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

From Groundswell to You

   March Professional Learning Opportunity

   2026 Student Project Showcase RSVPs & Promo

   Swell Teacher of the Year Nominations Open

   Summer Institute 2026 Save the Date

   Tracking PBE Hours

Friends of Groundswell

   Where Food Waste Turns Into Something Better

   Friends of GR Parks - Outdoor Classes & Experiences

   City Nature Challenge with John Ball Zoo

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.

You have until this Thursday, March 12th at 5pm to register!

    Date: Thursday, March 19th, 2026

    Time: 4:30PM - 6:30PM

    Location: Location TBA

    Cost: $0

    SCECH: 2

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!

Nominations are open for the Groundswell "Swell Teacher of the Year" Award 2026! Please consider nominating a Groundswell teacher you think should be celebrated this academic year.

The Swell Teacher Award is an annual honor that recognizes a seasoned Groundswell teacher for their dedication to place-based stewardship education. Swell Teachers model leadership in PBSE and are passionate about connecting their students to their community and environment. Anyone can nominate a teacher, and the Groundswell Teacher Committee will select the winner from the pool of nominees. 

Visit the 2026 Nomination Form at the button below to learn more about what makes an eligible and strong candidate and to submit your nomination, and explore our website to learn about past recipients. 

Nominations are open until April 3. The winner will be announced at our Student Project Showcase on May 13.

Questions? Please email Allison at palmal@gvsu.edu. Thank you for taking the time to recognize the outstanding work within our Groundswell community!

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.

    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

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.

Somewhere between your coffee grounds and last night’s wilted spinach is the beginning of something better.

The Master Composter Course is for anyone who’s ever felt guilt while scraping food into the trash or is just curious about what happens when you don’t. It’s free, it’s hands-on, and it’s designed to take composting into your actual backyard, balcony, classroom, or wherever you have a little space and patience! By the end, you won’t just understand composting. You’ll know how to build it, tend it, and explain it to someone else. This course will be offered to any adult resident from Kent County, MI. 

If this idea sticks with you, there’s a spot waiting for you via the link below!

The Neighborhood Conservationist program from Friends of Grand Rapids Parks offers free monthly classes and hands-on environmental experiences for community members. These events are scattered across the spring calendar, with learning opportunities after 5pm and even stewardship events during the school day. Learn alongside your neighbors about local ecology, invasive species management, and habitat restoration. These accessible workshops are designed for anyone who wants to learn more about caring for local parks and natural spaces, and will help participants grow their knowledge and confidence in conservation work. Whether you’re new to environmental stewardship or looking to deepen your skills, the program offers a welcoming place to start. Learn more and register for upcoming experiences at the button below. 

This April, we encourage you to get on board with John Ball Zoo to participate in an annual conservation event. The City Nature Challenge is a global bioblitz, where you and your students can observe natural flora and fauna around your campus and communities and upload photos and information to the iNaturalist app. This is the tenth year of this challenge and it motivates all of us to find and document wildlife right here in our neighborhoods.

For more information and for involvement with John Ball Zoo, click the button below.

Note: only individuals over the age of 13 can have an iNaturalist account. 

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

Text to Give: GIVE2GROUNDSWELL to 44321