Expanding and enriching learning opportunities for underserved children and youth that prepares them for academic achievement and career success.
Learning Initiatives
Funding priorities:
- Broadening access and improving opportunities for high-quality infant, early care and learning.
- Creating and supporting innovative programs for students to learn more effectively and boost their overall achievement.
- Supporting creative pathways to college and career success.
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Receives National Recognition for the Third Grade Get Into Your Sanctuary Program
Alpena, MI (March 2025)— Friends of Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary
The 3rd Grade Get Into Your Sanctuary (3GIYS) program recently won the Sea to Shining Sea Award for Excellence in Interpretation and Education. This award is given annually by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and recognizes success in advancing ocean and climate literacy and conservation through our countries marine protected areas. It also recognizes innovation and creative solutions to raising public awareness and appreciation of the National Marine Sanctuary System. The award was presented to Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (TBNMS) Stewardship & Education Specialist Daniel Moffatt.
{ View a video of Daniel’s reaction }
Introduced in the fall of 2022, 3GIYS began with all 11 of the APS third grade classes, equaling 257 participants. Throughout the program, students are immersed in the human history of the Great Lakes, underwater archeology, and marine technology in the first three visits. In the spring they return for an educational tour on the glass bottom boat to see shipwrecks in Thunder Bay. Sustained funding from the Walters Family Foundation played a critical role in ensuring that these experiences were offered to each school at no cost.
“We want to inspire excitement about where they live!” said Daniel Moffatt, Stewardship & Education Specialist at TBNMS. “This program brings them to a place where history meets science, and we make it really fun! They are enjoying the museum, drawing underwater, building robots, designing aluminum foil boats – the goal is to be more than a field trip.” Now in it’s third year, 3GIYS has doubled in size, reaching eight different school districts and 24 third grade classes.
In year two, student pre- and post-assessments were completed and show the impact this program is creating. Of the 174 students surveyed, 28% had never been to the NOAA Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center and 61% had never been boating on Lake Huron. Now 100% of 3GIYS participants have had an immersive education experience in sanctuary waters. Students were also asked, “Is learning about history exciting?” In the pre-assessment 49% said yes, but in the post-assessment that rose to 89% saying yes.
“We don’t want to add more work for the teachers, but rather add value and help them create experiences and lessons they can refer back to throughout the year,” – said Jeff Gray, TBNMS Superintendent.
There are many ways to get in your sanctuary. The Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center serves as the sanctuary visitor’s center and an interactive museum that is open seven days a week and free to the public. TBNMS offers a variety of educational and community programming, including summer programs, a monthly lecture series and the annual film festival each January.