GREAT LAKES STEWARDSHIP INITIATIVE

GLSI provides programmatic services and technical assistance to schools, school districts, community organizations, and other partners via its central organization and its network of six regional hubs. The Place-Based Education Institute and related programs and services support teachers throughout Michigan, the Great Lakes region, and beyond with immersive professional development and project support using GLSIs model of Place-Based Stewardship Education. In 2023-24, GLSI launched a free online community platform, The Place Space, and a virtual program delivery model to increase access to the institute and related services to teachers throughout Michigan, the Great Lakes region, and beyond. In 2023-24, GLSI served more than 180 educators with these program offerings and successfully piloted the virtual iteration of its Place-Based Education Institute with a statewide cohort of 30 classroom teachers, resulting in more than 870 teacher contact hours

GLSI took the lead role in developing, launching, and coordinating the Michigan Children & Nature Coalition. One of the first of its kind, this statewide initiative was launched to bring together stakeholders from throughout the state of Michigan engaged in, or supportive of, the many facets of connecting children and nature, from nature-based play and learning, to outdoor recreation, to community health, to environmental stewardship. The primary aim of the coalition is to drive systemic increases to youth access to, and engagement with, nature and outdoor spaces through increased statewide collaboration and expanded programming, as well as supportive local- and state-level policy and funding. During its first year, the coalition grew to more than 125 organizations, schools, and community groups, held a statewide summit, adopted program and policy priority areas,