Tuesday June 16 – Thursday June 18, 2026
The Lake Superior Reserve – Confluence Room
3 Marina Drive, Superior, WI 54880
Join us June 16–18, 2026 at the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve in Superior, Wisconsin for an immersive, hands-on workshop designed for educators*!
This three-day experience will connect classroom teaching with real-world environmental challenges and solutions across the Great Lakes region. Collaborate with scientists, education specialists, and fellow educators from Wisconsin and Ohio to explore current conditions, human and natural impacts, and practical strategies for community science and stewardship. Through field experiences, interactive sessions, and ready-to-use resources, you’ll gain tools to inspire your students and bring Great Lakes learning into your classroom.
Participant lodging (if needed) and some meals will be provided.
*This workshop is open to classroom and non-traditional educators of all grades, levels, and content areas.
There is an application process for this workshop. 25 workshop spots are available, and educators must apply by January 20, 2026.
It is FREE to apply to this program.
After the closing date, applications will be processed, and selected participants will be invited to register.
Applicants can expect to hear about the status of their application by mid-February.
Workshop benefits in addition to the experience:
- Meet and collaborate with educators from across the Great Lakes region.
- Lunch provided each day.
- Participants receive a $250 stipend for full participation, in addition to classroom supplies and resources.
- Lodging provided for educators who are traveling at the Barker’s Island Inn, half a mile from the Reserve offices.
Lodging arrangements can be made and paid for for teachers traveling to attend the workshop. For lodging information and travel arrangements please see below, or reach out to Melissa Burke, Resilience Specialist at the Lake Superior Reserve at melissa.burke@wisc.edu .
Travel:
Coming from a connection through Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve in OH? Education Coordinator Jen Bucheit is organizing a van trip to travel together to Superior, Wisconsin. Contact Jen at (567) 623-4872 or jennifer.bucheit@dnr.ohio.gov with questions.
Coming from near Green Bay, Wisconsin? Emily Tyner is organizing a van trip to travel together to Superior, Wisconsin. Emily is the lead on the designation process for the Green Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and Director of Freshwater Strategy at UW-Green Bay. Contact Emily at 734-864-2305 or via email – tynere@uwgb.edu with questions.
Coming from within the close watershed of the St. Louis River Estuary or along Wisconsin’s Lake Superior shoreline? (This includes Duluth and Cloquet in Minnesota). Contact Lake Superior Reserve Resilience Specialist Melissa Burke at 715-399-4138 or melissa.burke@wisc.edu.
This workshop is a Teachers On The Estuary workshop, one of many immersive and thorough professional development opportunities for educators hosted across the country at National Estuarine Research Reserves.
Process/Timeline:
- Application is open December 18, 2025 → January 20, 2026
- The workshop planning team will process applications and invite selected educators to formally register.
- Educators can expect to hear about application acceptance by mid-February.
- No cost to apply. Registration for this workshop will be $50 ($25 will be returned to participants after full participation in the workshop, and $25 will be a donation to the Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve).
Have a question that’s not addressed here? Contact Melissa at melissa.burke@wisc.edu or 715-399-4138.
You may request an interpreter, materials in an alternative language or format, or other services to make this event more accessible, by contacting Luciana Ranelli at luciana.ranelli@wisc.edu or 715-399-4085 by May 18, 2026. There’s no added cost to you for these services. The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming in compliance with state and federal law.
The workshop is hosted collaboratively by the Lake Superior and Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserves, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Planet Stewards program through the National Earth Science Teachers Association in partnership with NOAA, and the Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve. Additional funding support from the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Coastal Management Program.
