Teachers interested in learning more about Great Lakes and marine science education are invited to apply to be a part of the 2009 Lake Erie Exploration Workshop, to be held July 18-24, 2009. Sponsored by the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) Great Lakes, the workshop will begin at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center in Erie, PA, and then travel along the coast, ending at Ohio State University’s F.T. Stone Laboratory in Put-in-Bay, OH.

The week will give educators a chance to make connections with scientists working at the forefront of Lake Erie research. Hands-on experiences and inquiry-based learning will occur as educators study plankton and fish population dynamics, aquatic invasive species, Dead Zone expansion, evidence of geologic processes, and impacts of climate change, coastal development and pollution on the Lake Erie ecosystem. Trips on research vessels in Lake Erie’s Western Basin and in kayaks or canoes through lagoons near Presque Isle, as well shoreline excursions to Painesville Township Park, Old Woman Creek Reserve, and Kelley’s Island, will help participants bring the science of Lake Erie to their classrooms.

"The Lake Erie Exploration Workshop will be an excellent opportunity for both classroom and informal educators to experience first hand how the sciences are interconnected in studies of the Great Lakes and oceans," explains Rosanne Fortner, Director of COSEE Great Lakes. "We’ll have research scientists in geologic processes, ecosystems, climate, and hydrology on hand to involve the educators in their data collection and interpretation. Every day will bring new opportunities to engage in hands-on, feet-in learning."

Participation is open to 4th-10th grade teachers as well as non-formal educators. Fifteen teachers will be selected from around the Great Lakes; each will receive a $500 stipend upon completion of workshop requirements. Deadline for application is April 10, 2009.

More information, including application requirements, can be found at coseegreatlakes.net/events/leew .

COSEE Great Lakes, supported by the National Science Foundation’s Division of Ocean Sciences and NOAA’s National Sea Grant Program Office, works to promote the development of effective partnerships between research scientists and educators, disseminate Great Lakes/ocean science information, and foster best practices for education about the ocean sciences as they apply to the Great Lakes region.