SEMIS Annual Summer Institute: What a Week!
While July is a quieter time for the schools in our Coalition, the SEMIS staff are busy preparing for one of our favorite weeks of the year– the Annual Summer Institute! Here’s a journal-style peek into some of the places we explored and activities we engaged in throughout this year’s Institute, July 27-31.
Monday, July 27:
Today we kicked off the 2026 Summer Institute with a fantastic day at Ypsilanti Community High School. Day 1 introduced our Place-Based Education anchors and led us into the Grizzly Woods for Forest Forensics/Soil Testing, Arts-Based Sound Mapping, and Forest Bathing. Huge thanks to Laura McKinstry, STEAM Coach at Ford STEAM Early Learning Center/Ypsilanti Community Schools, for sharing her insights on the importance of mapmaking in PBE.
Summer Institute participants on Day One.
Forest Bathing in the Grizzly Woods at Ypsilanti Community High School
Laura Mckinstry, from Ford STEAM Early Learning Center, presents about Mapmaking with Children.
Tuesday, July 28:
Day 2 took us to Detroit, where we were hosted by the James and Grace Lee Boggs School and visited Sanctuary Farms, Oxygen Alley, Callahan Park, and Circle Forest. Jon Kent inspired us with Sanctuary Farms’ commitment to food sovereignty and care for the land, and Ava Landgraf (Detroit Bird Alliance) and Miles Honey (Arboretum Detroit) guided us through native grass and flower meadow restoration areas. After a delicious farm-to-table lunch from Pink Flamingo, teachers worked with community partners to co-create powerful PBE. Thank you to Jenna Sabalboro, Boggs School teacher for sharing how she used the PBE sequence to guide student inquiry and action in her middle school math classes. Additional thanks go to partners from The Ecology Center, Green Living Science, the US Forest Service, Michigan DNR’s Outdoor Adventure Center, and the Huron River Watershed Council for joining us today!
Jon Kent from Sanctuary Farms and Sacred Spaces (left). Callahan Bird Park (right)
Detroit Arboretum Circle Forest (left). SEMIS Coalition Community Partners. (right)
Wednesday, July 29
Day 3 of the SEMIS Summer Institute took us to Midtown Detroit, where we were hosted by the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. What an unforgettable day! Enormous shout-out to DIA educators, Tyler and Morgan, for leading us in a tour of Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry Murals and teaching us about Visual Thinking Strategies. In the afternoon, we had the privilege of hearing from Leslie Tom, Chief Sustainability Officer at the Wright Museum, about how the Wright is a national leader in sustainability, green infrastructure, and community-centered design. We left the day inspired by the important role our cultural institutions play in place-based learning. Wow! Thank you, Tyler, Morgan, and Leslie!
DIA Visual Thinking Strategies (left). DIA Detroit Industry Murals (right)
Leslie Tom, Wright Museum (left). Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History (right)
Thursday, July 30:
On Day 4, we focused on two key anchors of PBE: Understanding of Place and Informed Civic Engagement and Action. Our morning traveling dialogue took us to sites in Ypsilanti that have been impacted by a history of industrial land use. Katie Jones, Manager of Strategic Communications, Economic Development & Equity for the City of Ypsilanti, talked to us about brownfield redevelopment at Water Street and how residents can participate in local decision-making. At North Hydro Park, we walked along the Huron River and reflected on how the creation of the Ford Lake Dam has changed the landscape. Beth Gibbons, Director of the Washtenaw County Resiliency Office, met us at the American Mobility Center/historic Willow Run site in Ypsilanti Township and talked about the challenges that the construction of data centers bring to our communities. Back at EMU, we enjoyed a delicious lunch from FedUp Ministries and participated in a fishbowl-style discussion about the challenging emotions that civic issues bring up for both students and educators. We were incredibly fortunate to have Dr. Jessica Swan, Assistant Professor of Teacher Education at EMU, and Megan Mueller Johnson from the Neutral Zone share their insights and expertise during the fishbowl reflections. Huge thanks to Katie, Beth, Jessica, and Megan for joining us today!
Katie Jones, City of Ypsilanti (left), Huron River, Ford Lake Dam (middle), Fishbowl discussion (right)
Friday, July 31
Day 5 of the SEMIS Summer Institute wrapped up a fantastic week of place-based learning and relationship building across our Coalition. After a morning of planning, butter-making, community partner consultations, and a pizza party, we were bursting with ideas for the coming year. A highlight of our final day is the Awards Ceremony– our opportunity to honor the exemplary contributions of our members. This year we were thrilled to celebrate these incredible educators:
- Bill Albrecht, Mumford High School Teacher: Powerful Place-Based Educator Award
- Sue Stanley, Salina Elementary Principal: Outstanding Contributions to the SEMIS Coalition Award
- Laura McKinstry, Ford STEAM Early Learning Center STEAM Coach: Dedication to Place-Based Education Award
- Liz Glynn & Lee Smith Bravender, Matthaei Botanical Gardens: Powerful Place-Based Partnerships Award
- Alistair Bomphray, University of Michigan Marsal Family School of Education and The School at Marygrove: Outstanding Administrative Support of Place-Based Teaching Award
We are grateful to everyone who joined us in making this week so special and we’re already looking forward to gathering again this fall. Thank you!
(left) Making butter, (right) Planning Time
