Connecting Schools and Communities in the stewardship of Lake Superior and its Watershed
The Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative (LSSI) brings together schools and community partners to prepare K-12 students to become knowledgeable citizens concerned about the Lake Superior watershed and actively engaged in stewardship projects in their community. The desired outcome of the LSSI is the institutionalization of place-based education in partner schools and the implementation of watershed stewardship projects by schools and community partners, enhancing the health of the Great Lakes through public engagement in local stewardship efforts, with a goal of long-term sustainability.
The LSSI is part of a statewide Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (GLSI) launched by the Great Lakes Fishery Trust. The LSSI is jointly housed within the Copper Country Intermediate School District and the Great Lakes Research Center.
Within Houghton, Baraga, Keweenaw, Gogebic, and Ontonagon Counties the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative engages over:
- 20 Schools
- 3,250 Students
- 75 Teachers
- 50+ Community Partners
For more information, or to get involved, contact info@LakeSuperiorStewardship.org.
Professional Learning for Educators and Community Partners
LSSI focuses on the goal of building capacity in each of our school-community teams by promoting teacher leadership, increasing teacher participation in each school teams’ efforts, and enabling the members’ ownership of their professional learning. LSSI provides a variety of professional learning opportunities in a range of formats such as initiative-wide workshops, professional learning communities at the school level, and school/community events such as Dinner and Dialogues and the Green Film series. The content of these offerings are based on needs expressed by teachers through online surveys given at regular intervals.
For upcoming opportunities visit the LSSI News & Events page.
School-Community Teams to Address Stewardship Needs
Since 2008, school-community teams comprised of students, teachers, administrators, and community partners (non-profit organizations, government agencies, units of government) have designed and conducted stewardship projects responsive to local community stewardship needs, supportive of the school curriculum, and have facilitated communication within their community. To explore LSSI stewardship projects visit the LSSI Lake Superior Celebration page.
Community Partners
Community Partners are crucial to the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative. Partners from non-profit organizations, government agencies, institutions of higher education, and business contribute their time, knowledge, and resources to nurture professional support within each stewardship project.
To learn more, or to become a partner, visit the LSSI Community Partner page or contact info@LakeSuperiorStewardship.org.
K-12 educators explore Buffalo Reef on MTU’s RV Agassiz as part of a professional learning institute about mining waste in the Keweenaw.
Students take measurements in their schoolyard as part of their project “What’s Snow Interesting about the Keweenaw?”.
K-12 educators, community partners, and local youth participate in a summer institute on the impacts of climate change at the KBIC Debweyendan Indigenous garden in L’Anse, MI.
Local students participate in LSSI’s Wonders of the Watershed event in Houghton, MI. Community partners, such as the Keweenaw National Historical Park featured here, shared current issues impacting the Lake Superior watershed and how students could become stewards of our place.