Four Illinois and Indiana educators will set sail on Lake Michigan aboard EPA’s research ship

Posted June 13th, 2025 in Featured, Great Lakes Data, K-12 Education, News
EPA vessel Lake Guardian awaits Shipboard Science Immersion educators

Illinois Indiana Sea Grant is pleased to announce that four middle and high school science educators—three from Illinois and one from Indiana—have been invited to join the Shipboard Science Immersion, where they’ll join the Center for Great Lakes Literacy (CGLL) team and Great Lakes scientists to work aboard an EPA research vessel July 7–13, 2025.  

Through a partnership with the EPA Great Lakes National Program Office and NOAA, and with funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the educators will spend a full week alongside researchers aboard the EPA R/V Lake Guardian. Afterwards, they will bring Great Lakes science back to their classrooms. 

The Illinois and Indiana-based educators are:

  • Gerard Kovach is a science teacher at Decatur Classical School in Chicago. Kovach, who was recently named Educator of the Year by Friends of the Chicago River, leads middle school students in ongoing ecological research tied to local waterways, including the Chicago River and Lake Michigan.
  • Ryan Johnson is a 7–8 grade science teacher at Jovita Idár Elementary School in Chicago where he incorporates hydroponics, aquaponic and community-based environmental action projects into his curriculum.
  • Amy Truemper is a 7–8 grade science teacher at Bednarcik Junior High School in Oswego, Illinois. Truemper leads her school’s award-winning environmental club, coordinates water quality testing along the Fox River and incorporates programs like Trout in the Classroom and Shedd Aquarium’s stewardship partnerships into her curriculum. 
  • Eric Parr is a 10-12 grade earth and space science teacher at Pike High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. Parr engages students in hands-on water quality testing and ecological studies at the school’s outdoor lab. He also supports astronomy instruction through the school’s planetarium and recently led a NASA-supported solar telescope project during the 2024 eclipse.

Overall, fifteen educators from across the Great Lakes were selected to work aboard the Lake Guardian. The Shipboard Science Immersion promotes Great Lakes sciences while forging lasting relationships between researchers and educators in the region. Hosts for the Lake Michigan expedition are CGLL partners Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and Wisconsin Sea Grant.

CGLL is a collaborative effort led by Great Lakes Sea Grant program educators. 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 Immersion visit the Center for Great Lakes Literacy website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

IISG Instagram

This Halloween, we’re diving into the eerie depths of the Great Lakes.

Each lake has its own spooky story:

🕯️ Lake Superior hides ghost ships beneath its icy waves...
🦴 Lake Michigan whispers tales of vanishing beaches…
🌉Lake Huron hides prehistoric hunting camps on a lake bottom ridge...
🧪 Lake Erie bubbles with algal blooms that glow like potions...
🦠 Lake Ontario was first to host strange creatures like the blood sucking sea lamprey.

Never fear, we have resources to help you make these fascinating topics less frightening at iiseagrant.org/education.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18068749643060732
This Halloween, we’re diving into the eerie depths of the Great Lakes.Each lake has its own spooky story:🕯️ Lake Superior hides ghost ships beneath its icy waves...🦴 Lake Michigan whispers tales of vanishing beaches…🌉Lake Huron hides prehistoric hunting camps on a lake bottom ridge...🧪 Lake Erie bubbles with algal blooms that glow like potions...🦠 Lake Ontario was first to host strange creatures like the blood sucking sea lamprey. Never fear, we have resources to help you make these fascinating topics less frightening at iiseagrant.org/education.

IISG is seeking a talented and passionate person to join our team as a research & reporting administrator. This is an exciting leadership opportunity for someone interested in managing a competitive research portfolio and leading our annual reporting process to make a real impact on the health and vitality of our Great Lakes ecosystems and communities.

The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing our research competitions, spearheading data collection and reporting for our ~$5 million program, and supervising a small team of dedicated staff.

Interested? Learn more at the link in bio.

18 0
Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 17881001997406832
IISG is seeking a talented and passionate person to join our team as a research & reporting administrator. This is an exciting leadership opportunity for someone interested in managing a competitive research portfolio and leading our annual reporting process to make a real impact on the health and vitality of our Great Lakes ecosystems and communities. The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing our research competitions, spearheading data collection and reporting for our ~$5 million program, and supervising a small team of dedicated staff.Interested? Learn more at the link in bio.

Just in time for DEA National Takeback Day on October 25, Unwanted Meds now has an interactive step-by-step guide that walks users through how to properly dispose of different types of medicine. Users can also find two new educational brochures designed to help veterinarians, pet owners, and livestock farmers prevent accidental poisonings and pollution.

Learn more at the link in bio.

3 0
Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18057445667549008
Just in time for DEA National Takeback Day on October 25, Unwanted Meds now has an interactive step-by-step guide that walks users through how to properly dispose of different types of medicine. Users can also find two new educational brochures designed to help veterinarians, pet owners, and livestock farmers prevent accidental poisonings and pollution.Learn more at the link in bio.
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