Connecting Freshwater Leaders Beyond the Great Lakes

About this grant

Chicago is the largest Great Lakes city on the U.S. side of the border and is home to many regional and national environmental organizations with programs focused on protecting and restoring the Great Lakes. These organizations have few connections with the low-income neighborhoods bordering certain lakefront and riverfront areas. The University of Illinois-Chicago’s Freshwater Lab recruits students from these communities and helps connect them to freshwater organizations based in the downtown area. With Mott support, the grantee will help its students build real-world skills related to freshwater policy, collaborate with community-based organizations to address Great Lakes challenges, and connect freshwater organizations with a new pipeline of talent. The grantee will also expand its successful educational model to at least three other higher education institutions across the region.