The global freshwater crisis and the stressed Great Lakes ecosystem underscore the importance of the Inland Seas Education Association's mission of education and stewardship.
ISEA is not an “advocacy” organization, although we do advocate an in-depth understanding of these problems as essential if we are to create a critical mass of informed, concerned citizens.
Solutions, we believe, will come from an educated public and the next generation of Great Lakes scientists. Inspiring those scientists and encouraging stewardship of the Great Lakes continues to define the mission of Inland Seas Education Association.
What is our mission?
To use shipboard and onshore experiential educational programs to:
1. inspire young people to pursue academic interests related to the Great lakes, particularly the sciences, and
2. enhance public understanding and stewardship of the Great Lakes and global freshwater systems.
What is our philosophy?
We cherish the Earth and care about the future of its life-giving freshwater. We seek to instill this sense of stewardship by experiencing nature first-hand. Because people learn best by doing, all of the programs offered by ISEA are experience-based.
Our approach is inquiry based, which means the participant is challenged to ask questions and then seek answers. Since everything is related and interconnected, ISEA provides experiences that show the connections among academic disciplines, as well as connections between what is learned and how it can be applied in everyday life.
What kinds of programs do we offer?
ISEA offers a wide variety of shipboard and shore-side education programs focused on freshwater science and stewardship.
Schoolship Programs: ISEA's Schoolship Program is an award-winning half-day program for schools and other groups. Through the Schoolship Program, ISEA reinforces important science benchmarks of the Michigan Curriculum Framework at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Some social studies benchmarks are also addressed. Students become "scientists for the day" while investigating the workings of the Great Lakes ecosystem. During the summer months we offer a similar Family Ecology Sail, designed for parents, grandparents and kids sailing and learning together. Similar programs are also offered aboard our classic Friendship sloopLiberty.
Invasive Species Programs: ISEA has developed field courses for teachers, teens, news media, lake associations, and environmental professionals from throughout the Great Lakes watershed. Invasive species education now includes a series of interactive exhibits which are open to the public at the Inland Seas Education Center.
Summer Youth Programs:ISEA offers a wide range of programs for youth during the summer months, including Invasive Species Field Course for High School Students, Young Women in Science, and Science and Sailing Day Camp (2 days aboard Liberty).
Great Lakes Discovery Programs: Discovery Programs at the Inland Seas Education Center are one to five days in length and include hands-on aquatic science activities for learners of all ages. Family Science Friday programs are held Friday afternoons during the summer and involve the whole family in Great Lakes experiences at the Inland Seas Education Center.
Wetland Programs: In 2006 ISEA completed its Wetland Demonstration Project. We restored the shoreline and constructed a natural stormwater treatment system based on a coastal wetland. Wetland education programs are available for schools, professional groups and land owners. Informal Wetland Walks are offered on Wednesday evenings during June and July.
Custom ProgramsISEA can custom tailor an onboard or Center program for your class, business, youth or church group, neighborhood, of family gathering. Contact the office of details.
Who are our customers?
At the conclusion of the 2009 sailing season ISEA counted more than 83,000 students of all ages who had participated in Inland Seas’ shipboard educational programs since our founding in 1989. They have come from over 140 communities throughout the state of Michigan and the Great Lakes Basin. We have also engaged participants from a dozen other countries.
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