In August, I had the honor of speaking at the American Great Lakes Ports Association Annual Meeting in Chicago. As I shared our evolving mission with industry leaders from across the region, one thing became clear: there’s a growing need—and growing excitement—for collaborative spaces that honor the past and actively shape the future. That’s the role we’re stepping into. That’s the opportunity we’re inviting everyone to join, because the strength of our region lies not just in our water, ports, or infrastructure, but in our people and partnerships.

Getting the Word Out 

One of the clearest expressions of this evolution is our annual Maritime Career Day, which will return on Tuesday, October 28, 2025. What began in 2024 as a way to introduce local students to maritime careers has already grown into something more dynamic, a collaborative platform for career exploration, industry storytelling and workforce development. We’re becoming builders of the future, industry partners working to strengthen the Great Lakes workforce and ensure the maritime story continues, not only through artifacts, but through action.

Last year’s event welcomed hundreds of high school students from across northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan. They toured vessels, learned about careers across the Great Lakes and had real conversations with maritime professionals, from the U.S. Coast Guard and shipping experts, to travel and tourism industry and environmental representatives. For many of these students, it was the first time they realized there might be a future for them on our lakes. This year, we’re scaling up. In addition to expanding our daylong school programming, we’re adding an afternoon community open house to reach career changers, educators and job seekers.

To some, it might seem unusual for a museum to be leading a workforce initiative, but, for us, it’s a natural extension of our mission. The maritime story of the Great Lakes isn’t confined to the past. It’s unfolding every day in your ports, on your vessels and through your workforce. Our role is to help document that, share it with the public and make sure the next generation sees a place for themselves in it.

Highlighting a Legacy 

That’s why our efforts go far beyond Toledo. Yes, our building sits along the Maumee River, but our scope spans all five lakes, both nations and every corner of this region’s maritime network. Through our exhibitions, oral histories and archives, we highlight the legacies of Thunder Bay and Milwaukee just as much as we do Cleveland and Detroit. Our recent Second Wave Expansion added more than 5,000 square feet of new space, including a flexible education and event center specifically designed to host programs like Maritime Career Day and convene Great Lakes conversations that matter.

We believe that this kind of collaboration—between history and industry, past and future—is essential. It helps ensure that maritime voices are heard, honored and amplified in spaces where they may otherwise be overlooked. And it helps young people from coastal towns and inland communities alike understand that the Great Lakes are not just scenic. They’re strategic, full of meaningful careers and opportunities.

As we look ahead to this year’s event, we invite ports, shipping companies, maritime associations and educators from both the United States and Canada to get involved. Exhibit tables, sponsorship opportunities and presentation slots are now available, and we’re ready to work with any organization that shares our commitment to investing in the region’s future workforce.

Ultimately, this isn’t just about student engagement. It’s about creating a sense of shared purpose. It’s about reminding all of us that the Great Lakes are not only a transportation corridor. They are a living, working system powered by people whose stories deserve to be told, whose careers shape our region and whose futures may depend on the spark of inspiration found in places like a museum.

These are our waters, our work and our responsibility. The Great Lakes story belongs to all of us. Let’s tell it—together. If you’d like to be part of Maritime Career Day this October or simply explore how we can partner to tell your story, please reach out or visit nmgl.org/careerday. Because when we work together, we don’t just preserve maritime heritage. We go beyond the maritime exhibits and build a maritime future. 

Kate Fineske is the executive director of the National Museum of the Great Lakes.