Sea Grant Illinois-Indiana

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Education

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. Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities.

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

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).

crayfish in a pail 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.

Earth Systems: A Great Lakes Perspective

When: August 8-9, 2025
Check-in begins at 8:45 am CT on 8/8, and the workshop concludes at 4 pm CT on 8/9.
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.
Cost: $50* includes room and board for one night at the Dunes Learning Center, workshop materials, and swag. Scholarships are available to ensure cost is not a barrier to participation. Contact: ecrofton@duneslearningcenter.org with your inquiry.
Registration Deadline: July 18, 2025

The 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.

Further instructions and workshop information will be provided via email closer to the professional learning date. When registering, please include your preferred email address where you can be reached during the summer.

*This workshop is possible through funding from the Indiana Department of Natural Resource/Division of Fish & Wildlife, Dunes Learning Center, and Swarovski Foundation Waterschool.
Workshop partners are committed to providing equal opportunities in programs. If you need reasonable accommodation to participate in programming, please contact Janice Milanovich at janicem@illinos.edu or by phone at (217) 300-0211. Early requests are encouraged to allow time to meet individual requests.

Shipboard Science Workshop

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.

The application deadline for this year’s workshop has closed, but information about the program in general can be found on the Center for Great Lakes Literacy website. If you would like to learn more about previous workshops, visit: