OUR MISSION

Creating Lifelong Stewards

The Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (GLSI), a Michigan-based nonprofit education organization and network of regional service hubs, was launched in 2007 to develop knowledgeable and active stewards of the Great Lakes region through place-based education and explorations in local communities. GLSI’s model for teaching and learning, “Place-Based Stewardship Education,” results in vibrant, hands-on experiences that increase student achievement and empower educators to teach through a locally relevant context. GLSI strives to inspire and support the next generation to become lifelong stewards of the Great Lakes region and beyond through relevant career pathways and community service.

GLSI executes its mission through a centralized organization and network of community-based hubs by offering professional development for K–12 teachers and community partners, developing school-community partnerships, and providing leadership for place-based education and environmental stewardship implementation. Collectively, GLSI and the Hub Network are staffed by K-12 education leaders and innovators, including current and former classroom teachers and school administrators, university professors and researchers, community engagement specialists, and nonformal education experts.

GLSI Hubs are hosted locally by education-focused entities, such as universities and school districts, and serve schools, districts, and community partners within a regional footprint. The central organization provides direct education services, state and national partnership development, coordination and support for the GLSI Hub Network, hosting of the National Place-Based Education Conference, and coordination of The Place Space, a nationwide virtual community for all things place-based education.

We support teachers.

Too many teachers are over-tasked, under-supported, and isolated from their peers. We offer teachers ongoing professional development that builds their skills and knowledge and connects them with other educators. Our hubs also provide material resources, funding, and community support so teachers can thrive.

We build resilient, intelligent kids.

We ignite curiosity and help kids make a difference right where they live. Our work fosters a sense of citizenship and responsibility in kids. They use what they’re learning in hands-on ways to protect and nurture the environment. In the process, they come to realize that they can make a difference.

We improve communities and the environment.

The Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative takes the classroom into local neighborhoods, supporting teachers and students as they solve real-world problems in their own backyards. Students connect to their own ability to make a difference.