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Author: Mara Spears, CEP Project Specialist Staff, Elana Burns, Communications Content Student Assistant

From Groundswell to You

   January Professional Learning Recap

   February Professional Learning Opportunity

   March Professional Learning Opportunity

   2026 Student Project Showcase

   Summer Institute 2026 Save the Date

   Tracking PBE Hours

Friends of Groundswell

   Backyard Adventures at GRPM

   Midwest Invasive Species Information Network

   Winter Salt Watch Week

Attendees joined online for our virtual professional learning opportunity (PLO) on outdoor preparedness with Northview Public Schools Field School educators Carl Baird and Dave Kraff. Baird, in his fifth year at the Field School teaching Math and Social Studies (5th and 6th), and Kraff, in his first year teaching Science and ELA (5th and 6th) at the school, led participants through a walkthrough of their outdoor kits. They described first aid supplies they carry and their staff calling procedures, as well as must-have supplies and other handy elements they make sure to have with them when they are teaching outdoors. The bulk of this webinar was question-and-answer with the two presenters. Attendees were able to inquire about specific instances in outdoor education (like what to do if it storms while you're out with students) and more general questions, such as how to notify parents of upcoming outdoor time. 

Check out the recording of this professional learning at the button below. 

This interactive workshop will feature a brief guided tour of the Michigan Climate Education Hub that will highlight Michigan-specific resources, teacher guides and cross-curricular connections. Participants will also explore strategies for integrating climate education into daily instruction and class routines to build justice-centered, place-based lessons that will lead students to action. Click the RSVP button below to learn more about our presenter and what to expect from this learning experience. 

    Date: Monday, February 2nd, 2026

    Time: 4:30PM - 6:00PM

    Location: Virtual - Link provided for registrants

    Cost: $0

    SCECH: 1.5

Join your peers as we learn about Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEE) framework and explore ways educators can implement it with students. Participants will learn about the core components of a MWEE, including learner-centered investigations of local environmental issues that lead to informed action.

The evening will include hands-on MWEE activities both indoors and outdoors, including water sampling, and time to explore how the framework aligns with academic standards while supporting environmental literacy, stewardship, and civic responsibility.

To learn more and RSVP, click the button below. 

    Date: Thursday, March 19th, 2026

    Time: 4:30PM - 6:30PM

    Location: Location TBA

    Cost: $0

    SCECH: 2

Student Project Showcase, held each May, is a public celebration that brings together students, educators, families, community partners, and supporters. Students from participating pK12 schools present their stewardship projects in an interactive, exhibit-style format at GVSU’s Downtown Campus, sharing work focused on topics such as watershed health, native plants benefits, composting, and more. The event highlights student learning and achievement and gives these young stewards the opportunity to engage with the public, hosting an exhibit table alongside local organizations and businesses they have worked with over the past year. Guests are invited to tour exhibits, learn directly from students, enjoy a  pizza dinner, play yard games, and take part in hands-on activities throughout the event. Join Groundswell as our community comes together to celebrate the next generation of environmental leaders.

RSVPs and program information coming soon!

    Date: Wednesday, May 13th, 2026

    Time: 5:00PM - 6:30PM

    Location: 401 Fulton St. W, Grand Rapids MI 49504

    Cost: $0

Mark your calendars, Summer Institute will be here before you know it! We are excited to host our annual summer workshop for our network educators and partners in late July. The workshop will focus on civic engagement for stewardship projects and how to impact your local community through stakeholder presentations and policy changes. So join us for immersive learning, foundations of quality place-based education, and project preparation for the year. 

This year's Summer Institute marks the first offering in our soon-to-be required summer workshops and eventual required PLOs as part of a program update at our organization. To read about the new participation requirements for our program, click the button below.

It's absolutely winter, but are you going outside? Consider tracking your hours with your students outdoors! At Groundswell, much of our support for stewardship projects comes from grants—and those grants rely on data that shows the real impact of our work. We know teachers are taking students outside all the time, and we want to make sure those efforts are recognized and supported! By keeping your own record of outdoor teaching hours, you’re helping us tell the story of how place-based stewardship education is making a difference. These numbers help secure future funding and demonstrate student learning beyond the classroom. Below is a quick Google Form to track your time practicing PBE with your students; consider bookmarking this on your browser to easily access it! 

Click the button below to track your weekly PBE hours.

Backyard Adventures is a new interactive exhibit from the Grand Rapids Public Museum that explores the science hiding in everyday outdoor spaces—from backyards and playgrounds to gardens and fields. The exhibit invites visitors to see the world from new perspectives through hands-on experiences like a bee’s-eye view of a garden, a walk through the seasons, and building a giant prize-winning pumpkin. Designed for children ages 5–12 but engaging for all ages, Backyard Adventures helps spark curiosity and appreciation for the science that surrounds us every day. Groundswell is excited to share this exhibit as part of our support for accessible, curiosity-driven environmental learning.

Check out more at the link below!

This app can be used to find information on invasive species in our area, as well as log where what you find on your campus or in your local areas. An accompanying website provides a whole host of maps, databases, and other resources to explore with your students. You can event order free maps of your area emailed right to you! Learn how to record and log invasive species and contribute to citizen science across the midwest. 

Join us in supporting the Midwestern effort to reduce salt and educate our communities about chloride and other non-point source pollutants, which are chemicals and other substances that run off roads and yards into water bodies. Our friends from Wisconsin have shared a wealth of resources with us on how to educate students (and ourselves!) about road salt. A little goes a long way in this de-icing method, and the same can be said for these quality lessons and curriculum. 

Explore the resources below, and head to the website to access webinars and join other Salt Week events. 

Questions? Please contact Groundswell at groundswell@gvsu.edu.

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