LSSU’s first year experience program builds connections
More than 30 incoming Lakers in Lake Superior State University’s College of Great Lakes Ecology and Education spent a day exploring Sault Ste. Marie. Students kayaked to Rotary Island and also worked alongside the Sault Ste. Marie Downtown Development Authority on a community beautification project.
More than 30 incoming Lakers in Lake Superior State University’s College of Great Lakes Ecology and Education spent a day exploring Sault Ste. Marie. Students kayaked to Rotary Island and also worked alongside the Sault Ste. Marie Downtown Development Authority on a community beautification project.
More than 30 incoming Lakers in Lake Superior State University’s College of Great Lakes Ecology and Education spent a day exploring Sault Ste. Marie. Students kayaked to Rotary Island and also worked alongside the Sault Ste. Marie Downtown Development Authority on a community beautification project.
More than 30 incoming Lakers in Lake Superior State University’s College of Great Lakes Ecology and Education spent a day exploring Sault Ste. Marie. Students kayaked to Rotary Island and also worked alongside the Sault Ste. Marie Downtown Development Authority on a community beautification project.
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SAULT STE. MARIE -- Before their first semester begins, more than 30 incoming Lake Superior State University students in the College of Great Lakes Ecology and Education spent a day exploring Sault Ste. Marie, connecting with their new classmates, and contributing to the community.
The college's second-annual "CoGLEE Connections" first-year experience program brought incoming students together for a day of activities designed to help them explore the region, build relationships, and become connected to the Sault Ste. Marie community.
The event began with a sunrise hike up Mission Hill before students headed downtown to work alongside the Sault Ste. Marie Downtown Development Authority on a community beautification project.
Students made their mark downtown and assisted with sidewalk painting and garden clean-up projects, which were coordinated by local artist and teacher Tracy Menard and Bird's Eye co-owner Wilda Hopper. Bird's Eye also sponsored refreshments all day for the group.
Students continued their day on the water with a kayak trip at Rotary Island before gathering for lunch at LSSU's Center for Freshwater Research and Education. Lunch was sponsored by Bob Arfstrom.
"CoGLEE Connections is about much more than welcoming students to campus. We want our new students to begin building a relationship with the community around them from the moment they arrive," said Dr. Ashley Moerke, dean of the College of Great Lakes Ecology and Education. "By partnering with the DDA and local businesses and community members, students get to experience Sault Ste. Marie while also making a tangible contribution to the place they will soon call home."
The DDA partnership gives students an opportunity to become directly involved in the community while introducing them to the downtown area. Through the beautification projects, students will leave behind a visible mark on the community as they begin their LSSU experience.
Local support from businesses and community members helps make this event a success by connecting students with the broader Sault Ste. Marie community and providing opportunities for local organizations and businesses to welcome the newest members of the Lakers. LSSU plans to grow the community partnership and create opportunities throughout the year to connect students and help them build a broader and supportive community.
The event reflects the College of Great Lakes Ecology and Education's emphasis on connecting students with the Great Lakes region and the communities surrounding it.