In order for 21st century institutions to survive, they must embrace generational change and sustainability. And that starts with education and innovation. 

This was a main topic during a panel discussion that consisted of area teachers who are alumni of the Dow Innovation Teacher Fellowship, a program that supports K-12 teachers with designing sustainability-focused units. Community leaders and teachers attended the November 30 event that took place at Delta’s Downtown Midland Center, where retired Dow chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris delivered the event’s keynote speech. 

Liveris discussed the shifts in the global economy and technology, and stressed the importance of educators’ roles in advancing sustainability education and initiatives. 

“It’s about partnerships, regional collaboration, internships and reskilling the workforce,” Liveris said. “Sustainability is not a buzzword. The thought of growth at all costs needs to be readdressed for the survival of the planet, and current governance and geopolitical institutions are not making decisions fast enough. The answer is people aligning around the issue.” 

The fellowship, which was established in 2018, is a partnership between Delta, Dow Chemical Company Foundation and the University of Michigan School of Education’s Center for Education, Design, Evaluation and Research. It is facilitated through the Andrew N. Liveris Institute, housed at the Downtown Midland Center.  

Liveris said the human engine is the heart of innovation. 

“Research and development require brains plus application to solve problems. Science plus art equals creativity,” he said. 

Integrating sustainability into lesson plans

Several alumni of the program discussed their fellowship projects during the event. 

Phil Schwedler
Eighth grade social studies teacher, Freeland Middle School
Designed a lesson plan that focuses on land use and impacts of industrialization in Saginaw County. His students participated in litter cleanups and he took his students on a field trip to revitalized sites in Saginaw. 

Kari Keith
Sixth grade teacher, White Pine Middle School
Created a lesson on water quality in the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge. During the pandemic, she took her students on a virtual field trip to the refuge via Google Earth. 

Jessica Marcet
Math teacher, New Lothrop Jr./Sr. High School
Created a unit that focused on waste and recycling, and assigned her students to develop solutions.