Tabby McLain, an educator from Indiana, will join Center for Great Lakes Literacy (CGLL) staff and Great Lakes scientists to work aboard an EPA research vessel for a week and bring Great Lakes knowledge and information back to her classroom! The expedition is July 7-13, 2026.
McLain teaches 6th-grade and 7th-grade science at Eman Schools in Fishers, Indiana. She said she was drawn to the Shipboard Science Immersion by the opportunity to expand her students’ perspective on the natural world around them.
“I really value opportunities to go out and do real, new things and to have authentic experiences where I can use the knowledge and skills from my classroom in ways that positively impact the world around us. I can bring stories and pictures back to my classroom and show my students that what we’re learning matters and how they can use it to make a difference in their own communities,” she said.
McLain also added, “My school is in central Indiana, and I’m excited to come back next year with new ways to help my students connect with the Great Lakes and understand their importance, even though they don’t see them every day.”
Through a partnership with the EPA Great Lakes National Program Office, NOAA, and with funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, educators will spend a full week alongside scientists aboard the EPA R/V Lake Guardian. Hosts for the Lake Superior expedition are CGLL partners Minnesota Sea Grant, Wisconsin Sea Grant and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant. Sea Grant programs are supported by the National Sea Grant College Program and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The Shipboard Science Immersions are designed to promote Great Lakes science while forging lasting relationships between Great Lakes scientists and educators. CGLL is a collaborative effort led by Sea Grant educators throughout the U.S. Great Lakes watershed. 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 2026 Shipboard Science Immersions visit the Center for Great Lakes Literacy website.
