Leah Kirchhoff standing on a Lake Superior shoreline
Project GL · Great Lakes

The lakes are the story.

Project GL is a nonprofit educational outreach initiative dedicated to connecting people with the rich maritime history of the Great Lakes. Through immersive experiences, we invite people of all ages to dive into the stories, history, and heritage of the Great Lakes.

Discover. Learn. Protect.

Drop anchor, join the journey

Photo: Leah Kirchhoff

Anatomy of a Session

Four movements, from the pilothouse to the lakebed.

  1. 01

    The Lakes, Right Now

    We open with today, freighters moving iron ore, stone, and coal across the Great Lakes every day.

  2. 02

    The Barker & Interlake

    A research trip aboard the M/V Kaye E. Barker offers a firsthand look at Great Lakes shipping, from life aboard a working freighter to the movement of cargo across the Lakes.

  3. 03

    Tracking the Fleet

    We open MarineTraffic and follow the freighters live, who is underway, who is stacked at the Soo, and where their cargo is headed.

  4. 04

    Under the Waves

    We drop below the surface for an immersive experience exploring GLSPS 3D shipwreck models.

Leah Kirchhoff presenting a Project GL session to a classroom of students
Photo: Sandy Knoll Elementary School
Students working with 3D shipwreck models on tablets
Photo: Sandy Knoll Elementary School
Two students examining a model on a tablet during a Project GL session
Photo: Sandy Knoll Elementary School

We begin with what’s happening on the Great Lakes today, then track the Barker and other Great Lakes freighters live on MarineTraffic. From there, we dive below the surface to explore 3D shipwreck models from the Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society (GLSPS).

See what's underway →
Live Tracking

Watch the water in real time.

MarineTraffic in the session

Every vessel with an AIS transponder broadcasts its position, heading, speed, and destination. In session, we pull up the Barker, find who's stacked at the Soo, and follow a salty out of the Welland.

  • Green trianglesCargo, the ore boats and bulk carriers
  • Red trianglesTankers
  • PurpleTugs and workboats
  • Blue / tealCoast Guard cutters & special craft
Year One Impact Report

575

+92%

Students Reached

08

Schools Welcomed

Project GL by the Numbers
Project GL badge
Charting the Course

Eight states. One connected freshwater system.

Project GL began in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and is built to travel. The mission is to reach communities in every state that borders these lakes, because the story of the inland seas doesn't stop at a shoreline or a school district.

  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • New York
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • Wisconsin

In person · Shore to shore across the Great Lakes