Category: Beyond the classroom

College celebrates 64th edition of Michigan’s longest-running, student-led literary and arts magazine

St. Clair County Community College students were recognized for their work in the 64th edition of Patterns magazine, Michigan’s oldest literary and arts publication aimed at showcasing student writing talent and works of art.

Patterns is designed, proofed and published by SC4 students. Brandi Schmitz was the graphic designer for this edition, while faculty members Sarah Flatter, Jim Frank and Gary Schmitz provided direction and support to students.

“Patterns is an opportunity to celebrate being creative and to recognize the unique talents of our next generation of artists,” said Flatter, professor of fine arts and graphic design at the college. “We congratulate all of those who contributed to the 64th edition of Patterns and honor their success while at SC4.”

The following students received awards:

Literature

  • Eleanor Mathews Award, writing — Daisi Dixon, of Emmett
  • Blanche Redman Award, poetry — Makenna Joppich, of Kenockee Township, for Is Everyone Okay?
  • Second-place poem — Daisi Dixon, of Emmett, for Vines
  • Third-place poem — Makenna Joppich, of Kenockee Township, for In a Single Moment
  • Kathleen Nickerson Award, essay — Max Kenny, of Fort Gratiot, for Nuclear Energy
  • Second-place essay — Daisi Dixon, of Emmett, for The Boy with Chocolate Curls
  • Third-place essay — Amanda Hurst, of Marine City, for Equality for All or Only for Some
  • Richard Colwell Award, short story — Gracie Graber, of Wales Township, for One Last Ride
  • Second-place short story — Maya Taylor, of Port Huron, for Mary de la Rosa and Mrs. Little
  • Third-place short story — Madison Mattox, of St. Clair, for Burning Fire

Art

  • Patrick Bourke Award, art — Katsiaryna Trapashka, of Port Huron
  • First-place visual art — Cass Gordon, of Snover, for Dragon Fossil
  • Second-place visual art — Bryce Hurd, of Fort Gratiot, for Untitled
  • Third-place visual art — Katsiaryna Trapashka, of Port Huron, for The Intertwining of Time

Merit awards also were provided to students for having their work chosen for inclusion in Patterns:

Literary Selection of Merit

  • Makenzie Beauchamp, of Port Huron
  • Luke Eitniear, of St. Clair
  • Gracie Graber, of Wales Township
  • Makenna Joppich, of Kenockee Township
  • Breanna Sylvia, of Port Huron
  • Grace Woytta, of St. Clair

Arts Selection of Merit

  • Emerald Anderson, of Imlay City
  • Courtney Angebrandt, of Peck
  • Lauren Cooney, of Kimball Township
  • Acadia DeNault, of St. Clair
  • Isabella Perry, of Capac
  • JR McPhail, of Port Huron
  • Grace McCarthy, of Capac
  • Elaina Penn, of Port Huron
  • Brandi Schmitz, of St. Clair
  • Tessa Weingartz, of Imlay City
  • Phillip Winterbauer, of St. Clair

Production of Patterns is made possible by the financial support from St. Clair County Community College and SC4 Friends of the Arts. Copies of Patterns are available in Room 10, SC4 Fine Arts Building, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday or by calling (810) 989-5709. A digital copy is available to view and download at sc4.edu/patterns.

Challenger Center founding chair and former NASA astronauts to help launch Challenger Learning Center at SC4 April 30

June Scobee Rodgers, Ph.D., founding chair of Challenger Center and widow of Challenger Space Shuttle Commander Richard “Dick” Scobee, will be featured at the April 30 public launch of the Challenger Learning Center at St. Clair County Community College (SC4). She will be joined at the event by former NASA astronauts Robert Curbeam, senior vice president of space capture at Maxar Technologies, and Dorothy (“Dottie”) Metcalf-Lindenburger, earth scientist at Geosyntec Consultants, LCC.

“We are thrilled to welcome June, Robert and Dottie to campus for this event, which honors the legacy of the Challenger crew and opens the door to new and exciting immersive STEM education and engagement opportunities for Michigan and Ontario residents,” said Challenger Learning Center at SC4 partners Dr. Deborah Snyder, president of St. Clair County Community College, Lance Bush, president and CEO of Challenger Center, and Mel Drumm, president and CEO of Unity in Learning (Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, the Leslie Science & Nature Center, the Yankee Air Museum and SC4) in a joint statement.

Challenger Center was founded in 1986 in the aftermath of the Challenger shuttle tragedy. The families of the crew came together and created Challenger Center to carry on the spirit of their loved ones and continue the Challenger crew’s educational mission. Challenger Center, with its network of Challenger Learning Centers and digital programs, has reached more than 5.5 million students and learners worldwide.

Challenger Learning Center at SC4 is the only Center of its kind in Michigan and one of 40 Challenger Learning Centers nationwide and around the world. It is a fully immersive, space-themed, STEM experience aimed at deepening understanding and appreciation of STEM careers and topics and building critical 21st-century skills. It offers a unique learning and team-building opportunities for students, educators, corporations and community residents.

“The Challenger crew’s desire to teach and inspire our children lives on in each of our Challenger Learning Centers around the globe,” Scobee Rodgers said. “We are thrilled to be welcoming St. Clair County Community College to this group of Centers and bring our inspiring STEM programs to the community. Robert, Dottie, and I look forward to being on the campus of SC4 to celebrate the grand opening!”

The launch event on April 30 will take place in two sessions between 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public, though registration is required. It will take place throughout the Experience Center, located in the Clara E. Mackenzie Building, and also will feature opportunities to tour the Challenger Learning Center and conduct Super Sciences experiments.

Guests to the April 30 launch event also can take advantage of other Experience Center highlights, including the Dr. Bassam H. Nasr Natural Science Museum, Live Sturgeon, Jacob’s Ladder, Green Screen Photo Experience, Mineral Gallery, Fossil Dig, Bird and Technology exhibits.

Challenger Learning Center at SC4 also has opened early registration for the first full space mission offering, Lunar Quest, which is available for learners in 5th grade and above.

To register for the April 30 event, visit challenger.sc4.edu/launch-event/. For more information and to book a Lunar Quest mission, visit challenger.sc4.edu.

Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger
Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger
Robert Curbeam
Robert Curbeam
June Scobee Rodgers
June Scobee Rodgers

Challenger Learning Center at SC4 to launch with a public event on April 30

The Challenger Learning Center at St. Clair County Community College’s (SC4) Experience Center will celebrate its official public launch on April 30, 2022, with an event on the College’s Port Huron, Mich., campus.

The Challenger Learning Center at SC4—in partnership with the Challenger Center, a nonprofit STEM education organization, and in collaboration with its Unity in Learning partner, which also includes the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, the Leslie Science & Nature Center and the Yankee Air Museum—is the only Center of its kind in Michigan and one of 40 Challenger Learning Centers nationwide and around the world. It is a fully immersive, space-themed, STEM experience aimed at deepening understanding and appreciation of STEM careers and topics and building critical 21st-century skills.

The Challenger Learning Center at SC4 offers unique learning and team-building opportunities for students, educators, corporations and community residents, as well as unparalleled programming for 5th-8th grade learners (adaptable for 8th grade+) that aligns with national education standards. Early registration for the first space mission offering, Lunar Quest, is now open.

The launch event on April 30 is free and open to the public, though registration is required. It will take place throughout the Experience Center, located in the Clara E. Mackenzie Building, and will feature opportunities to tour the Challenger Learning Center, meet a NASA astronaut, conduct Super Sciences experiments and see live animals.

Guests to the April 30 launch event also can take advantage of other Experience Center highlights, including the Dr. Bassam H. Nasr Natural Science Museum, Live Sturgeon, Wind and Solar, Jacob’s Ladder, Electromagnetism, Green Screen Photo Experience, Mineral Gallery, Fossil Dig, Bird, and Technology exhibits.

“We’re thrilled to announce our official launch date of the Challenger Learning Center at SC4 and welcome visitors to campus,” said Dr. Deborah Snyder, president of St. Clair County Community College. “We need to provide more opportunities for learners of all ages to engage in STEM experiences—to get them excited and passionate about solving 21st century challenges. We are so excited about what this addition in our Experience Center can and will do for our local and regional communities.”

Challenger Center was founded in 1986 in the aftermath of the Challenger shuttle tragedy. The families of the crew came together and created Challenger Center to carry on the spirit of their loved ones and continue the Challenger crew’s educational mission. Challenger Center, with its network of Challenger Learning Centers and digital programs, have reached more than 5.5 million students worldwide.

“We are so excited to open the doors to this new Challenger Learning Center and welcome the Southeast Michigan community to see all that it has to offer,” said Lance Bush, president and CEO of Challenger Center. “SC4 shares our vision and commitment to inspire the next generation. We’re proud to help play a part in that commitment with the addition of the Challenger Learning Center at SC4.”
 
Added Mel Drumm, president and CEO of Unity in Learning, “The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum is delighted to collaborate with SC4 upon the opening of the new Challenger Learning Center. This new informal learning experience will immerse each participant into life-like simulations well beyond anything previously available in Southeast Michigan. As the newest member of the region’s Unity in Learning collaborative, the Challenger Learning Center will join with three regional science, nature and aviation organizations to become the region’s newest destination for hands-on discovery, exploration of the natural world and experiences that take flight.”

To register for the April 30 event, visit challenger.sc4.edu/launch-event/. For more information and to book a Lunar Quest mission, visit challenger.sc4.edu.

Challenger Learning Center at SC4 opens early registration for Mission Lunar Quest

St. Clair County Community College (SC4) is pleased to launch its Challenger Learning Center website and announce early mission registration opportunities for Michigan and Ontario students and educators, businesses and corporations, and community members.

SC4—in partnership with the Challenger Center, a nonprofit science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education organization, and in collaboration with Unity in Learning, which includes the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, the Leslie Science & Nature Center and the Yankee Air Museum—will officially launch its Challenger Learning Center on the College’s campus in Spring 2022.

The Challenger Learning Center at SC4 is the only Center of its kind in Michigan and one of 40 Centers nationwide and around the world. It is a fully immersive, space-themed, STEM experience aimed at deepening understanding and appreciation of STEM careers and topics and building critical 21st century skills. Challenger Center and its network of Challenger Learning Centers aim to ignite a passion for learning in students and open their eyes to new possibilities for the future. The Center offers unique learning and team-building opportunities for learners of all ages and unparalleled programming for 5th-8th grade learners (adaptable for 8th grade+) that aligns with national science standards.

Though the Challenger Learning Center at SC4 won’t officially launch until Spring 2022, early registration for the first space mission offering, Lunar Quest, is now open. Lunar Quest takes crew members, serving in a variety of STEM-based roles, to the Moon in search of a long-term human habitat. It is the first of four space missions that will take flight in the Challenger Learning Center at SC4. Half day (min. 18 guests/max. 35 guests) and full-day experiences (min. 36 guests/max. 70 guests) are available, and pricing varies based on mission experience.

“We’re thrilled to launch this website and open registration for those interested in reserving a mission experience,” said Dr. Deborah Snyder, president of St. Clair County Community College. “Our nation needs future leaders who are adept at understanding and solving the challenging problems of today and the future. The Challenger Learning Center at SC4 will help support STEM education, exploration and innovation with experiences that go far beyond an everyday field trip, outing or corporate training session.”

Additional opportunities such as a Galaxy Quest STEM Summer Camp will be available beginning in Summer 2022.

“We’re incredibly excited to see the momentum continue to build for the Challenger Learning Center at SC4,” said Lance Bush, president and CEO, Challenger Center. “We’re hard at work building the Spacecraft and preparing Mission Control to welcome students and community members to fly our newest space missions that we developed in partnership with NASA. The countdown has started and we can’t wait to open the doors of this new Center in 2022.”

Added Mel Drumm, president and CEO of Unity in Learning, “The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum is delighted to collaborate with SC4 upon the opening of the new Challenger Center. This new informal learning experience will immerse each participant into life-like simulations well beyond anything previously available in Southeast Michigan. As the newest member of the region’s Unity in Learning collaborative, the Challenger Center will join with three regional science, nature and aviation organizations to become the region’s newest destination for hands-on discovery, exploration of the natural world and experiences that take flight.” 

Challenger Center was founded in 1986 in the aftermath of the Challenger accident by the crew’s families, who were firmly committed to carrying on the spirit of their loved ones and continuing the Challenger crew’s educational mission. Challenger Center and its network of Challenger Learning Centers have reached more than 5.5 million students worldwide.

For more information and to book a Lunar Quest mission, visit challenger.sc4.edu.