The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is offering a brand-new Fellowship program for K-12 educators in the 2026-2027 school year, funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. 

The Great Lakes Green Schools Fellowship will support a cohort of 30 Michigan K-12 educators in a year-long fellowship focused on helping them implement Great Lakes Literacy Principles in ways that will support their buildings’ Michigan Green Schools certification. Benefits of the Fellowship include:

• A mix of virtual and in-person professional development opportunities around Great Lakes science and Great Lakes Literacy Principles.
• Training around best practices in place-based environmental stewardship education.
• Networking with Great Lakes scientists and leaders to increase environmental career awareness.
• Funding for registration and travel to two in-person Fellowship workshops (October 1, 2026 and Winter 2027).
• Funding for registration and travel to two in-person conferences:
• • The Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education annual conference in Flint on October 2-4, 2026.
  • The Michigan Student Sustainability Summit in Spring 2027.
• Approximately $1,500 in funding to support youth-led Great Lakes stewardship action projects in Fellows’ schools.  

Apply Now

Applications due by May 31, 2026.

For questions about the Michigan Green Schools program, reach out to Samantha Lichtenwald at EGLE-MI-Green-Schools@Michigan.gov or 517-914-1257.

MI Green Schools Category 4: Miscellaneous, Activity 4. Observing earth day by participating in an earth day event in April

As Earth Day approaches, many people want to do something meaningful, but it is not always clear where to start. Supporting educators is one powerful way to create lasting impact.

SubjectToClimate created an Earth Day Teacher Guide to make climate learning accessible, practical, and easy to use in classrooms, no matter a teacher’s background or comfort level with climate topics. When teachers have simple, high-quality tools, students benefit from engaging, hopeful learning experiences.

Want to learn more about the Michigan Climate Education Hub? Reach out to Bridget Booth, Michigan State Lead, at bridget.booth@subjecttoclimate.org. 

Four Michigan schools reduce waste and forever chemicals in food service while saving money!

Corresponding MI Green Schools Category and Activity: Reduce/Reuse/Recycle - Waste-free lunch program

We ReUSE is helping Michigan schools implement reusable foodware programs. This opportunity is supported by a partnership with Plastic Free Restaurants and the State of Michigan's Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy Circular Economy Grant.

Click here to read the case studies.

Free assistance is available to help Michigan schools apply for a subsidy, reducing costs by 50-80%.

Interested in learning more? Contact Connie at Connie@wewillreuse.com.

Watch the webinar recording

View the speaker slides

Join the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) for a virtual webinar to kick off the 2025-2026 MI Green Schools year.  Get inspired through presentations that highlight MI Green Schools activities, partners, and students.

This webinar is geared towards Michigan public and private school students, teachers, staff, and administrators interested in learning how their school can achieve environmental stewardship designation. Local and regional community partners are also encouraged to view the webinar to gain insights on how they can support schools in this journey.

Please reach out to Sam Lichtenwald at LichtenwaldS@Michigan.gov for any questions.