The Center for Educational Partnerships has been awarded a $260,000.00 grant through The Wege Foundation for the Groundswell Stewardship Initiative program to continue place-based stewardship education (PBSE) opportunities for PK-12 students and educators in Kent and Ottawa counties. Through this support, Groundswell will provide professional learning for educators, support student-centered environmental stewardship projects, and strengthen partnerships between schools and community organizations.

A key component of this work will focus on measuring the impact of PBSE on student learning and engagement. Groundswell will collect and analyze student and teacher survey data to better understand how place-based learning influences student engagement, connection to local environmental issues, civic participation, and instructional practices. Findings will help inform future programming, strengthen professional learning opportunities, and further strategic planning. Learn more about what the Groundswell program does at gvsu.edu/groundswell.