Michigan Tech supports the professional development of K–12 educators through summer teacher institutes, or courses designed to enhance the content knowledge of practicing teachers; institutes focused on the Great Lakes are listed below. The credits earned may be applied toward Michigan’s continuing-education requirement for teacher certification renewal, and many of these courses serve as electives in the Master of Science in Applied Science Education curriculum.
Great Lakes Watershed Investigations
This institute is designed to teach educators about the physical, chemical, and biological components of the Great Lakes ecosystem using Lake Superior as the classroom. The five-day course will enhance the ability of educators to teach about Great Lakes topics including watershed dynamics, stream and lake assessments, amphibian monitoring, coastal wetlands, environmental stewardship, building school community partnerships, and environmental careers. Activities include collecting data aboard the RV Agassiz, analyzing data in the lab, interacting with research scientists, and visiting streams, wetlands, and stewardship project sites.
