As a senior studying Integrated Science and Elementary Education at Grand Valley State University, Tara Eilers is having the experience of a lifetime.

Eilers, an undergraduate intern at the Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute, has had the opportunity to combine her love for teaching and science as she helps facilitate the Water Resources Outreach Education Program. Since the program began in 1986, more than 138,000 students and community members have taken part in a unique hands-on experience right on Michigan’s Great Lakes.

“This has been a wonderful experience,” Eilers said. “I love being able to teach all different ages and get hands-on experience with both education and science.”

Eilers demostrates how water moves depending on its temperature in the Lake Michigan Center classroom.

Teaching student groups in the classroom and giving boat tours on Lake Michigan are just a few of Eilers’ responsibilities at AWRI. “The best part about working at AWRI is integrating with students and helping them get to that ‘ah-ha’ moment while working through different activities,” she said.

Janet Vail, Associate Research Scientist, has been in charge of the Outreach Education Program for 16 years. “With the program, we are really trying to show kids a part of science that they don’t often get to see,” Vail said. “Ultimately, we want to get students excited about learning and possibly look at science and engineering as a future career.”

Eilers recognizes the importance of taking care of our freshwater resources and wants to help ensure that younger generations are aware of potential problems.

“We educate these students so that they are able to better help the community and understand the importance of our water resources,” Eilers said. “It's best when we start them out young."

According to Eilers, the new field station at AWRI will not only advance the work that’s being done at the institute, but it will make a difference in her student tours of the research facilities.

“We take groups through the field station all the time. With the new field station, we will be able to give students a better idea of what we do at AWRI,” she said. “We’re Grand Valley, we’re a grand place, and our facilities should reflect that.”

The Outreach Education Program focuses on teaching kids about preserving the freshwater that surrounds them.

A group of students work on a hands-on watershed activity as part of a class field trip.

The deckhand and a student on an educational cruise on the W.G. Jackson are preparing Van Dorn bottles for water sampling.

Grand Valley's two vessels reach ports all around Lake Michigan. Here, a West Michigan family catches a tour from Chicago.

Vail explains the Lake Michigan Lakewide Management Plan to a group on the D.J. Angus in Grand Haven.

A group of students explore the activities available on one of the research and education vessels.