The 2021-2022 school year marked the first full school year when the department’s Lending Station, an environmental education resource, has been available to Michigan educators.
The Lending Station items help teachers educate students about the Great Lakes, their ecosystems, stewardship, conservation, and restoration of these natural resources.
During the past school year, approximately 1,400 students and individuals have interacted with the lending station.
“The lending items can support educators by relating their hands-on water quality lessons and allowing students to see how contamination impacts groundwater, surface water, watersheds and the Great Lakes,” notes Chrissie Pearce, of EGLE’s Environmental Support Division. “Students will also learn how to prevent problems at the sources and become informed on how water can be kept safe and clean.”
Lending Station materials are available year-round and consist of EnviroScape 3-D models, groundwater models, and water testing backpack kits with replacement parts. Items have been lent to public and private schools, environmental education groups, universities, and municipalities. They have been used at science fairs, environmental trainings, career fairs, Earth Day events, and STEM/STEAM community events.
A description of the available modules is available on the Environmental Lending Station webpage, along with a check-out button to reserve materials.
Funding for the materials comes from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
