UP students wowed by Lake Superior Youth Symposium
The 23 students in grades 8-12 who attended the Lake Superior Youth Symposium could not say enough positive things about their experience. The 4-day symposium took place April 20-23 at Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin.
Here’s what some of them had to say:
“I never knew how beautiful our area is until now! Thanks a million!”
10th grade student, Houghton High School
“Coming to this symposium has been one of the most fun things I have ever done! I learned a lot about the Lake we call home.”
8th grade student, Houghton Middle School
“I have been able to talk and learn from people of other cultures that I would not have able to otherwise.”
12th grade student, Dollar Bay-TC High School
“It was good learning about Lake Superior and meeting others who love it, too!”
11th grade student, Houghton High School
Students enjoyed field trips to the Red Cliff Fishery, Copper Falls State Park, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Sea Caves, Organic Food Production & Composting, Ashland art & murals by bike, how to slow stormwater runoff on campus, and plant foraging, plus a Friday evening LaCrosse game with students from the nearby Bad River tribe.
“Everything was so fun here! I learned what a watershed is and that I really do have a place in it!” said a 10th grade student, Houghton High School.
“This trip made me realize the importance of protecting Lake Superior!” an 8th grade student from Ewen-Trout Creek School remarked.
“I was able to learn so much about looking at things from other perspectives and will be able to use that throughout my life,” said a 12th grade student from Dollar Bay-TC High School.
“This was such an eye opening experience into my future and how much I Iove the place I live!” a 10th grade student from Houghton High School commented.
“I loved learning about Ojibwe culture and how important it is to protect the lake’s fish to benefit the native culture,” said a 10th grade student from Ewen-Trout Creek School.
Students attending the symposium came from Lake Linden-Hubbell, Dollar Bay-TC, Houghton-Portage, Ewen-Trout Creek and Ironwood School Districts, Community Alliance for Progressive Education (CAPE) and Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College (KBOCC).
The following donors made it possible for Western UP students to attend:
Friends of the Land of Keweenaw (FOLK)
The Nitrate Elimination Co, Inc.
Copper Country Trout Unlimited
MiSTEM Network grant through the Michigan Department of Education
Michigan Tech University Center for Science & Environmental Outreach
National Science Foundation grant to MTU Award# 2136139
Keweenaw Community Foundation
Herman Gundlach Fund
Private Individuals & Community Organizations through the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative: Patricia Heiden, Sally Santeford, Sarah Green
The following organizations helped to make this opportunity available to local students:
Copper Country Intermediate School District
Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative
Western UP MiSTEM Network
To learn more about the 2023 Symposium, visit the website. CLICK HERE
The next symposium will be in May 2025 at University of Minnesota Duluth. Contact Amy Kireta (akireta@d.umn.edu) for information.
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