A STEM-based adventure is kicking off soon in the Great Lakes Bay Region, aimed at getting families and kids engaged in local out-of-school-time learning activities during winter break! Organized by the Great Lakes Bay Region STEM Pipeline in collaboration with Go Great Lakes Bay Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Mt. Pleasant CVB, the StayCation is a series of free STEM events to enjoy during spring break. The STEM Pipeline website also provides a dynamic calendar for parents, teachers and caregivers to access other STEM-based activities and events in the region.
Prizes are available thanks to donations from Go Great Lakes Bay, the Mt. Pleasant Convention and Visitors Bureau and other regional partners for those who post a picture on Facebook at one of the free events, passport locations or STEM activities listed on the STEM Pipeline website’s calendar. Simply tag STEM Pipeline (@stempipeline). One picture per location equals one entry and chance to win per post running March 23 through April 7.
Six opportunities this season for free entry on the following dates:
- March 23rd, 24th, and 30th | Chippewa Nature Center An Afternoon at the Sugarhouse Discover the magic of maple syrup season from 1pm to 4pm as you experience the process of making syrup from start to finish during this drop-in program. Visitors are invited to peek in buckets on tapped trees, watch the steam rise in the sugarhouse and learn how to change maple sap into sweet maple syrup.
- March 27 | T.A. Cutler Memorial Library Join Rockets Away: Space Exploration from 10:30am to 2:30pm. In advance of the solar eclipse in April 2024, stop at the library to learn more about the solar system and outer space. Children between the ages of 3 and 13 are invited to create a papercraft rocket, select an informational bookmark about space, and help decorate a rocket playhouse that will remain set up in the children’s room from March 28th to April 9th. Books and videos for all ages about the solar system, space travel, and rocketry will be on display for easy access and check-out. This is a free event open to all ages, although the craft project will be limited to ages 3 to 12 and the first 95 participants. Children ages 6 and below must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, call 989-681-5141 or email [email protected].
- March 28: The Castle Museum and Delta Kids is hosting a Weather Wonders event from 11am to 1pm. Kids will have the opportunity to learn about and do weather experiments, including crafts.
- March 29 | Million Girl Moonshot Ecstatic about STEM Event Join us as we explore several different areas of STEM. Students will have an opportunity to empower one another, investigate coding, drones and circuits, go behind the scenes of PBS, and get hands on with the STEM Explorer. 9am to 2pm at Delta College University Main Campus G/H Parking.
- April 3 | Bay County Historical Museum + Delta Kids/Michigan Learning Channel Event Ever wonder what it looks like to build something taller than you with recycled materials? Join Delta Kids at the Museum as they will be providing different engineering design challenges. Each challenge will provide students with a task. Using recycled materials students will create different structures to complete the task. 1pm-2pm for elementary age children.
- April 4 | Mt. Pleasant Discovery Museum Join Fun with Gravity for a hands-on event, while you harness the power of gravity for a fun, engaging time from 10am to 2pm.
- April 6 | CMU Center for Excellence Family Make Families create and connect using the tools, materials, and supplies in the makerspace. A center staff member will be on-site to answer questions, guide participants’ curiosity, and offer assistance with tools such as the 3D pen/printer, digital drawing (design and basic animation), sublimation printer, vinyl cutter, and more. Families can use this code to get in for free: Passport. Dive into a world of innovation, tinkering, coding/robotics, electronics, and problem-solving. Families are welcome to sign-up ahead of time or drop-in and register the day of the event if there is space remaining. 9am to 12pm
Prizes for the summer round of the STEM Staycation will include:
- First Place: One night stay at the Hampton Inn, Mt. Pleasant
- Second Place: 8 day passes to the Mt. Pleasant Discovery Museum ($80 value!)
- Third Place: 4 tickets to the Saginaw Zoo
“Family engagement in a child’s education is critical to building the foundation for lifelong learning. The Great Lakes Bay Region STEM Passport is intended to support families with mobile and community-based resources by connecting to organizations that offer science, technology, engineering, arts, and math learning activities for children,” said Rich Van Tol, the Out-of-School Time Network lead for the Great Lakes Bay Region STEM Ecosystem. “We hope that families will enjoy this spring break season with STEM Staycation, take the opportunity to check out a free event and explore the incredible array of rich learning experiences available across our region.”
“We are excited to team up and showcase all the available STEM learning opportunities throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region for those who are staying local this spring break or may be visiting from out of town,” said Annette Rummel, CEO of Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau.
More information and the calendar of events can be found on https://www.stempipeline.com/out-of-school-time/stem-passport-2020-2021/.