Vision
To develop a Great Lakes-literate public capable of effectively contributing to the environmental, economic and social sustainability of the Great Lakes.
The Center for Great Lakes Literacy (CGLL) is a collaborative effort led by Sea Grant educators throughout the Great Lakes watershed. The Center fosters informed and responsible decisions that advance basin-wide stewardship by providing hands-on experiences, educational resources and networking opportunities that promote Great Lakes literacy among an engaged community of educators, scientists and citizens.
Signature CGLL Offerings
- Annual Great Lakes Shipboard Science workshops that connect educators with scientists aboard the EPA’s R/V Lake Guardian;
- Webinars and social media postings featuring pressing Great Lakes issues;
- Land-based watershed workshops that facilitate strong community-school partnerships resulting in action-oriented Great Lakes stewardship and restoration activities; Great Lakes Awareness Day events for the public at prominent educational institutions—aquariums, zoos, museums, etc.;
- Limno Loan Program for Hydrolab water quality monitoring equipment;
- Educator Day at the International Association for Great Lakes Research Conference;
- Citizen science and other volunteer activities that create opportunities for adults to become involved in watershed restoration.
The Great Lakes Sea Grant Network has long taken a leadership role in increasing opportunities for educators, their students, and others to learn more about and be- come better stewards of the Great Lakes environment.
CGLL’s Specialized Programming
- Fosters new interactions between educators and Great Lakes scientists.
- Offers hands-on field activities and continued support from Sea Grant education staff.
- Helps teachers become more confident with their own knowledge levels, thereby increasing the likelihood of them incorporating Great Lakes ecosystem information into their curricula.
- Underscores the critical role played by teachers in preparing the next generation of informed citizens.
- Results in new community stewardship activities developed by students and facilitated by CGLL teacher participants.
- Many of the CGLL programs originated from the Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) Great Lakes, which was funded for five years by the National Science Foundation and NOAA-Sea Grant and connected over 2,000 educators to 400 scientists. While continuing these successful programs, CGLL is broadening its efforts to sustain and expand its community of practice to a larger network of Great Lakes educators, scientists, and citizen science groups who will become committed to stewardship of our greatest freshwater resource.