The SEMIS Coalition Blog
The place to connect, learn and share perspectives in place-based learning
Welcome to our SEMIS Coalition blog! A commons-based digital space for shared resources, images, and more. It’s a place for you to ask questions, interact with peers, and keep current with the latest Southeast Michigan Stewardship Coalition activities.
Browse through the most recent posts below, or browse past posts by category via the toolbar on the right.
WELCOMING REMARKS: 2022 Community Forum
Welcome to this year’s SEMIS Community Forum and the third event in our Forum series this week! This is the first time we’ve had an in-person Community Forum in 3 years and the first time we’ve ever had it outside, so this is a very happy moment for all of us in the...
OPENING REMARKS: 2022 Community Forum
We want to welcome everyone to the first day of our Community Forum events and thank you for being here today. We know that, especially during this phase of the pandemic, showing up in community, especially online, takes effort and commitment. The fact that close to...
2022 Community Forum Schedule At-A-Glance
Monday, May 1612:30-2:30 P.M. VIRTUAL This event will start with a short story about a four-year effort to address climate change literacy and resilience efforts in science classes for high school-age students. Then, we will share an icebreaker to open the shared...
Climate change literacy & preparedness in place-based learning: SEMIS member teachers and students study hands-on civic-science
A big shout out to all the ‘NOAA teachers’, as we say: Mrs. Kerry Williams, Mr. William Albrecht, Ms. Paula Sizemore, Mrs. Andrea Stanczyk, Mrs. Abigail Woodman, and brand new to the initiative is Mr. Dillon Williams. Several teachers in the Coalition are part of a...
Taking Learning Outdoors
What happens to children when they get a daily dose of trees and fresh air? When they have the opportunity to get outside briefly for a walk, learn lessons outdoors, or simply reflect in front of a natural scene? Many studies indicate that playing, relaxing and...
Drafting the Mission Statement, Guiding Principles, and Visioning for the SEMIS Coalition’s 15th Anniversary
YOU ARE INVITED! The Southeast Michigan Stewardship Coalition is celebrating its 15th anniversary next year! Since its founding in 2007, SEMIS has helped teachers at more than 35 southeastern Michigan schools bridge classroom learning to the community, so students can...
Meaningful Watershed Education Experiences: Great Lakes Grantee Showcase! SEMIS presents
B-WET Showcase: This was an opportunity in January for NOAA B-WET Environmental Education Program grantees to showcase highlights from their projects, including challenges and success stories. The SEMIS Coalition is one of these grantees and fortunate to be a...
SEMIS Coalition Members Attend Ypsilanti Sustainability Commission, Give Presentation
Civic Engagement in SEMIS Lisa Voelker, SEMIS assistant director, presented on Nov. 7, 2021, during the monthly Ypsilanti Sustainability Commission meeting. Our goal was to re-introduce ourselves and share how local teachers and students are engaged in place-based...
SEMIS statement about Oxford High School shooting
We would like to express our sadness and sorrow over the tragic loss and trauma the Oxford High School community is experiencing. Our hearts are with all those who have been impacted. Youth deaths through gun violence have taken the lives of many this year in...
Disability Justice Practices in Place-based Education
On July 22, 2021, coalition members had a critical discussion facilitated by Jason DeCamillis (teacher consultant at Washtenaw ISD) and me after watching the movie Crip Camp on Zoom. As a result, it launched a year-long initiative to create a universal design for...