The university’s Great Lakes Institute will connect schoolchildren and other community members with educational opportunities tied to the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary through a recent $100,000 grant.
“A Day in the Life at the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary,” funded through the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, additionally will provide SUNY Oswego students with opportunities to gain experience planning and delivering educational programs on the lakeside campus and Rice Creek Field Station.
Lisa Glidden, the founding director of the Great Lakes Institute, noted that activities can connect with several academic and other programs across campus.
The timing of the grant was fortunate because it supports newer national marine sanctuaries and ones under development, and since the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary received official approval in 2024, related efforts were in a good position.
“We had the ideas ready to go if the funding came through” since both the institution and sanctuary are just starting their activities, Glidden said.
“The goal of this particular grant is to really jumpstart our connections to the community and to schools,” Glidden explained. “We built in subsidies for schools that want to come and visit but need financial support, as that can be a big hurdle to these kinds of field trips.”
Fortunately, the New York Sea Grant program and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation already had “A Day in the Life of Lake Ontario” activities they were happy to share for this purpose.
“The grant helps us buy supplies and build out different options for field trips, focusing on topics like biology, the arts, writing, geology, history or more,” Glidden said.
“It also includes funding for student assistants who are going to help put together and deliver the programs,” Glidden said.
Glidden plans to explore ways to connect with SUNY Oswego courses and departments, where the effort can provide academic in-class experiences.
“We’re planning to run a pilot this summer working with Sheldon Institute,” Glidden said of the university’s popular enrichment program for students entering grades 2 through 10. “That can help us figure out what works with various grade levels and help prepare us for fall 2025 school field trips.”
The grant will run through fall 2026, and will provide plenty of opportunities to connect with local children and perhaps next summer, Glidden hopes, with adults interested in similar programs.
The Great Lakes Institute fosters a greater awareness and understanding of the Great Lakes through continued research efforts, academic programming and curriculum development for students at all levels, and public outreach. For more information, visit the Great Lakes Institute website.