The Great Lakes are a vital freshwater network providing drinking water and recreation to 28 million people. Containing one fifth of the world’s fresh surface water— making up the largest fresh surface water system on Earth—the five lakes anchor numerous regional industries while supporting a host of unique species and ecosystems.

: Fresh Water Institute fellows observe water filter infrastructure at the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.Massive and awe-inspiring though they are, the Great Lakes are at risk of demise if we don’t protect them. Enter Cuyahoga County’s Fresh Water Institute, a program introducing a new generation of stewards to a crucial natural asset.

The institute, which celebrated its one-year anniversary in December, aims to integrate sustainability and environmental health into daily life. Fellowships and community programs are the engines for this mission, advancing water safety, career development, and ecological leadership.

“We have a global treasure to protect and preserve—that is our responsibility,” says Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne. “We need to figure out collectively that the greatest threat to the lakes are human beings, so the more we can do to mitigate these issues, the better. We want everyone rowing in the same direction.”

With an emphasis on the next wave of water leaders, Cuyahoga County officials introduced more than 10,000 residents to the Fresh Water Institute last year. Institute interns championed the region’s water economy and the agencies that safeguard the Great Lakes. In the meantime, the initiative hosted 28 students from 17 public and private high schools for seven-month fellowships.

The fellowship program immersed participants in Great Lakes history and the region’s blue economy. The institute also collaborated with groups like AquaMissions to expand countywide swimming safety programs. To date, the effort has reached 1,425 Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Warrensville Heights City School District students.

Given Cleveland’s checkered history around its waterways, local leaders know there’s no room to go backward, notes Ronayne.

“There’s a heightened responsibility here to be an advocate for water,” Ronayne says. “There’s a story to tell that students must know.”

From joke to national model

The 1969 Cuyahoga River fire not only inspired jokes on late-night television, it also sparked passage of the Clean Water Act, the primary U.S. federal law regulating water pollution. Today, Cuyahoga County’s new institute acts as a laboratory for both historical accountability and future leadership, says program director Emily Bacha.

Institute fellows participated in hands-on learning to advance freshwater research, innovation and sustainability.“We represent all of Cuyahoga County with great intention,” she says. “It’s about introducing our youth to the Great Lakes, plus building up our water workforce with an emphasis on access.”

Laurel School senior Asale Jones served as an institute fellow last year, inspired by the universal, yet unevenly distributed, right to environmental protection. Jones only had the barest understanding of this subject before attending Laurel, she says.

“Stuff like this is not taught at public schools,” says Jones, a South Euclid resident. “I didn’t know about environmental justice, or that it was something people could advocate for. You can’t care for something you know nothing about. This program did a great job of teaching me and igniting that spark.”

During her fellowship, Jones learned of the disproportionate impact that pollution and climate change has on minority communities. While crises like Flint’s lead contamination dominate the headlines, “tree inequity” remains a quieter, yet still devastating, threat to public health.

Fresh Water Institute fellows learned about the diminishing tree canopy and 'tree inequity.'Cleveland communities have significantly less tree canopy than more affluent suburbs, contributing to poor air quality and an array of associated health problems.

During her summer fellowship, Jones measured oxygen and acidity levels off Kellys Island – she and her classmates also learned about water-related careers, from biotech to fishery work to study of the marine ecosystem.

For her part, Jones will pursue history and environmental studies at a to-be-determined college. A career advocating for the health and safety of underserved urban neighborhoods has special appeal for the former resident of Cleveland proper.

“[The institute] made me think about career possibilities, and jobs that revolve around our lake,” Jones says. “You don’t have to leave Cleveland to make money doing this.”

Institute leadership is thrilled by the strong community engagement that defined the program’s inaugural year. Director Bacha says she expects that energy to carry into 2026.

“Students are enthusiastic about programming, and partners throughout the region are eager to collaborate,” says Bacha. “We’re proud of our achievements to date and excited to build on this momentum heading into the new year.”