Gibraltar Island, OH College and high school students, as well as educators, natural resource managers, and the general public still have time to apply for summer classes at Stone Lab, Ohio State’s Island Campus on Lake Erie. 25 different courses and workshops offer an opportunity for new experiences and continuing education, and all classes get students out into the field to experience lake science up close.
Introductory science courses like Aquatic Biology allow college and advanced high school students to earn two semester credits in a week while interacting with some of the country’s leading researchers. As with all Stone Lab classes, field trips and outside lessons are an important part of the learning experience.
“The class was nothing like a regular class”? says Jack Gaskins, a high school senior who took Aquatic Biology last summer. “There was some lecturing, but there were more hands-on field trips and labs that really kept my interest. It was a great way to apply what we learned in the classroom to all of the different locations we visited.”?
One-week or five-week advanced classes give upper-level students a chance to explore a topic in depth while being immersed in the Stone Lab field experience. Classes like Field Ecology, taught by Defiance College’s Dr. Doug Kane, get college students into the field at mainland and island locations to collect specimens and learn about the local environments first-hand.
Week-long courses specifically tailored for teachers and informal educators focus on teaching Great Lakes science through hands-on projects and inquiry-based learning. These courses offer academic credit, but can also be taken as a workshop for non-credit contact hours. Educators are also welcome to apply to any of the other classes offered.
In addition to academic courses, non-credit workshops in fish sampling and algae identification allow the general public to catch a glimpse of Lake Erie science, and some may be taken for EPA contact hours. Stone Lab’s Outdoor Photography Workshop focuses on improving students’ digital photography skills to help them move from snapshots to truly stunning nature photography. Some of last year’s photos can be seen at flic.kr/s/aHsjCzfUfx.
This summer’s courses are listed at stonelab.osu.edu/courses, and applications are available at stonelab.osu.edu/applynow. Courses are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so all applicants are encouraged to submit their application by March 19. Those enrolled in for-credit courses are also eligible for tuition assistance; college students and educators need to submit scholarship applications by March 8, high school scholarship applications are due March 19. More information is available at stonelab.osu.edu/costs/aid.
Located on the 6.5-acre Gibraltar Island in Put-in-Bay harbor, Stone Laboratory is Ohio State’s Island Campus on Lake Erie and the research, education, and outreach facility of the Ohio Sea Grant College Program. Established in 1895, Stone Lab is the oldest freshwater biological field station in the United States and the center of Ohio State University’s teaching and research on Lake Erie. For more information, visit stonelab.osu.edu.
Contact
Arleen Pineda, Stone Laboratory Columbus Office, 614.292.8949, stonelab@osu.edu