GVSU receives $200K grant to fund K-12 hands-on learning about Grand River watershed

Grand Valley State University recently received a $200,000 grant to fund place-based learning that will teach K-12 students about the environmental issues facing the Grand River watershed. The grant comes from the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative, part of the Great Lakes Fishery Trust.

"The Grand River watershed covers almost all of Kent County," says Jaymes Pyne, interim Hub director of the project. "What we do in Kent County affects the towns along the Grand River between Grand Rapids and Grand Haven, Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes region as a whole. The outcome of the education is stewardship of the Grand River watershed, and, by association, the Great Lakes watershed."

The initial program is geared for teachers of 6th through 12th grades. Pairs of teachers from each school learn:

• The environmental issues of the watershed.
• How to conduct place-based learning for students to have meaningful hands-on experiences.
• How to set up a project connected to their curriculum.
• How to get funding.

The program connects teachers with community partners – nonprofits, businesses, universities and local governments, Pyne says. To-date, more than 30 partners are onboard.

"We don't want to see a class going to a creek and doing a cleanup day," Pyne says. "Let's say a teacher finds out chemicals are killing the fish in a creek. The classroom invites in community partners with expertise in the area. They determine what the issue is and what to do about it. The class could start a campaign to educate the community, and do a pre- and post-campaign study on community awareness and present that to the school board."

Aquinas College will conduct a needs assessment to determine the biggest factors affecting the watershed. Another partner is the Lower Grand River Watershed Council.

Ten Kent County schools, including Kent City High School and Englishville Alternative High School in Sparta, will participate.

Source: Jaymes Pyne, Grand Valley State University College of Education

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].