Teachers professional development workshop in Buffalo-Lewiston to focus on Great Lakes

Presented by New York Sea Grant and Center for Great Lakes Literacy

Submitted by the New York Sea Grant

New York Sea Grant and the Center for Great Lakes Literacy have announced 20 teachers and educators representing 17 school districts and organizations will participate in the first of five professional development workshops focused on New York's unique Great Lakes' ecosystem, species and climate. The workshop will be held July 18-19 in the Buffalo and Lewiston areas. Workshop activities will be centered on the microscopic world of plankton and its vital role in the aquatic food chain. Participants will learn how to collect samples and identify plankton from area waterways, including the Niagara River and Lake Erie.

On day 1, the group will work with professor Coleen Edwards, a Faculty Fellow at the Golisano Center for Integrated Sciences at Niagara University, to practice collecting plankton along the Niagara River shoreline. Participants will apply educational experiments for use with their classes.

On day 2, the Great Lakes plankton workshop participants will board the Miss Buffalo tour boat of Buffalo Harbor Cruises to collect plankton samples from Buffalo's Outer Harbor. The group will collaborate in a work session with New York Sea Grant Great Lakes literacy specialist Nate Drag on how to integrate the topic of Great Lakes plankton into their curricula and lesson plans.

Each participant in this two-day workshop will receive a continuing education certificate, a plankton net, digital microscope, and lesson plans.

"The goal of New York Sea Grant professional development programming is to equip teachers and educators with the knowledge, through hands-on learning, and resources to develop and implement lessons and curricula plans focused on the unique Great Lakes ecosystem and species," Drag said.

New York Sea Grant will hold four more workshops held in August with different Great Lakes topics, including climate change adaptation and coastal resiliency. Those workshops will be led with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as part of New York's Great Lakes ecosystem education exchange program. Locations include Dunkirk, Sodus Point, Fair Haven and Blasdell.

To learn more about New York Sea Grant's Great Lakes literacy programming, resources, and professional development training, contact Drag at [email protected], 716-673-6612.

New York Sea Grant is a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York, with a statewide network of integrated research, education, and extension services promoting coastal community resiliency and economic vitality, environmental sustainability, and public awareness of New York state's Great Lakes and marine resources.

More information

Currently pre-registered (subject to unforeseen change) for the July 18-19 workshop are teachers and educators from Buffalo Public Schools, East Aurora, North Tonawanda, Williamsville, Kenmore, Niagara Wheatfield, Cattaraugus-Little Valley, Harley School, Ellicottville, Roy Hart, Instituto Health Sciences Career Academy, PTech, Iroquois, Wilson, Rochester Museum and Science Center, French Road and Liverpool.

New York Sea Grant offers educational curricula and lessons, including resources on reducing plastic pollution, Great Lakes connections to the Underground Railroad, and the unique lake sturgeon fishery. Learn more at https://nyseagrant.info/2024GLEEESummerWorkshops.

The Center for Great Lakes Literacy is a collaborative effort led by Sea Grant professionals from throughout the Great Lakes watershed to foster informed and responsible stewardship of the Great Lakes Basin. Visit www.cgll.org.

New York's Great Lakes ecosystem education exchange is administered by New York Sea Grant and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, partnering with educators in New York's Great Lakes watershed to develop experiential environmental education programs focused on Great Lakes Literacy Principles and stewardship. Visit www.nyseagrant.org/gleee.