Center for Great Lakes Literacy

The vision of the CGLL is to develop a Great Lakes-literate public capable of effectively contributing to the environmental, economic and social sustainability of the Great Lakes.

The Center for Great Lakes Literacy (CGLL) is a collaborative effort led by Sea Grant educators from Minnesota Sea Grant and other Sea Grant programs throughout the Great Lakes watershed. The Center fosters informed and responsible decisions that advance basin-wide stewardship by providing hands-on experiences, educational resources and networking opportunities that promote Great Lakes literacy among an engaged community of educators, scientists and citizens.

CGLL offers:

• Annual Great Lakes Shipboard Science workshops that connect educators with scientists aboard the EPA’s R/V Lake Guardian;
• Webinars and social media postings featuring pressing Great Lakes issues;
• Land-based watershed workshops that facilitate strong community-school partnerships resulting in action-oriented Great Lakes stewardship and restoration activities; Great Lakes Awareness Day events for the public at prominent educational institutions—aquariums, zoos, museums, etc.;
• Limno Loan Program for Hydrolab water quality monitoring equipment;
• Educator Day at the International Association for Great Lakes Research Conference;
• Citizen science and other volunteer activities that create opportunities for adults to become involved in watershed restoration.

The Great Lakes Sea Grant Network has long taken a leadership role in increasing opportunities for educators, their students, and others to learn more about and be- come better stewards of the Great Lakes environment.

As a one of the Great Lakes Sea Grant programs, Minnesota Sea Grant is a member of the CGLL.

In July and August, 2020, the CGLL hosted Trimming our Sails: Land-Based Virtual Workshops about the Great Lakes and Inland Waters Workshops for Minnesota and Wisconsin Educators.

The CGLL seeks to engage teachers and educators from throughout the Great Lakes region.

Financial support for the CGLL comes primarily from grants.

"I read the newsletters from CGLL and plan to stay on top of opportunities through Sea Grant with the hope of being available for more next year. The educational opportunities with CGLL and Sea Grant are really top notch!"

Nichole Kotasek
Secondary / HS Advisor, Science Advisor
New Country School
Henderson, MN