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Invitation to the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative Launch Meeting
We’re excited to announce the 2008 Launch Meeting for the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (GLSI). The initiative was established in November 2006 by the Great Lakes Fishery Trust, with the support of the Wege Foundation and with the advice and counsel of an Advisory Group and a Funders’ Collaborative. The initiative provides support—through grants for planning and implementation—for efforts that seek to develop environmental stewards by linking the strategies of community- or place-based education, professional development for K–12 teachers, and school-community partnerships.
The initiative currently funds four regional hubs: Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative (Western Upper Peninsula Center for Science, Math and Environmental Education); West Michigan Stewardship Initiative (Muskegon Area Intermediate School District); Southeast Michigan Stewardship Coalition (Eastern Michigan University) and the GRAND Learning Network (Michigan State University). For more information about the current initiative hubs, visit the GLSI website at www.glstewardship.org/Hubs/hubs.html.
The next round of grant-making by the Great Lakes Fishery Trust (GLFT) will provide funds for up to four planning grants of up to $20,000 each (awarded in February 2009), leading to up to two implementation grants of up to $200,000 each (awarded in August 2009). Knowing of your interest and work in education and community development, the GLFT is inviting you to take a leadership role in pursuing a planning grant for your region. As part of that process, the GLFT invites you to assemble a team of people from your region to attend a special launch meeting on Thursday, October 30, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the University Club in East Lansing (directions to the University Club).
Those intending to apply for a planning grant must attend the Launch Meeting, preferably with a team. Attendees should plan to participate in the entire meeting. Ideally, teams will consist of between three and seven people and at a minimum will include representatives from one or more community or regional organization (e.g., a government agency, nonprofit, or civic group), a leader from K–12 education (e.g., a principal, a superintendent or curriculum coordinator, a regional mathematics and science center director, key staff at an intermediate school district), and one or more K–12 teachers. They might also include a representative of higher education, someone from the philanthropic community, a person working in business or industry, or a citizen with a deep interest in education or community development. We will reimburse the cost of a substitute teacher for one K–12 educator to attend the meeting, and will consider on a case-by-case basis other requests for financial assistance to support participation by teams. Team participation in the launch meeting will be considered during the process of reviewing proposals for planning grants.
Various organizations and individuals have expressed to us their interest in being involved in place- or community-based education. As you form your team, please check the list of potential team members which containing their names and contact information to see if anyone from your region is on it, and feel free to invite him or her to join your team.
Once you’ve established your team, please share this URL with all team members, so that everyone can learn about the purposes of the initiative and the meeting, and gain access to the linked documents. (Note: All registrants should read the overview and the RFP prior to the meeting.)
You’ll learn more about the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative at the launch meeting, and you’ll also develop a greater awareness about the initiative’s three key strategies: community- or place-based education, professional development, and school-community partnerships. Just as importantly, you’ll have a chance to meet and interact with people who have been involved in the initiative—they’ve “been there” and have helpful insights to share about the processes of planning and implementation.
The goals of the Launch Meeting are to (1) introduce the initiative; (2) clarify its goal and integrated strategies through contributions from invited presenters; (3) illustrate how the strategy has “played out” in various regions; (4) clarify the RFP for planning grants and the process of applying for a planning grant; (5) provide time for work and reflection by teams; and (6) provide an opportunity to ask questions.
Please register online for the launch meeting by Friday, October 17. In the meantime, if you have questions about the initiative or the meeting, please contact Mary Whitmore, Education Coordinator of the Great Lakes Fishery Trust (mwhitmore@glft.org) or Julie Metty Bennett, the Trust’s Manager (glft@glft.org).
We know that there are many environmental education efforts in Michigan. Through the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative, we hope to provide opportunities to do even more. We encourage you to spend an exciting and informative day in the company of like-minded people who share your interest in and passion for developing Great Lakes stewards.
For more information about the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative, visit its website (www.GLStewardship.org). We look forward to seeing you in East Lansing.
Sincerely,
Julie Metty Bennett, Great Lakes Fishery Trust
Peter Wege, The Wege Foundation
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