Student Project Showcase
This page has information regarding our annual Showcase celebration event. Details for the event are organized into categories of attendees for the event. Information for each group, including RSVPs, what to bring, when to arrive, and other details can be found in those sections. Click the button on the right or scroll down to visit those sections of this webpage.
Questions about this annual event?
Contact our staff at [email protected]
Each year we have an outstanding time hosting the Groundswell Student Project Showcase in May.
Our schools come together to showcase their hard work on projects covering numerous topics such as watersheds, native plants, climate change, and more! Our attendees include students, educators, community partners, and supporters. Attendees enjoy touring the exhibits, learning from students, sharing a pizza dinner, playing yard games, participating in hands-on activities, and coming together as a community to celebrate exceptional, young environmental stewards.
General Event Info
What is Showcase?
This annual event is free and open to the public. Groundswell is proud to celebrate the work of student stewards every year in an interactive event with participating pK12 schools. This event includes a short keynote from the GVSU Provost and the Dean of the College of Education and Community Innovation; an exhibit fair; indoor and outdoor games for children and families; a picnic dinner; and a raffle for students. Schools and participating community partners host exhibit tables and offer insight for attendees about their community stewardship activities.
When and where is the Student Project Showcase?
Location: Richard M. Devos Center, 401 Fulton St W., Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM - 6:30PM
Event Maps
Overview Maps
Parking & DeVos Center Maps
Showcase Info: Schools & Teacher Teams
SCHOOL REGISTRATION - EDUCATOR LEAD RSVP: COMING SPRING 2027
Make sure all depicted students AND students presenting at Showcase have signed photo releases:
Formulario de Publicación de Fotografía
Submit these releases to Groundswell in whatever way is most convenient. You can:
- Bring these signed releases and hand them to Groundswell staff at showcase
- Scan them and email them to Groundswell staff at [email protected]
- Drop them into your Groundswell School Google Drive Folder
Exhibit & Artifact Guidelines
Create a table exhibit to educate the public about your project.
Exhibit tables are student-chosen. You can bring a posterboard, diorama, slideshow, photo collage, your choice of interactive activity, or something else that best represents your students' work on the project. Exhibit displays, posters, artifacts, and other project materials* should include the following:
- Title of project
- Name of school
- Grade level(s) of students involved
- Overall theme of project
- Key outcomes, take-aways, etc.
- Displays are encouraged to include:
- Pictures of projects and students in action
- Models and information used to explain project
- Handouts with information and/or to encourage stewardship in others
- Interactive activities
Schools: Showcase FAQs
Q: Does my school need to be there?
A: Every school (meaning every teacher team) must register for showcase and have students prepare an exhibit table for the event.
Q: What is the purpose of the Showcase?
A: Groundswell requires its participating schools to send student representatives to showcase to present on the year's stewardship project. Members of the community attend, including families, friends, community partners, local businesses, and faculty/staff of Grand Valley State University. Showcase gives the K-12 students a chance to see how their work impacts the adults and members of their community. The event also gives the students the amazing experience of engaging with like-minded peers, and exposes them to other young and passionate scholars there are in their community. The event is also a great way for students to meet the partners and sponsors who made their project happen, and to learn about professional opportunities in the environmental field in their area. It's good experience for students to present in a science fair and semi-professional setting as well. Showcase provides the foundations and grantors who sponsor these projects the opportunity to both observe the great work in action and also to see that the "community impact" requirement of the stewardship projects are honored (see our Groundswell Rubric for a full list of requirements for our Groundswell schools).
Q: What's the Showcase registration deadline?
A: Date TBA, 2026.
Q: Will there be food for everyone?
A: Yes. We will provide pizza for all, including parents and families! There will be several dietary options available, and pizza will be available throughout the event.
Q: What is the schedule for the evening?
A: Our full Showcase Program will be available on site on the day. Below is a general outline for the event:
3:00pm-4:45pm | Educators and students arrive for check in, set up
5:00pm-5:15pm | Kick off remarks by GVSU/Groundswell
5:00pm-6:30pm | Project Exhibition, pizza dinner and activities
6:30pm-8:00pm | Teacher Celebration (drinks & apps; adults only)
Q: How many students should attend as table presenters?
A: Please have five or more students attend showcase, and at least one student at your table during the event. We ask that no more than 15 total students from each school attend.
Q: Where are the table exhibits located?
A: Indoors in the DeVos building, in the Lubbers Exhibition Hall and nearby classrooms, as well as in the DeVos Building Plaza.
Q: Does my class need to submit a Groundswell video this year?
A: No, there is no video requirement. We are only asking your school to bring an artifact (posterboard, diorama, slideshow, photo collage, your choice of interactive activity) for your exhibit table.
Q: I might not get there on time because of my school's dismissal time. What do I do?
A: Please arrive as soon as you can, and let Groundswell staff know if you need a volunteer to watch your table to greet students/families on your behalf.
Q: How many students can we bring to represent our school? Do they need to register?
A: We are not asking for kids/families to register and are planning the event based on previous years (about 400 attendees annually). Indicate the number of students you estimate attending on your registration form (above). We ask that no more than 15 total students from each school attend. This helps us manage the size of the event, thank you for understanding.
Q: Do students need to be at our exhibit table during the event?
A: Yes, student(s) need to be at your table during the event. If they want to step away to be with family/eat, they 1) Need to be supervised at all times and 2) At least one student should be at the table during the duration of the event; we recommend a rotation or tagging one another out if they want to explore (which we also encourage!).
Showcase Info: Community, Friends, & Family
Every spring Groundswell Stewardship Initiative hosts a special event to showcase the great work happening in our area. Join the Groundswell community at our annual Student Project Showcase, which features a student project exhibit fair, engagement activities for students and families, and special remarks from several distinguished guests. Groundswell strives to center education in our community and empower our students to be leaders in addressing social and ecological issues. This event is designed to celebrate our young scholars, who are making these changes possible. All are welcome at this public event.
Friends & Family RSVP: COMING SPRING 2027
What to Expect
- A short keynote, include an event welcome from the GVSU Provost and acknowledgements by the Dean of the College of Education and Community Innovation
- pK12 student project exhibits
- Local community partner exhibits and interactive activities
- Indoor and outdoor games for all ages
- A picnic-style dinner
- A raffle for 18 and under attendees
Showcase Info: Participating Partners
Register So We Know You're Coming!
Join local PK12 scholars, educators, administrators, and their friends and family at this community celebration event! The 2026 Groundswell Student Project Showcase brings together students from local schools in an exhibit-style public event with over 450 attendees.
THERE ARE TWO WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT AS A PARTNER AT SHOWCASE.
1. Attend as a community partner to mingle and enjoy. No tabling.
OR
2. Table the event with your organization's literature, a hands-on experience, and/or demonstrate your work.
- All partners who commit to a table are expected to have at least one staff member available at their exhibit table for the duration of the showcase (1.5 hours).
- Groundswell will provide a 6-foot table and chairs in either an indoor space or covered awning space outdoors.
- This is an opportunity for partners like you who have worked with our schools to engage with those scholars, answer questions and chat with their friends and family, and get exposure for your organization within our vast Groundswell network.
Please respond accordingly with your choice of attending as a general guest or hosting a table.
Showcase is an opportunity for community partners who have worked with Groundswell schools during the academic year to engage with those scholars, answer questions and chat with their friends and family, and get exposure. Over 300 people attend Student project Showcase every year!
All partners are expected to have at least one staff member available at their exhibit table for the duration of the showcase (1.5 hours).
Only partners who worked with a school as part of a Groundswell project this academic year are eligible to host exhibit tables.
Showcase is meant to be interactive for students, friends, and family this year. If you host a table, please bring activities for K-12 students and parents.
Download the community partner event flyer
Download the black and white version of the Community Partner Event flyer
Español: Descargue aquí el folleto del evento de los socios comunitarios.
Español: Descarga aquí la versión en blanco y negro del folleto.
Take a look into the past of our Student Project Showcase! Explore highlights from previous years, including recap articles, photos, and videos that celebrate the creativity, collaboration, and community impact of student-led projects.
2026 Showcase recap from GV Next
2025 Showcase recap from GV Next
2024 Showcase recap from GV Next
check out another 2024 Showcase article from School News Network
