest update on the application deadlines.

Open to 5-12 grade formal and non-formal educators.

About: The Shipboard Science Immersion takes place each year on one of the Great Lakes—2026 is Lake Superior’s turn. The goal of this learning opportunity is to promote Great Lakes sciences while forging relationships between researchers and educators. This program is facilitated by the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network educators in partnership with U.S. EPA, and is funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.R/V Lake Guardian.
 
Information about the program in general can be found on the Center for Great Lakes Literacy website. If you would like to learn more, visit: 

 

Waves, Wildlife, and STEM: Coastal Science for Educators

When: July 16, 2026, 9 am to 3 pm CT
Where: Illinois Beach State Park, Zion, IL
Cost: $11

ENTICE workshops are available to teachers, homeschooling educators, non-formal educators, and youth group leaders in Illinois only.

Register Today! 

About: Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources have teamed up to offer a day-long, coastal-themed workshop designed for educators. Discover how a nature-based engineering solution is transforming Lake Michigan’s shoreline, and how you can bring this real-world science into your teaching setting. This hands-on workshop, designed for 5th- to 12th-grade educators, will explore the intersection of coastal engineering and aquatic ecosystems through field experiences, research insights, and classroom-ready activities. Professional Development Hours are available. This workshop is part of the ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education) program.

The ENTICE program:

  • provides natural resources training for educators through hands-on, interdisciplinary workshops led by natural resources professionals and other educators.
  • involves participants in experiences that promote effective stewardship of Illinois’ natural resources now and in the future.
  • is approved by the Illinois State Board of Education to offer Professional Development Hours for teachers.
  • conducts workshops on a variety of topics at locations statewide.
  • supplies educators with easy-to-use natural resources educational materials and activities that are correlated to the Next Generation Science Standards and other Common Core Learning Standards.


Earth Systems: A Great Lakes Perspective

Where: Dunes Learning Center, 700 Howe Road, Chesterton, IN 46304, located within Indiana Dunes National Park.
Who: Open to all 5-12th grade formal and non-formal educators.
Registration Deadline: Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates on registration.

About: Dunes Learning Center, Indiana Department of Natural Resources/Division of Fish & Wildlife, National Great Rivers, and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant have teamed up to offer a two-day, water-themed workshop for educators. Through this hands-on, overnight workshop, educators will be eligible to earn 12 ISBE clock hours in Illinois or 12 PGPs in Indiana.

After completing the workshop, participants will receive Project WET Water in Earth Systems guidebook. This is the newest published guide and includes 22 updated activities from the Project WET 2.0 guide. All activities are tied to Common Core and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Project WET, an award-winning, multidisciplinary program teaches about water resources, and the role water plays in various ecosystems and human life through hands-on, investigative activities that encourage teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

In this multi-day professional learning workshop, educators will:

  • Gain knowledge about the important role of water in Earth’s systems with a special focus on the Great Lakes.
  • Experience at least 14 hands-on lessons as a learner while also developing an understanding of navigating the curricular materials from an instructional standpoint.
  • Learn how the activities are aligned with Common Core and NGSS and identify connections between workshop activities and standards relevant to the learning environment.
  • Become familiar with regional resources, programs, and opportunities to engage in place-based learning and stewardship with students.

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant provides equal opportunities in programs. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in programming, please contact Janice Milanovich.

 

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