by Lisa Voelker | Aug 13, 2024 | Professional Development Materials, Summer Institute
The SEMIS Coalition’s Annual Summer Institute took place July 29 – August 2, 2024. It was filled with adventure, wonder, and community building. This four-day experience guided SEMIS Coalition teachers, community partners, and alumni through a Place-Based...
by Nigora Erkaeva | Mar 20, 2022 | Events, Power of Community, Professional Development Materials
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...
by SEMIS Coalition | Aug 30, 2020 | Author: Becca Nielsen, Author: Lisa Voelker, Civic Action / Leadership, Community Mapping, Events, Leadership Development, Professional Development Materials
“Even though we were virtual, it was so nice to see faces of people I met last summer. It’s hard to believe you can build relationships in a weeks time and then see people on a computer screen and then feel the warmth of community like we were right back...
by Lisa Voelker | Jul 31, 2020 | Events, Professional Development Materials, Social & Emotional Learning, Summer Institute
This introduction with teacher Bill Boyle was an opportunity to understand what Mindfulness is, and is not, to develop or deepen practice, and make connections between our personal practice and the issues of our time. We gathered for one hour a day for 5 days from...
by SEMIS Coalition | Jul 1, 2020 | Civic Action / Leadership, Events, Intergenerational Dialogue, Lower Elementary, Middle Grades, Place-Based Education, Professional Development Materials, Student Voice
Place-based education (PBE) is an approach to teaching and learning that uses the local environment and community to investigate content and engage students in stewardship and civic action. PBE, at its root, is a humanizing practice that puts youth and...
by Lisa Voelker | Jul 1, 2020 | Civic Action / Leadership, Community Mapping, Community Stewardship, Events, High School, Inquiry-Based Learning, Leadership Development, Lower Elementary, Middle Grades, Place-Based Education, Professional Development Materials, Summer Institute, Upper Elementary, Water Quality / Studies
SEMIS Coalition Orientation & Place-Based Education 101 During these two events on June 17 & 24 participants included new and returning member teachers, community partners, district leaders and administrators. At this orientation people were given a sense of our...
by Miriam Furlan Brighente, PhD | Jun 10, 2020 | Events, High School, Intergenerational Dialogue, Middle Grades, Professional Development Materials, Student Voice, Upper Elementary
…the future is nothing but transformation—the transformation of today. Paulo Freire SEMIS Director Ethan Lowenstein welcomes particpants to the 2020 Youth Voice Fishbowl. SEMIS Coalition launched on May 18, 2020 a series of dialogues, presentations and workshops...
by Lisa Voelker | May 1, 2020 | Civic Action / Leadership, Community Mapping, Curriculum, Professional Development Materials
Community Mapping Brief - Best Practices, MSU Outreach Partners With new technology, the possibility of mapping information about communities as a basis for decision making has captured the imagination of policy makers. This Brief is one of two that will explore the...
by Lisa Voelker | Jun 5, 2018 | Events, Professional Development Materials, Summer Institute
Summer Institute Agenda 2018 Part One & Two Some details for Part Two are subject to change. Part One Logistics_SEMIS Summer Institute Hope to see you there!
by Lisa Voelker | Aug 30, 2016 | Place-Based Education, Professional Development Materials, Uncategorized
Written by Bill Boyle and Ethan Lowenstein. Chet Bowers asks a question that we should all be considering, especially those of us who serve as educators: “How do we live more interdependent lives based on practices that are less dependent on a monetized world, that...
by Lisa Voelker | Aug 1, 2016 | Community History, Ecosystems / Biodiversity, Environmental Impact, Place-Based Education, Professional Development Materials, Readings
By Matt Siegfried Display image courtesy of Fresh Water and Marine Image Bank, University of Washington The sturgeon, or Na’me in Anishinaabemowin (the language of the many Great Lakes First Nations communities), is an ancient fish just emerging from danger of...
by Lisa Voelker | Aug 1, 2016 | Community History, Environmental Impact, Professional Development Materials, Readings
This reading list was compiled by historian Matt Siegfried. Great Lakes Sturgeon Readings Abel, Kerry M., and Jean Friesen. Aboriginal Resource Use in Canada: Historical and Legal Aspects. Winnipeg, Man.: University of Manitoba Press, 1991. Ashworth, William. The...
by Lisa Voelker | Jul 31, 2016 | Image Gallery, Porter Chair Series, Professional Development Materials
Commons-based educational practices and caring communities are often hidden from public view. Stories of youth, teachers, and communities who are seeking to create “beloved communities” are not often shared by the media. In this pre-conference event,...
by Lisa Voelker | Jun 21, 2016 | Events, Professional Development Materials, Video Links
By Bill Boyle Day 2 started with Ethan Lowenstein introducing the Coalition norms for being in community. These norms are a means of ensuring that as relational beings, we create a space that allows us to bring out the best in each other. The SEMIS norms are: *Speak...
by Lisa Voelker | Jun 20, 2016 | Events, Professional Development Materials
By Bill Boyle The day started at an adventurous parking lot of gravel and a large pole barn- all of the signs of the outdoors readily available. After jumping in vans for a short ride, we all arrived at the Detroit International Wildlife Refuge’s Humbug Marsh...
by Lisa Voelker | Oct 14, 2015 | Place-Based Education, Professional Development Materials
Our Fall PD on September 25th, 2015 was a great kick-off to the SEMIS Coalition 2015-16 project year! We had many new community partners and faculty from EMU, and many familiar faces we are happy to see return! It was wonderful to see everyone who was...
