The Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative is one of the most comprehensive place-based education programs in the country. I’m completely impressed with how the program directors have devised strategies that simultaneously increase student engagement, improve academic achievement, and contribute to the improvement of environmental quality in the Great Lakes’ ecosystems. It’s like feeding a whole flock of birds with one hand." - David Sobel, Center for Place-based Education, Antioch New England Institute
Accomplished link
Since 2007, more than 1,000 teachers and 98,000 students have participated in place-based stewardship education supported by the GLSI. In 2015-16, we offered 15,985 K-12 students from 108 schools the chance to engage in robust, inquiry-based projects that drew on the expertise and resources of community-based organizations. Many of these schools have worked with the GLSI for several years and are fielding increasingly sophisticated projects of great value to their communities.
Documented positive impacts on students include: an improved ability to use STEM practices, enhanced civic capacity, gains in skills related to teamwork and collaboration, learning gains on environmental issues that are a focus of place-based stewardship education projects.
Hubs regularly draw on local STEM professionals, who share heir expertise during field- or classroom-based interactions with students or during professional development sessions/consultations with teachers. STEM professionals also help design place-based stewardship projects, provide access to sites, materials, equipment, or data, for students’ projects.
Options for investment include: funding a place-based stewardship project ($500-$2,500); offering a teacher scholarship for a GLSI summer institute ($400); sponsoring the GLSI’s annual Place-based Education Conference ($500 basic sponsorship-$10,000 key sponsorship); supporting a regional, public showcase, where students communicate the results and impact of their projects ($1,000-$3,000).
Major Funders
Great Lakes Fishery Trust
Wege Foundation
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
NOAA B-WET Program
Frey Foundation
Other Partners
Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan
Copper Country Intermediate School District
Eastern Michigan University
Grand Valley State University
Inland Seas Education Association
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Michigan Department of Education
Michigan State University
Michigan Technological University
Muskegon Area Intermediate School District
Superior Watershed Partnership
University of Michigan–Flint
The programs in this database clear a high bar. STEMworks reviewed each program against the Design Principles for Effective STEM Philanthropy.
Identify and target a compelling and well-defined need.
Use rigorous evaluation to continuously measure and inform progress towards the compelling need identified.
Ensure work is sustainable.
Demonstrate replicability and scalability.
Create high impact partnerships
Ensure organizational capacity to achieve goals.
Offer challenging and relevant STEM content for the target audience
Incorporate and encourage STEM practices.
Inspire interest and engagement in STEM.
Identify and address the needs of under-represented groups.