What better place to start with science education than your own backyard? In 2019, that question inspired Wisconsin’s Lake Superior Reserve and their local school district to partner to develop interactive online lessons about local research projects in the St. Louis River estuary.

Every 5th grade class in the Superior school district now has access to these lessons, which cover topics like algal blooms, coastal flooding, and wild rice restoration. The lessons align closely with state science standards and are delivered in a format similar to the rest of the district’s science curriculum.

They didn’t have a global pandemic in mind, but the Reserve and their partners have made it possible for the region’s children to continue to build science literacy and connect with their Great Lake.