St. Clair County Community College has partnered with the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum on its new Experience Center, a 16,000-square-foot hands-on science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) center located in the Clara E. Mackenzie Building at SC4. A sneak preview event, Super Science Day, is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Nov. 3, and is free and open to the public.
The center – the only one of its kind in St. Clair County and the Blue Water Area – will provide interactive teaching and learning opportunities for students and guests of all ages through exhibits, a maker space and educational programming opportunities. A series of custom and unique interactive hands-on exhibits will complement the college’s existing exhibits in the Dr. Bassam H. Nasr Science Museum, which is housed in the Experience Center.
The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, which was founded in 1982 and works together under the Unity in Learning umbrella with the Leslie Science & Nature Center and the Yankee Air Museum, welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. The partnership is opening the expanded center with a traveling wind and solar energy exhibit sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the City of Ann Arbor’s Energy Office.
“The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum and SC4 share a vision to bring the excitement of learning to as many individuals as possible,” said Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum Director Mel Drumm. “We are pleased to collaborate with such a well-respected and forward-thinking community college partner, and we look forward to expanding interactive learning opportunities for Michigan students and residents.”
In addition to SC4’s already established Nasr exhibits, Super Science Day will feature travelling and temporary exhibits and programming to give community members a glimpse into the Experience Center’s future potential for the region. The event will offer guests the opportunity to conduct 10 super science experiments, explore music and movement through a sonic display, and marvel at a wide selection of live animals and demonstrations led by Museum and Leslie Science & Nature Center experts.
“This partnership supports SC4’s growth, sustainability and community priorities by strengthening our ability to engage and serve current students, attract future students to campus, and serve as a regional center of experiential learning for our community,” said SC4 President Deborah Snyder. “The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum is well known for its ability to engage and excite. We look forward to working together to inspire future generations.”
Questions regarding the Experience Center can be sent to experiencecenter@sc4.edu.
