By PATTY RAMUS

News Staff Writer

Two educational entities in Northeast Michigan have received funding to conduct planning focused around enhancing school-based educational programming through Great Lakes and natural resources stewardship education.

The Alpena-Montmorency-Alcona Educational Service District in collaboration with the Cheboygan-Otsego-Presque Isle Educational Service District have received a $20,000 grant from the Great Lakes Fishery Trust, a funding source created in April 1996 as part of a settlement with Consumer's Energy and Detroit Edison Co. for fish losses caused by the operation of the Ludington Pumped Storage Plant.

The grant is part of the fishery trust's Great Lakes stewardship initiative and its purpose is to provide support for planning towards a larger implementation grant for the development of a regional organization that will provide leadership for place-based or community-based education, said Mary Whitmore, Great Lakes stewardship initiative coordinator.

"It's the concept of a regional organization that provides leadership and resources and expertise about this kind of work. They provide it to K-12 schools and then provide it to community organizations and they also provide it to the community in general," she said. Northeast Michigan has been engaged in regional Great Lakes aquatic education networking and planning efforts since 2006. This has involved youth educators, natural science education and other interested community partners. In 2007 the area received preliminary funds from the fishery trust for capacity building work which involved reconvening regional partners to explore opportunities with the stewardship initiative. A current local example of place-based education has occurred with an eco-tourism project at Negwegon State Park by Brian Matchett's environmental science class at Alcona High School, said Brandon Schroeder, Michigan Sea Grant extension educator.

Whitmore said the stewardship initiative has a model which involves three strategies: place-based or community-based education, sustained professional development for K-12 teachers and strong school/community partnerships. The regional organization would serve as a hub to implement and assist schools with these strategies. There are currently four regional organizations which have been established in other parts of the state through fishery trust funding in 2007 and 2008.

Planning at the AMA ESD began in early March and four strategic work groups have been identified which will involve area partners including the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Michigan Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The groups comprise regional leadership and administrative process led by AMA ESD staff; professional development and school support led by teacher leaders; community partners led by agency and university representatives and funding and sustainability led by Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan, said Gary Goren AMA ESD director of general education.

"The networking is exciting but what we're really excited about, this gives us an opportunity for the larger implementation grant which could really impact the youth in the area," he said.

According to Tracy D'Augustino, Sprinkler Lake Education Center program coordinator, the planning will take place until June. In July an application will be put in for the implementation grant which can be up to $200,000.

Whitmore said not all plans developed from the planning grants result in implementation funding. Implementation grants are competitive and are based on the quality of the plans that are submitted by regions.

Patty Ramus can be reached via e-mail at pramus@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5687.