It is becoming apparent that teachers are looking to the Sea Grant curriculum materials to meet the new Ohio Standards for science education, since our Earth system basis is so interdisciplinary and our methodologies so in tune with the methods advocated for learning about the nature of science. It is time to train new people to carry the work of Ohio Sea Grant Education to the schools, and the identification of Fellows in a rigorous application system will make the first steps in this direction.

• NR 694: [Group Studies] Development of Digital Alternatives for Great Lakes Curriculum. In this course advanced undergraduates and MS/PhD graduate students with skills in internet and powerpoint development will be assisted by the PI and GRA to change Ohio Sea Grant's popular game format curriculum materials into on-line learning modules. The PI has worked with numerous teachers in development of digital game-based learning materials, and will apply proven techniques in teaching others these skills.

High touch. The remainder of the proposal provided for the development of a Teacher Fellowship program that attracted 11 master teachers into at least 3 weeks of hands-on science learning at F.T. Stone Laboratory each summer in the project years. The teachers all participated in one course together in their first year, the Great Lakes Education Workshop, enhanced by the digital materials. They were also able to select 7 or more additional credits during their summer(s), since full-time tuition was covered by the project. Assistance with the course tuition and other costs assured that the teacher-leaders would encounter Sea Grant's education facilities and opportunities. The teachers were personally assisted by the PI and encouraged to become involved as leaders of Sea Grant education efforts during the years following their Fellowship.

 The High Tech components of the grant allowed 12 teachers to learn how to develop electronic versions of hard-copy curriculum materials, a skill that several have used beyond the scope of the project. The materials they developed in the course at Stone Lab became parts of two online courses offered by The Ohio State University from Autumn 2006 through Spring 2008. The courses used Ohio Sea Grant curriculum materials, National and Regional Sea Grant internet resources, and Lake Erie examples for learning about Life in the Great Lakes and Great Lakes Environmental Issues. Several online participants reported that they subsequently went to Stone Lab for field experiences as well, so that accomplished a major project goal.

Eleven Teacher Fellowships were awarded, over three summers while funds remained. The teachers used their summer Stone Lab experience [the High Touch part of the program] in Masters programs, as personal enrichment, as ways to attract other colleagues to Stone Lab, and to enhance their own curricula. In the years following their Fellowship, we supported the teachers to make Stone Lab presentations at teacher organizations and to represent Ohio Sea Grant Education in formal meetings of educators.