The Ohio Lake Erie Office administers the Lake Erie Protection Fund and organizes Ohio's annual Coastweeks celebration. Fortner and Jax introduced Ohio teachers to Coastweeks in an August program at Old Woman Creek in Huron, Ohio. Teachers participated in four courses that assisted them in using the materials and methods of the Ohio Sea Grant and Earth Systems Education programs, and in evaluating their effectiveness. The teachers held open houses in their schools to demonstrate the program to other teachers in their area. The schools tested their students before and after teacher education programs, and compared them with schools not participating in teacher education.
Results demonstrate the value of teacher workshops in enhancing student learning.