Virginia Friedman, a seventh-grade science teacher at Abington Friends School, will join the staff of the Pennsylvania Sea Grant’s Center for Great Lakes Literacy (CGLL) to work aboard a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency research vessel on Lake Michigan from July 7-13.

Through a partnership with the EPA’s Great Lakes National Program Office and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and with funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, educators will spend a full week alongside researchers aboard the R/V Lake Guardian.

Friedman is one of 15 educators from Great Lakes states embarking on the journey, which is designed to engage 5th-12th-grade educators, forge lasting relationships among Great Lakes researchers and educators, and to provide educators with resources to integrate the Great Lakes into their classrooms and other learning environments.

“I am excited by the chance to learn new skills and concepts and share my Great Lakes experiences with my students,” Friedman said. “My teaching philosophy is grounded in the idea that we learn best by doing. I love teaching middle school because students begin to see themselves as active members of society, and they are eager for opportunities to be engaged participants. Connecting with researchers and other educators will make my teaching more impactful. It’s also important for students to see their teachers as students, since our goal is for them to be life-long learners.”

CGLL is a collaborative effort led by Sea Grant educators throughout the U.S. Great Lakes watershed. CGLL fosters informed and responsible decisions that advance basin-wide stewardship by providing hands-on experiences, educational resources, and networking opportunities promoting Great Lakes literacy among an engaged community of educators, scientists, and youth.

Learn more about the Great Lakes Shipboard Science Immersion experience from Pennsylvania Sea Grant.