The Great Lakes Odyssey 2
March 24-31, 2026
In collaboration with Save the Dunes, the National Park Service (Great Lakes Research and Education Center), and Expeditions in Education with funding provided by the National Park Foundation.
Our Great Lakes Odyssey 2 adventure has concluded. However, you can still access all the resources and livestream recordings on the individual park pages linked on this page or in the menu above.

We Have a Theme Song!!

The Great Lakes Odyssey 2
Mission Statement:
Explore. Learn. Protect. The Great Lakes Odyssey is a multi-year adventure connecting students and educators to the science, stories, and stewardship of the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem. Together, we journey across national parks that border the Great Lakes, learning from rangers, scientists, and the land itself — and stepping into the role of freshwater protectors for generations to come.
Purpose: 
The Great Lakes Odyssey was created to bring learning beyond classroom walls and into the living landscapes of America’s national parks. Through real scientific research, place-based storytelling, and hands-on challenges, participants explore how the Great Lakes were formed, how they sustain life, and what threats they face today.

But this program is about more than knowledge. It is about wonder. Responsibility. Hope. By building personal connections to these extraordinary places, we inspire participants to care deeply — and to take action.
Year One: Discovering the Great Lakes
Our first year launched an unforgettable expedition to national park sites that tell the foundational story of the Great Lakes region. Participants explored: Through these parks, we discovered the geological forces that shaped the lakes, the human stories that unfolded along their shores, and the delicate balance that keeps these waters alive.
Year Two: Protecting the Great Lakes
In Year Two, we continue the journey — shifting from discovery to stewardship. Our expedition travels to: Students will travel across three national parks of the Great Lakes region, discovering how landscapes adapt, recover, and reshape themselves over time. The journey moves: 
  • from northern forests

  • to shifting dunes

  • to engineered wetlands
Revealing that every ecosystem — and every change — is part of a living story.
Our Partners
The Great Lakes Odyssey is sponsored by the Great Lakes Research and Education Center and Save The Dunes, and made possible through a generous grant from the National Park Foundation. Together with park rangers, scientists, educators, and students across the country, we are building a community committed to protecting our greatest freshwater treasure.
This content was developed by Expeditions in Education in collaboration with the National Park Service. Interpretive perspectives are educational in nature and do not represent official NPS policy.
Permissions:
Expeditions in Education gives you permission to use our materials as-is. Logos and names from the documents must remain.
Please provide credit and link back to our website when using our resources.
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​Expeditions In Education, INC is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.   ​EIN: 85-1846134
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