GLIN==> New Great Lakes Teaching Resource Goes Online

Alliance for the Great Lakes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE				
Monday, Sept. 28, 2009					    
   								
Contact: 
Todd Brennan 414-559-0317
Stephanie Smith 312-497-1049

New Great Lakes Teaching Resource Goes Online  

Wisconsin educators have a new go-to resource with the unveiling of the Wisconsin Great Lakes Education Clearinghouse network. 

The online Great Lakes clearinghouse adds a new dimension to a statewide website already rich in environmental information for teachers in this state:  Environmental Education in Wisconsin, at http://www.eeinwisconsin.org/.

“What I like most is that we are not reinventing the wheel,” said Todd Brennan, Wisconsin Outreach Coordinator with the Alliance for the Great Lakes. “We integrated the Great Lakes clearinghouse into an existing resource – EE in Wisconsin -- to enhance something educators were already using.”

“It’s one-stop shopping for environmental educators in this state,” he said. “The more we collaborate to use existing information infrastructure, the more time educators will have for teaching.”

The clearinghouse, funded by the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, provides Wisconsin educators with Great Lakes curricula and educational materials in addition to other Great Lakes resources, such as:

*	Great Lakes field trips and programs
*	Professional development opportunities for Great Lakes educators
*	Great Lakes service learning and volunteering opportunities (for teachers and students)
*	Great Lakes events

“Engaging students in Wisconsin on the ecological, cultural and economic importance of Lakes Michigan and Superior is essential to sustaining these tremendous resources far into the future,” said Todd Breiby of WCMP.  “The Wisconsin Great Lakes Education Clearinghouse is a dynamic resource that is integral to meeting that goal by enhancing and expanding access to Great Lakes environmental education in the state.”

Just as the Great Lakes can’t be claimed by any one state, the clearinghouse is relevant to each of the eight states that border the lakes.

"This is our first time collaborating with a state in this way," said Alliance Education Director Stephanie Smith, noting that EE programs are often hosted by individual states nationwide. "We hope it takes off, and we'll be monitoring it closely to see how we can improve upon it. 

“Wisconsin is second only to Michigan in terms of miles of Great Lakes coastline, and this clearinghouse provides a great opportunity for students in this state to learn about what it means to live perched on the edge of the largest freshwater system on Earth,” Smith said. “Lakes Michigan and Superior contribute so much to Wisconsin’s economy and quality of life, it’s vital that the state’s young people be exposed to opportunities to learn more about them.”

The Alliance continues to invite other Great Lakes organizations and information providers to contribute their resources to the new clearinghouse in an effort to broaden and enrich the network as much as possible.

Sunshine Buchholz, EE in Wisconsin coordinator, said that adding the Great Lakes Clearinghouse to EEinWisconsin.org is a win-win for everyone involved. 

“Educators looking for Great Lakes resources can find them in one organized place, and Great lakes education providers have a new outlet for sharing their programs and resources,” Buchholz said. “The best part is that it’s free and available at any time from any computer.”

The host website, EEinWisconsin.org, is a collaborative project involving environmental educators throughout the state and guided by an advisory committee consisting of members from the University of Wisconsin-Extension, Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education, Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The Wisconsin Environmental Education Board funded the original development of the site.

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Formed in 1970, the Alliance for the Great Lakes is the oldest independent citizens' organization in North America. Its mission is to conserve and restore the world's largest freshwater resource using policy, education and local efforts, ensuring a healthy Great Lakes and clean water for generations of people and wildlife. More about the Alliance for the Great Lakes is online at www.greatlakes.org. 


Susan Campbell
Communications Manager
Alliance for the Great Lakes
414-540-0699
Visit http://www.greatlakes.org




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