Formal and nonformal 5–12th grade educators from Great Lakes states are invited to apply for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend a week aboard a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency research vessel alongside scientists and to bring the Great Lakes back to their classrooms. The workshop, organized by the Center for Great Lakes Literacy (CGLL), is July 7–13, 2025. Deadline for applications is Feb. 10, 2025.

Through a partnership with the EPA Great Lakes National Program Office and NOAA, and funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, educators will engage in scientific research aboard the ship. Hosts for the Lake Michigan workshop are CGLL partners Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and Wisconsin Sea Grant.

The annual Shipboard Science Workshops promote Great Lakes science while forging lasting relationships between Great Lakes researchers and educators. CGLL is a collaborative effort led by Sea Grant educators throughout the Great Lakes watershed in the U.S. CGLL fosters informed and responsible decisions that advance basin-wide stewardship by providing hands-on experiences, educational resources, and networking opportunities promoting Great Lakes literacy among an engaged community of educators, scientists, and youth.

For more information on the 2025 Shipboard Science Workshop and application materials visit the Center for Great Lakes Literacy.

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Add a Great Lakes twist to your summer reading! Discover stories inspired by our region with Great Lakes Great Reads. Check out reading lists perfect for beach days or quiet evenings.https://greatlakesgreatread.org/#BeachReads
Real-time coastlines, real-world insights. Check out the LIVE feed of Lake Michigan at Indiana Dunes State Park Beach – supporting recreationalists, researchers, and the broader public at the link in bio.This work is in partnership between Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (@secoora_org), the Great Lakes Observing System (@greatlakesobservingsystem), Indiana Dunes State Park (@indianadunessp), Indiana Department of Natural Resources (@indianadnr), and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant with support from Surfline (@surfline).Check out IISG’s website for more information on this collaborative project at the link in bio. Also featured on Seagull and Indiana Coastal Atlas.Purdue Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of Illinois ExtensionSouthern Lake Michigan Water Safety Task ForceUS National Weather Service Chicago IllinoisSave the DunesShirley Heinze Land TrustIndiana Dunes National ParkIndiana DunesFriends of Indiana Dunes, Inc.
Science Sips is a series hosted by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, Sketchbook Brewing Company, and Northwestern University’s Center for Water that brings together researchers, scientists, and curious minds over good conversation and cold drinks. Each event features experts sharing their work in an accessible, informal setting. No lab coat required.At this gathering, Chicago author Dick Lanyon will take us back in time with a look at the history behind the construction of the Calumet and Chicago waterways and how these feats of engineering shape the region we live in today. Austin Happel from Shedd Aquarium will also share the latest research on fish communities in the Chicago River, including what the science is telling us right now about the health of this urban waterway.Stick around to test your Great Lakes knowledge with a round of trivia!Details at the link in bio.