The Shipboard Science Immersion brings educators aboard the EPA R/V Lake Guardian to work alongside scientists for a week. Apply for the 2026 Shipboard Science Immersion on Lake Superior by February 28, 2026. 

2026 Program Details

Who: 5-12th-grade teachers and non-formal* educators in the Great Lakes states of IL, IN, MI, MN, NY, OH, PA, and WI.

*Non-formal educators should be engaged in environmental education programming at an institution or organization, such as an aquarium, nature center or relevant non-profit organization.

What: Three investigations will take place during the week focused on:

• Photochemistry and light, and how water color and incoming light affect water chemistry and where photosynthesis happens;
  
• Presence and abundance of two important food sources for fish–Diporeia (benthic amphipod) and Mysis (migratory zooplankton)–between the nearshore and offshore zones;
  
• Vertical distribution of zooplankton community over changing light levels, and community composition from nearshore to offshore, as well as the influence of zooplankton availability and community composition on foraging larval fish.

Where: The ship will be on Lake Superior, departing from and returning to Duluth, MN.

When: July 7-13, 2026 (Tuesday – Monday)

Why: This unique experience provides an opportunity for educators to participate in ongoing Great Lakes science and monitoring, collaborate with scientists, establish relationships with other educators in Great Lakes states, and bring home Great Lakes educational resources to use with their learners.

The program is made possible through a partnership with the EPA Great Lakes National Program Office and NOAA, with funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Hosts for the Lake Superior 2026 Shipboard Science Immersion are CGLL partners including Minnesota Sea Grant, Wisconsin Sea Grant and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant educators.

For questions about the Lake Superior Shipboard Science Immersion program, contact Heidi Ferris with Minnesota Sea Grant at hferris@umn.edu.

Apply for the 2026 Shipboard Science Immersion on Lake Superior by February 28, 2026. 

Preparing for the Application

Before applying, you will need to have the following information ready and available:

• Name and email address of the person providing your letter of recommendation (See instructions in LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION section),
• Your work contact information,
• Your fields of certification/licensure and years of experience,
• Subjects and/or grade levels of your learners/audiences,
• Learner demographics.

When answering the PERSONAL STATEMENT questions, keep in mind how our 2026 science investigations focusing on photochemistry, light and food webs (including zooplankton, benthic organisms and larval fish) might benefit you as a professional. (1,200 character limit per question.)

• Share your experience integrating Great Lakes, ocean, and/or general aquatic science into your educational setting.
• Discuss any experience engaging students in stewardship and/or community science activities.
• Describe any experience incorporating scientific data into your educational setting.
• Share your leadership experience outside the classroom (especially related to science/environmental education).
• Describe past experiences demonstrating your enthusiasm and commitment for professional learning.
• Describe briefly how you plan to share/integrate your new knowledge to increase Great Lakes literacy in YOUR classroom or educational setting. (Highlight how this experience may take your educational programming to the next level.)
• Describe briefly how you plan to share/integrate your new knowledge to increase Great Lakes literacy BEYOND your classroom or educational setting.

The LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION should be from someone in your professional network who is familiar with your teaching. You will need to input the name and email address of the person writing this letter into this application. The letter should:

• Describe your quality of work with students/learners,
• Detail your experience collaborating with colleagues, and
• Highlight your role as an educational leader.

Submit the recommendation letter as a PDF via this form by February 28, 2026.

NOTE: The person writing this letter will need to be logged into Google (i.e., have a Gmail account) to access the application Google Form. If they do not have a Gmail account, please ask them to contact Heidi Ferris at hferris@umn.edu for assistance.