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2016 Lake Superior Water Festival attracts 900 middle school students to MTU to learn about water

Nearly 900 students in grades 4-8 in Houghton, Baraga, Gogebic and Ontonagon Counties participated in the Water Festival at Michigan Tech�s Great Lakes Research Center on October 12, 2016.

The following thirteen schools participated: Baraga Middle School, CLK Elementary, Chassell Elementary, Elm River School, Hancock Middle School, Jeffers Middle School, L�Anse Middle School, Lake Linden-Hubbell MS, LL Wright Middle School, Sacred Heart School, South Range Elementary, Washington Middle School. The Water Festival provided an opportunity for students to learn about and celebrate our most precious natural resource � the Great Lakes!

A wide variety of topics from science and engineering, to history and music were presented. Students participated in four sessions from a menu of 30 different offerings presented throughout the day by Michigan Tech scientists, staff, and graduate & undergraduate students, as well as, community organizations, businesses and government agencies, including Keweenaw Land Trust, Keweenaw National Historical Park, U.S. Coast Guard, Dollar Bay High School �SOAR� students, Ottawa National Forest, and Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. Topics included Remotely-Operated- Vehicles, Isle Royale Wolves & Moose, Leave No Trace Outdoors, cleaning wastewater, tour of U.S. Coast Guard vessel, and much more.

The 2016 Water Festival was made possible with funding from Michigan STEM Partnership, Michigan Tech Center for Water & Society, and the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative. The Festival is coordinated by the Michigan Tech Center for Science & Environmental Outreach and the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative, and hosted by Michigan Tech's Great Lake Research Center.

Students were surveyed on what they learned. Here are some quotes:
� I learned how to clean water from it being all gross and nasty. I also learned more about moose and wolves-- who knew they can walk up to 8 hours a day? I also learned about new water bugs and what their names are, and I learned about a machine that makes clouds. It would take a lot to move that door from all the pressure. I learned quite a lot from the Water Festival. I would hope to go next time and learn a lot again. Baraga Middle School 7th grade student
� I learned a lot. I actually looked up on the internet to learn more. I told my family about what I learned and they seemed really interested. I had a great time and I hope that I can go again next year or maybe even this year. CLK 5th grade student.
� I felt so wrapped up in Lake Superior I felt like I could do anything to help Lake Superior. Lake Superior is a big thing in this state and people can take a big part like me! When I got home I told my mom what I felt about the great lakes that I felt happy that I could help take care of the Great lakes and help. Jeffers Middle School student.
� It's a careful place and it cares about people and it helps us learn about awesome stuff and I'm pretty sure that everyone that went there liked it to as much as I liked it so I hope that we get to go there again because I loved it so much and that's what I want to do again and again and again and again. CLK 5th grade student