$200K grant funds Lake Superior education

The Daily Mining Gazette - Published: Friday, February 29, 2008

CAPTION: Kurt Hauglie/Daily Mining Gazette

The Gardeners Creek Nature Trail in the C-L-K School Forest is seen in Calumet Township Tuesday afternoon. The Western Upper Peninsula Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education this week received a $200,000 grant from the Great Lakes Fishery Trust to create a hub for the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative.

By GARRETT NEESE, DMG Writer

HOUGHTON — Local students, teachers and community groups will be doing more in the Lake Superior watershed after a $200,000 grant from the Great Lakes Fishery Trust.

The Western Upper Peninsula Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education received the grant to create a hub for the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative that will partner 12 Copper Country schools with 15 community organizations in Houghton and Baraga counties.

Joan Chadde, education director for the center, said programs will vary from having guest presenters come into the classroom to community organizations collaborating on projects.

Some projects already have a history, such as Calumet High School’s partnership with Calumet Township on the C-L-K School Forest, or the Michigan Nature Association’s partnership with Jeffers High School at the Robert T. Brown Teaching Sanctuary. Others are just coming into focus.

Last week, representatives from Plum Creek Timber spent two hours in L’Anse’s school forest to identify the boundaries and scout potential locations for trails. The Village of L’Anse, which owns land adjacent to the forest, is “really excited” about shared trails for cross country skiing and hiking, Chadde said.

“It’s a more accessible teaching school for the school; for the community it’s a more accessible recreational opportunity for village residents,” Chadde said. “So it’s those kind of win-win projects that we hope this grant is going to help make happen.”

In another project, Hancock High School is creating a natural resources class. Some grant money will be used to purchase bicycles, which students will ride to locations such as the Paavola Wetlands Preserves or Maasto Hiihto.

“The students are going to get to know their community, and they’re going to have a form of transportation that’s healthy, and it’s not going to cost the district money to go outside and learn,” Chadde said.

Last week, 10 schools and community groups met to exchange ideas. There will also be a “dinner and dialogue” putting teachers together with community organizations at Hesterberg Hall at Michigan Technological University on Monday, at which Chadde hopes to have more than three dozen schools and community organizations.

It will resemble a speed dating night, with groups getting two minutes to say what their needs are and how they can meet the other group’s need, Chadde said.

“An overriding theme of this is that the community is a classroom, and we want to facilitate students having access to that classroom and having real-world experiences,” Chadde said.

“We like to make the statement that students are valued resources in their community, and we’d like them to be able to serve in that capacity.”

For more information about the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative, visit http://www.wupcenter.mtu.edu/lssi.

Garrett Neese can be reached at gneese@mininggazette.com