# Urban Wetlands: Partnership Building for Community-based Conservation Education

> **NSF 04002526DB NSF STEM Education** · Michigan State University (MI) · $148,765

## Abstract

This Partnership Development and Planning project seeks to build a collaboration focused on community perspectives and needs related to wetlands in Metro Detroit. The partnership includes watershed non-profit organizations (WNGOs), Michigan State University professionals, and local community members. The project will consist of two major activities:1) bi-monthly, facilitated meetings between university researchers and WNGOs; 2) a 2-day conference incorporating community voices from across Metro Detroit. Full participation of a range of organizations and community members, with varying expertise, will forefront interests, goals, and perspectives ensuring informal STEM education plans and activities related to wetlands will address community needs. This process will also, via knowledge-sharing, increase participants' scientific literacy and engagement. 

The project will employ a participatory action research (PAR) approach to partnership development through facilitated listening, sharing and planning sessions to integrate knowledge, perspectives, experiences, and goals with respect to wetlands and water quality. The project has a deliberate emphasis on developing a long-term, mutually beneficial, and sustainable community-led partnership. A strength of this project is that it uses PAR for nested partnership, organizational, and individual capacity building. Insights gained from PAR to develop a partnership, and the Search Conference model will provide a procedural and pract

## Key facts

- **NSF award ID:** 2517389
- **Awardee organization:** Michigan State University (MI)
- **SAM.gov UEI:** R28EKN92ZTZ9
- **PI:** Emily Pomeranz
- **Primary program:** 04002526DB NSF STEM Education
- **All programs:** Translational Research, CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOPS, Broaden Particip STEM Resrch, STEM Learning & Learning Environments
- **Estimated total:** $148,765
- **Funds obligated:** $148,765
- **Transaction type:** Standard Grant
- **Period:** 09/15/2025 → 02/28/2027

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2517389

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2517389, Urban Wetlands: Partnership Building for Community-based Conservation Education. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-08 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2517389. Licensed CC0.

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