Concepts & Networks
Environmental Justice
Environmental justice highlights that everyone has the right to live, work, and play in a clean environment.
^^^ Watch this video to learn more about environmental justice.
According to Dr. Robert Bullard, the Father of Environmental Justice, EJ embraces the principle that all people and communities have a right to equal protection and equal enforcement of environmental laws and regulation.
You can use an environmental justice framework to further examine a PBE issue or opportunity. Does the PBE issue/opportunity impact all community members in the same way? How might it impact different groups (e.g. race, color, national or ethnic origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, or veteran status) differently?
"America is still segregated, and so is pollution" - Dr. Robert Bullard
Resource: Learn more environmental racism, the environmental justice movement and its continued need in this E&E News article.
RESOURCE: Explore MI environmental justice issues from the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition.
Tribal Nations
Michigan occupies the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary Lands of the Anishinaabeg – Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi peoples.
The Great Lakes basin has been home to many Native American Tribes long before and after colonization. Today, there are 12 federally recognized Tribes in Michigan (map link) in addition to many Tribal members living around the state. These federally-recognized Tribes are sovereign nations with their own government structures and community services.
RESOURCE: Did you know that Michigan comes from the Ojibwe word, mishigami, meaning "large water"? Many MI community names come from the Ojibwe language. Does the community your site is in have a language connection? Explore more here.
RESOURCE: This article examines how Michigan is working towards fully reflecting Native Americans presence and contributions in the basin.
Offering a land acknowledgement is one way to recognize the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary Lands of the Anishinaabeg.
MSU's PROVISIONAL LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We collectively acknowledge that Michigan State University occupies the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary Lands of the Anishinaabeg – Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi peoples. In particular, the University resides on Land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw. We recognize, support, and advocate for the sovereignty of Michigan’s twelve federally-recognized Indian nations, for historic Indigenous communities in Michigan, for Indigenous individuals and communities who live here now, and for those who were forcibly removed from their Homelands. By offering this Land Acknowledgement, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty and will work to hold Michigan State University more accountable to the needs of American Indian and Indigenous peoples.
RESOURCE: Learn more about land acknowledgement in this MSUE news article.
Seventh Generation Philosophy
“It’s a concept that means, in practice, that when you sit down to make a decision, you think about how that decision is going to affect seven generations into the future,” - Ojibwe author Patty Loew
If you are thinking 240 years ahead, would your decision making change?
Which Tribe lived on the land near your site according to the map below?
Image Source: Milwaukee Public Museum
The Ways
RESOURCE: Explore stories sharing Great Lakes Native Culture and Language in The Ways.
Watch to learn more about Tribal Sovereignty and treaty rights. This story highlights the Petersons, a commercial fishing family in Hancock, MI. Learn more here.
Watch to learn more about the Objibwe language and traditional ecological knowledge. This story highlights the Waadookodaading: Ojibwe Language Immersion School in Hayward, WI. Learn more here.
Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (LTBB)
RESOURCE: Nibiish Naagdowen: Explore why LTBB water resources are important to tribal citizens.
RESOURCE: Learn more about the LTBB's homeland, history and work by listening to this MI Radio program.
Explore more LTBB natural resource and environmental programs:
RESOURCE: LTBB's Brownfields Program
RESOURCE: LTBB's Surface Water Protection Program | Nonpoint Source Pollution
Did you know the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians is a leadership partner to the NEMIGLSI network?
Indigenous S-T-E-A-M
The ISTEAM collaborative is supporting Indigenous resurgence through (re)making relations with lands, waters, and each other towards just, sustainable, and culturally thriving futures.
These Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics resources were developed for families, teachers, and communities. We link to relevant resources throughout this site.
Networks and Partnerships
We highlight community partnership opportunities throughout the Summer Institute. Add community partners to your PBE project planning form as you develop your plan.
Center for Great Lakes Literacy
CGLL is a collaborative effort led by Sea Grant educators throughout the Great Lakes watershed. CGLL fosters informed and responsible decisions that advance basin-wide stewardship by providing hands-on experiences, educational resources, and networking opportunities that promote Great Lakes literacy among an engaged community of educators, scientists, and learners of all ages.
RESOURCE: Explore curricular resources and education kits available through CGLL.
Did you know? CGLL supports the Lake Huron Watershed PBSE Summer Teacher Institute by providing participant stipends and more!
Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (GLSI)
Creating Lifelong Stewards. The Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (GLSI) was launched in 2007 to develop knowledgeable and active stewards of the Great Lakes and their ecosystems through place-based studies and explorations in local communities. The initiative’s approach to teaching and learning results in vibrant, hands-on experiences that increase student achievement and help young Michigan residents become lifelong stewards of the environment.
The GLSI works toward its goals through seven regional hubs located around Michigan, including your Summer Institute facilitator, the Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative. The hubs offer professional development about content and pedagogy for K–12th grade teachers and community partners, help organize and sustain school-community partnerships, and provide leadership for place-based education and environmental stewardship. Learn more about the GLSI regional hubs here.
The MiSTEM Network
The MiSTEM Network unites education, business and community partners across the state and creating pathways for all students to consider and pursue high-wage, high-demand careers. The MiSTEM Network was created to make STEM learning more accessible across the state and position more Michigan students for career success in our rapidly changing economy.
16 regional hubs encourage learning experiences beyond the physical classroom. With innovative problem-, place- and project-based (3P) learning, students take part in real-world activities that are relevant to their lives, communities and career development.
Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education
The mission of the Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) is to support, inspire and empower a diverse network of individuals with a passion for environmental and outdoor learning. Learn more and get involved here.
MI Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) Education Opportunities
Explore professional learning opportunities and school enrichment programs supported by MDNR. PLOs include Project Learning Tree, Project WILD, Academy of Natural Resources, and more. In 2021, they are also offering FREE Aquatic WILD virtual training opportunities. School enrichment programs include Salmon in the Classroom and Explore Bowhunting.