As a regional environmental center: to foster people's connection to plants, animals, and habitats of northern Michigan; to deepen their knowledge of the natural world; and to inspire in them a sense of responsibility for their place in nature.
As a regional mathematics and science center: to provide excellent support, services and programs in science and math to K-12 students , teachers, and community residents in our 5-county service area.
At SEE-North, education:
SEE-North serves schools and communities in Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, Otsego and Presque Isle Counties. We also work outside our region through grants and contracts.
Residential Programs (1,000 1st-5th grade students). Day and overnight field trips to SEE-North provide a rich opportunity for students to increase their appreciation and knowledge of science, math, and the environment through hands-on explorations and experiments.
Environmental Learning for the Future (ELF) (1,800 K- 5th grade students; 120 adult volunteers). SEE-North's ELF program trains volunteers who partner with a classroom for one year, visiting the students each month to facilitate hands-on activities about science and the environment. This approach supports on-going, cumulative learning, and makes efficient use of organizational resources, and helps strengthen school-community partnerships.
DTE Water Studies Institute (300 middle and high school students). In collaboration with the DTE Energy Foundation, the Northeast Michigan Council of Governments, the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation and the Charlevoix County Community Foundation, SEE-North helps teachers learn about northern Michigan's water resources and then conduct place-based projects with their students back at school. SEE-North also facilitates a network of classes that studies water quality in our region's lakes, rivers and streams. Through both of these initiatives, students learn about resource ecology, contribute important information to their communities, and gain experience as environmental stewards.
Services for Educators (1,500 hours of professional development for 200 K-12th grade teachers). Our programs and services for educators emphasize a job-embedded, collegial approach. They include formal professional development programs, on-going study groups, electronic listserves, and a lending library of instructional materials and equipment that support the standards and benchmarks of the Michigan Curriculum Framework.
NorthWings (2,000 people of all ages). It's a thrill for any person to see a live bird of prey up close. SEE-North's cadre of education birds spark new learning and enrich ongoing studies of ecology, biology, and natural history. NorthWings programs are presented as part of Residential and Day Visits, in classrooms, and to community groups.
Family Math & Science Nights (2,000 3rd-6th grade students and family members). SEE-North invites local families to explore intriguing concepts in chemistry, math, and physics in an atmosphere which emphasizes adults and children working and learning as a team. Programs are hosted by local schools and funded by the schools, themselves, or by PTOs, civic clubs or private donations.
Community Education (900 people). SEE-North offers a variety of classes in every season that provide people with opportunities to learn more about the environment. Recent topics have included winter ecology, birds, mushrooms, meteorology, and geology.
Twelfth Night (500 participants of all ages). Legend has it that on magical winter evenings, animals can speak to humans. At SEE-North, creatures use this gift to tell visitors about their habitats, feeding habits and other life history information. Presented along a candlelit trail, this program has become a holiday tradition for many families.
SEE-North was established in 1986 to improve and enhance science and environmental education in northern Michigan. The success of a two-year pilot project based at the University of Michigan Biological Station on Douglas Lake documented a strong need for SEE-North's services.
In 1988, as attention at the local, state, and national levels focused on the issue of science literacy, we obtained a three-year grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to maintain SEE-North's existing activities and to explore new initiatives. Since then, funding from other sources has allowed staff members to undertake additional projects.
In 1989, we were designated one of 25 Michigan Regional Math and Science Centers. There are now 33 regional Centers. Collectively, Centers work with every school district in Michigan to improve mathematics and science education in schools and communities.
SEE-North became an independent nonprofit organization in 1992 and moved from the Biological Station to Camp Daggett. In 1997, NorthWings was added to our array of programs and services. In 1999, we relocated to downtown Petoskey. In May 2003, we launched a $1.25 million Capital Campaign to establish two permanent facilities for math, science and environmental education in northern Michigan. The first of these, the SEE-North Exploration Center opened in November 2004. The second, the SEE-North Center for Outdoor Studies, will be opened upon completion of the Capital Campaign.