Great Lakes Shipboard Science Immersion (SSI)
Educators – Apply today for the 2026 Shipboard Science Immersion on Lake Superior
Formal and nonformal 5-12th grade educators from throughout Great Lakes states are invited to apply for an exciting opportunity to spend a week aboard a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency research vessel alongside scientists and to bring Great Lakes science back to their classrooms. The program, organized by the Center for Great Lakes Literacy (CGLL), is July 7-13, 2026.
Deadline to apply is February 28, 2026.
Through a partnership with the EPA Great Lakes National Program Office and NOAA, with funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, educators will engage in scientific investigations aboard the ship. Hosts for the Lake Superior program are CGLL partners Minnesota Sea Grant, Wisconsin Sea Grant and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant.
The annual Shipboard Science Immersion promotes Great Lakes science while forging lasting relationships between Great Lakes scientists and educators. CGLL is a collaborative effort led by Sea Grant educators throughout the Great Lakes watershed in the United States. CGLL fosters informed and responsible decisions that advance basin-wide stewardship by providing hands-on experiences, educational resources, and networking opportunities promoting Great Lakes literacy among an engaged community of educators, scientists, and youth.
For more information about the 2026 Great Lakes Shipboard Science Immersion and application materials, visit the Center for Great Lakes Literacy website.
Shipboard Science Immersion Schedule
2026: Lake Superior
2027: Lake Huron*
2028: Lake Ontario*
2029: Lake Erie*
2030: Lake Michigan*
* Anticipated
2024 Shipboard Science Immersion on Lake Erie
In July 2024, Pennsylvania Sea Grant and Ohio Sea Grant hosted the annual Shipboard Science Immersion on Lake Erie. Fifteen educators from across the Great Lakes states joined Sea Grant educators from the Center for Great Lakes Literacy (CGLL) and Great Lakes scientists for the week-long immersion aboard the EPA’s research vessel (R/V), Lake Guardian. Throughout the week, participants recorded their experience via photos and commentary, which have been compiled into a StoryMap created by Michelle Niedermeier, Education Lead for Pennsylvania Sea Grant, who co-facilitated the immersion.
