When students have opportunities to learn more about aquatic science, technology, and science careers, it helps create a Great Lakes literate population. Students who can collect and analyze real water-quality data with actual equipment used by scientists in the field are especially well served.

Along with the EPA Great Lakes National Program Office, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant coordinates the Limno Loan program that allows educators to borrow Hydrolabs for classroom and field use—this equipment is used by scientists to monitor water quality. Educators also have access to resources and in-person training and in 2024, we offered data-sharing and visualization workshops for 13 educators. We joined with BSCS Science Learning and FieldScope to develop these advanced learning opportunities.

In 2025, 19 educators borrowed a Hydrolab, reaching 684 students. All but one of these educators were repeat clients and five created or enhanced classroom lessons to incorporate Hydrolab opportunities. Nearly all educators (92%) reported integrating Great Lakes content into their curriculum, and nine spent extra time teaching about aquatic science because of the Hydrolab—from 1 day to 5 weeks. Since 2011, 104 educators and over 16,000 students have engaged with the Limno Loan program.