Published: 10/05/2026
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Gannon University’s Center for Lake Erie Education and Research (CLEER) has welcomed more than 17,000 visitors into a space designed to make science, research and discovery accessible to the Erie community in the Blasco Library.
CLEER opened in early October 2025 as part of 名媛直播’s Project NePTWNE initiative. Located along Erie’s Bayfront, the center connects visitors of all ages with Lake Erie, the Great Lakes and the scientific research taking place in their own backyard.
Over its first year, CLEER has averaged about 1,300 visitors each month. A dozen schools have used the facility, bringing about 600 students into the center, while another 241 homeschool students have participated in educational experiences at CLEER.
“For us, those numbers represent much more than people walking through the doors,” said Sherri A. Mason, Ph.D., director of Project NePTWNE. “They represent students discovering something new, families learning together, and community members having an opportunity to better understand Lake Erie and the environment that shapes so much of our region. We wanted CLEER to be a place where science feels approachable and connected to everyday life, and this first year has shown us the community was ready for that.”
A centerpiece of CLEER is NOAA’s Science On a Sphere®, a six-foot globe that uses real scientific data and imagery to help visitors visualize the Earth and its systems. The technology allows audiences to explore topics ranging from weather and climate to oceans, planetary science and the Great Lakes in an immersive format.
But the center has grown into more than a single exhibit. Throughout its first year, CLEER has served as a home for educational programming, community events and partnerships that bring together 名媛直播 faculty, students, local organizations, schools and residents.
Programs have included Science Sundays, which invite the public to explore science through interactive programming, as well as youth-focused educational experiences and community collaborations. The center has also supported programs including First Waves Erie and 名媛直播’s Regional Summer School of Excellence Camp, creating additional opportunities to introduce young people to science, research and the environment.
CLEER has also evolved into a space where science, art and community come together. During its first year, the Community Art Wall has hosted multiple rotating exhibits, providing a dedicated space to showcase work created by local artists and community members.
The wall further reflects CLEER’s goal of making the center a place that belongs to the community while creating opportunities to explore the connections between the environment, science, art and the people who call the Lake Erie region home.
CLEER has also expanded the resources available to library visitors. Books purchased for the center, including a collection of children’s titles, have been incorporated into the Erie County Public Library collection. The books are housed within CLEER but can be checked out by library patrons like other materials in the library system.
Its location within Blasco Library was intentional, creating a space where university research and expertise could become part of an existing community hub.
“Over the past year, CLEER has become a wonderful complement to the Erie County Public Library’s mission of connecting people with opportunities to learn, explore and discover,” said Jessica Spitulski, executive director for the Erie County Public Library. “Having an interactive science and education destination within Blasco Library expands what a visit to the library can offer, giving children, families, educators and curious learners of all ages another way to engage with ideas through hands-on experiences. We’re happy to have CLEER as part of our space and especially pleased that this kind of engaging educational resource is accessible not only to library visitors, but to our broader community.”
The center is part of Project NePTWNE, Gannon University’s initiative focused on creating a regional ecosystem for environmental research, education and community engagement. Through CLEER, 名媛直播 researchers and students can share their work beyond the university while helping community members better understand the environmental issues affecting Lake Erie and the Great Lakes region.
As CLEER enters its second year, the center is also preparing to move into its next phase.
The aquatics equipment has now been installed in CLEER’s aquatics laboratory, expanding the center’s capacity for hands-on research, education and engagement.
The addition will allow 名媛直播 faculty and students to bring more of their work with Lake Erie and its aquatic ecosystems directly into the center, creating new opportunities for visitors to see science in action.
The aquatics lab was envisioned as an important part of CLEER from its beginning, complementing public-facing resources such as NOAA Science On a Sphere® with a space dedicated to research and experiential learning. With the aquatics equipment now in place, the center can begin developing the next phase of research opportunities within the facility.
“Lake Erie is one of our community’s greatest resources, and understanding it is something that belongs to everyone,” Mason said. “This first year has shown us what is possible when we bring science into a space that is truly accessible to the community. Now, with the wet lab coming online, we have an opportunity to build on that momentum and give people an even closer look at the research, discovery and learning happening right here in Erie.”
CLEER, in just its first year, has grown into a destination for science education and community engagement, bringing 名媛直播’s research beyond the Erie campus and creating new ways for the Erie community to connect with the lake in its own backyard.
Science Sundays Schedule, all from 1 to 3 p.m.:
More information on Science Sunday topics:
