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

From Groundswell to You

   Rain Barrel Fundraiser

   March Professional Learning Opportunity Recap

   2026 Student Project Showcase RSVPs & Promo

   Nominations Open for Advisory Council Positions

   Partner Celebration June 8th

   Summer Institute 2026 Registration is Open!

   Tracking PBE Hours

Friends of Groundswell

   Call for Session Proposals for MAEOE Conference

   Ottawa Conservation District - Plant Sale

   Kent Conservation District - Plant Sale

   Kent County Tech Center Plant Sale

   Ottawa Conservation District Native Plant Sale

   Earth Day Teaching Resources Unique to Michigan

We are excited to announce a fundraiser to support our program! 

From now until May 13th, we are selling rain barrels, rain barrel accessories and composting bins. Barrels start $65, and include a leaf and mosquito filter basket, overflow adaptor, spigot, and overflow hose.  Efforts like rainwater diversion and composting reduce flooding, minimize waste to landfills, and support a healthier, more sustainable community. 

For every rain barrel sold, $15 will directly support student projects through Groundswell, helping expand hands-on learning opportunities and environmental stewardship initiatives across Kent and Ottawa counties. Your purchase will be shipped directly to your home, with deliveries beginning the week of May 25th. 

To learn more and purchase a barrel, click the button below.

Teachers and partners joined Groundswell on a rainy Thursday in Rockford to explore our watershed. As Dr. Syers, our facilitator, put it, it was "a perfect dynamic water day to witness rainfall and its effect on our watershed." Dynamic, it was! At no point did the rain let up, but that did not deter anyone, and several walks outside were conducted to assess the flow of the Rogue River and the impact of nearby infrastructure upon it. Attendees enjoyed dinner from Rockford Corner Bar while learning about the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEE) framework and practical strategies for implementing it with students. The session covered the core MWEE components and explored how the framework aligns with environmental literacy, stewardship, and civic responsibility.

Activities combined indoor and outdoor, hands-on learning: teachers completed a thought-map focused on watershed exploration outside and also interacted with a teacher-built watershed model that demonstrated rainfall-runoff and erosion processes. Many braved the rain to collect and identify aquatic macroinvertebrates, examining them under a microscope and using a dichotomous key to ID them and understand their indications of a healthy watershed. Dr. Syers' expertise in this teaching model and our MWEE Online Toolkit prompted thoughtful questions from teachers and an engaging workshop overall. If you want to see what we were up to, head to our Facebook or Instagram to view recap videos, announcements, and more!

Groundswell is seeking chair nominations for our committees for 2026-2028, as well as additional participation in these groups that help steer our program in the right direction. 

Are you a teacher seeking leadership in the Groundswell network? Consider nominating yourself for Teacher Committee Chair! Are you a partner seeking to engage further in the Groundswell program? Join one of the below committees to lend your voice and support outdoor learning for K12 students. 

If you're interested in joining a committee, please email us at groundswell@gvsu.edu. 

If you're interested in nominating yourself or others for a chair position, please click the nomination form below. Learn more about the Groundswell Advisory Council and the positions here. 

Registration for our upcoming Student Project Showcase is live!

Tell us you’ll be attending this valuable event where students demonstrate their knowledge of community action and environmental stewardship. Join us in a night of learning, celebration, and support of our local schools.

    Date: Wednesday, May 13th, 2026

    Time: 5:00PM - 6:30PM

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

    Cost: $0

Schools & Teacher Teams Registration

Participating Partners Registration

Friends & Family Registration

Flyers are available below to distribute. Spread the word among your school and send home with students to welcome family and friends to stop by. Spanish versions of our flyers will be coming soon!

Partners, join us for our annual celebration, where we get to say thank you!

Immediately following our Groundswell Advisory Council, this celebratory evening will include apps, a drink on us, and certificates for our partner organizations and their members for the hard work put in this year. We could not support K12 schools without you all! If you attend, you'll also be present for the announcement of our 2026-2028 term Advisory Council members and new committee chairs. Cheers to you; take an evening to celebrate with us.

RSVP at the button below. 

    Date: Monday, June 8, 2026

    Time: 5:00PM - 7:00PM

    Location: Brewery Vivant, 925 Cherry St SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506

Registration is now open for our annual Summer Institute! We are excited to host this annual workshop for our network educators and partners in late July this year. The focus of this three day professional learning opportunity is civic engagement for stewardship projects, and we will explore how to impact your local community through stakeholder presentations and policy changes with your students. Join us for immersive learning, foundations of quality place-based education, and project preparation for the year. 

Summer Institute 2026 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. Teachers who are looking to receive funding for a PBSE project will soon be asked to attend a PLO each year, and to attend Summer Institute every other year in order to remain eligible for funding. PLOs will still be open to all Kent and Ottawa County educators, regardless of project status. To read about the new participation requirements for our stewardship project funding, click the button below.

If you have questions about attendance or PLO requirements, or are a community partner and want to attend, please reach out to us at groundswell@gvsu.edu. 

    Dates: Tuesday July 28, Wednesday July 29, Thursday July 30, 2026

    Time: 8:30AM - 3:30PM

    Location: 50 Front Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504

    Cost: $0

    SCECHs: Approximately 17 (final credit amount will be announced closer to the date)

It's warming up! Consider tracking your hours with your students outdoors as you explore the changing season. By keeping your own record of outdoor teaching hours, you’re helping Groundswell 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.

The Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education Conference (MAEOE) is in Flint this fall, and it's time to consider contributing to their rich session offerings! Our network of educators and experts have a wealth of knowledge about place-based education, environmental stewardship in K12, and civic conservation in local communities, and now is your opportunity to discuss this valuable work. Submit for a breakout session, workshop, or field experience. 

Please note: All presenters are required to register if you want attend the full conference and any other sessions. Conference registration will open in July, after presenters have been notified of their proposal status. No registration is necessary if you are only presenting.

    Presentation proposal deadline:

              May 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EDT

    Notification of proposals:

              All who submit a proposal will be notified of their status in June.

Spring Native Plants Pre-Order | Pre-Order Deadline: Friday, May 1, 2026
Pickup Date: Saturday, May 30th

Time: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Location: 3200 Eagle Park Dr NE 

If you ordered tree seedlings, your pick-up date is Saturday, April 18th (10 AM - 3 PM) at the same location.

How to Order: Add plants to your cart and then complete the payment process through the online shop. (Limited quantities, so pre-ordering is highly recommended.)

Trees: All seedlings are bare root, which means there is no soil surrounding the roots when you receive them, and they are ready to go in the ground as soon as you pick them up. A limited amount of extra stock may be available for sale during pickup days. Extra stock is sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Questions: KCD@MACD.org or (616) 222-5846.

Support local students from our Kent County Tech Center by purchases flats, pots, baskets and hanging baskets for the spring! Native plants and ornamentals are available for purchase. The students cultivate these plants from seed and also operate the sale during the week. Support local students and growing by purchasing from KCTC this month!

Native plants abound over in Ottawa as they gear up for their biggest sale of the year! Pick from flowers, shrubs, ferns, and other varieties of beautifully cultivated native plants for your classroom, park, or private property. Learn from Ottawa Conservation District staff and local experts about how to take care of your plants and leave equipped for a green and lush season of growing. If you're still interested in trees, the Tree Seedling Sale is April 17th, where some leftovers may be available; pre-orders have closed. 

    Date:  Saturday, May 30th 

    Time: 9:00AM - 12:00PM

    Location: OCD Offices, 16731 Ferris St, Grand Haven

           In the event of rain: Hemlock Crossing Nature Center

Email ottawacd@MACD.org or call 616-842-5852x5 with questions, or go to the sale page on their website below. 

Earth day always sneaks up on us; if you're a teacher or environmental educator, you might be looking for an easy way to bring Earth Day into one of your lessons. These Michigan-specific online lessons, units, and activities provided by Subject to Climate are designed for teachers in our state about this important globally-ackowledged day. Each resource can adapted to your units, and options are available for all grade levels, pK-12, and any subject area. These lessons are flexible options whether you are celebrating Earth Day for the first time or building on existing efforts you've done in the past. Locally contextual and engaging, students can explore real environmental issues effecting them and celebrate the earth we steward. Click below to explore!

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

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