Your Gateway to Great Lakes Education and Engagement

Waves rolling along the shoreline just before sunset. Logo for the Center for Great Lakes Literacy and the website cgll.org

News and Updates

December | 2024


Welcome New CGLL Team Member


In October 2024, Minnesota Sea Grant welcomed Dr. Heidi Ferris as their new Environmental Literacy & Workforce Development Extension Educator. With over 25 years of teaching experience, Heidi will support educators and community stakeholders through innovative enviroSTEM programs. We're thrilled to have her on the team!


Meet Heidi

Great Lakes Literacy

Featured Principle


The eight Great Lakes Literacy Principles provide a framework of knowledge to guide an understanding of the Great Lakes’ influences on you and your influence on the Great Lakes.


Principle 2: Natural forces formed the Great Lakes; the lakes continue to shape the features of their watershed.


Dive into all the literacy principles


Sea Grant Related News:


New guide to help Michigan communities address shoreline armoring along coastline Explore guide now


Mapping the sand on Chicago beaches and in nearshore waters provides management insights

Find out what they learned

Freshwater plankton with text that reads: New and Improved GLLee.

Updated Modules & New Topics

A Great Lakes Literacy education exploration, or GLLee for short, is a free, asynchronous 3-hour learning opportunity for educators to support youth engagement with a Great Lakes literacy focus. The modules provide vetted resources with a focus on stewardship, hands-on learning, and career spotlights.


Current topics include:

  • Aquatic Invasive Species
  • Climate Literacy
  • Coastal Erosion
  • Freshwater Mussels
  • Habitat Restoration
  • Plankton


Join the GLLee community

Educator Opportunities

Photo Credit: Michigan Sea Grant

Basin-wide

Share Your Invasive Species Teaching Insights

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and the Coastal & Great Lakes Social Science Lab at Purdue University are seeking focus group participants. They are looking for people who are:


  • Formal or non-formal educators who have taught about invasive species
  • 18+ years old
  • In the Great Lakes region
  • Willing to share their experiences, techniques, and insights on the topic of invasive species education to enrich future educators


Participation is voluntary and anonymous, and the entire experience takes about ~1-2 hours. Participants will receive $50 as a thank-you for their time.


Got invasive species insights? Apply to share your expertise


Questions? Please contact Dr. Stuart Carlton

A mass of rusty crayfish.

Photo Credit: Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

Basin-wide

Crayfish in the Classroom? Share your Experience

Researchers at Purdue University and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant are studying the motivations of teachers using live crayfish in classrooms. They are interviewing science teachers in grades 3 – 12 who have used live crayfish in their classes.


Interviews last 1 hour and are conducted online or over the phone. You will receive a $40 Venmo payment or check for your time.


Clawing to learn more? Sign up here


If you have any questions about the interview or study, you can contact Izzy Paulsen, or Dr. Stuart Carlton.

Illustration of a girl with a dress that looks like water flowing among lily pads and flowers.

Basin-wide

Maad (Maadagindan) Book Club

Who: Teachers, parents, and librarians in the Great Lakes region.


What: Monthly book group focused on Ojibwe Culture and the Great Lakes, featuring discussions with Ojibwe honored guests.


When: Monthly


Email Anne Moser to join the email list.

READ ON
A female duck and ducklings swimming through a waterbody.

Photo Credit: Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

Minnesota

Apply for Mini-Grants Up to $600 for Great Lakes Literacy Projects!

Who: Minnesota K-12 educators, both formal and non-formal.


What: Apply to the 2024-2025 MNSG Educator Mini-Grant Program to receive up to $600 for projects that promote Great Lakes literacy and stewardship.


When: The priority application deadline has passed, but rolling applications will be accepted if funds remain. Please contact minnesota@cgll.education with your inquiries.

Youth Opportunities

Illustration of the tools and tanks needed for the Aquaculture.  Text that reads Aquaculture Challenge.

Basin-wide

Aquaculture Challenge: Team Registration Open 

Who: 8th-12th graders enrolled in school or extracurricular teams.


What: The Aquaculture Challenge, a hands-on STEM competition to create small-scale aquaponics systems.


Where: Sponsored by schools or after-school organizations (e.g., 4-H, FFA).


When: Application deadline is January 10, 2025.


Email Elliot Nelson or call 906-322-0353 for more information. 

SIGN UP YOUR TEAM

Educational Resources

Holiday theme card with an illustration of the planet earth and a satellite. Text that reads, Hoping your Holidays are Out of this World.

NOAA Education Resources

Explore a wealth of educational resources with NOAA's Education webpage! Whether you're a formal or non-formal educator, student, or lifelong learner, you'll find engaging materials on topics like weather, climate, the oceans, the Great Lakes, and more.


What: Interactive lessons, activities, and professional development opportunities designed to inspire and educate. 

DIVE IN
 Text and Logos that read Leadership and support for the Center for Great Lakes Literacy are provided by: Great Lakes Sea Grant Network, The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Bay Watershed Education and Training Program.

Center for Great Lakes Literacy programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national or ethnic origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, or veteran status.

 

For accessibility concerns or issues with this virtual resource, please contact admin@cgll.education.