STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) is one of the underappreciated interests of many Detroiters. This fun factoid does not get enough acknowledgement.
Originally coined by the NSF in 2001, STEM is a now-familiar acronym. However, one group has been keeping it on the map daily for decades.
Located in Detroit’s bustling Midtown cultural center district, the Michigan Science Center is a wonderful resource for all ages. It is a wellspring of creativity, innovation, and divergent thinking.
This 3-story, 110,000-square-foot hands-on science museum features a stunning variety of exhibits, theaters, galleries, programs, and a STEM-themed science store.
Michigan Science Center Detroit (photo courtesy of Mi-Sci)
The Michigan Science Center opened in 2012. Mi-Sci is a 501c3 non-profit organization, a Smithsonian Affiliate, and a hub for all things STEAM.
Visitors can immerse themselves in a world of 220+ interactive exhibits, live science demonstrations, the Toyota Engineering 4D Theater, IMAX, Planetarium, and more.
We are beyond thrilled to announce that the Michigan Science Center will be doing a STEM-themed pop-up at Detroit Bookfest.
Camera Stevens is kindly chatting with me on one of her short breaks from the hustle bustle. As the Outreach Programs Manager, Camera adheres to a busy schedule and spearheads several cool and important initiatives for Mi-Sci. Okay, enough Ryanbabble. Let’s hear the inside scoop from Camera.
Camera Stevens is the Outreach Programs Manager for Michigan Science Center in Detroit (photo courtesy of Mi-Sci)
Camera Stevens:
“I grew up in the Southern Ohio/ West Virginia area, graduated Alma College in the middle of the mitten (20 minutes south of Mount Pleasant), spent six years as a naturalist, one year as a National Park Ranger at Sleeping Bear Dunes, and now I’m doing outreach for Mi-Sci.”
“The two main traveling programs we offer are Aramco Traveling Science and ECHO Distance Learning. My role is to take these programs outside the building to all counties in Michigan, along with portions of Ohio and Indiana. Aramco is in-person hands-on, whereas ECHO is a multi-country online platform.”
Michigan Science Center STEM Store Detroit (photo courtesy of Mi-Sci)
“Mi-Sci’s STEM pop-up at Detroit Bookfest will have three main components: Invisible Ink, Six Bricks, and a variety of books from our Science Store.”
“Invisible Ink is a live science demonstration where we look at how oxygen reacts with vitamin C and lemon juice. When we add heat, it will oxidize, and their name or message will come through the paper. Six Bricks is a fun brain activity using LEGO’s Duplo blocks courtesy of our partners at the LEGO Playful Learning Museum Network. This activity incorporates learning through play and fosters community building because you and a partner must work together on it.”
“Some of the books from the Science Store will feature titles for all ages centering around STEM topics including Science Fiction, diverse characters in STEM fields, and authors from a variety of backgrounds. We also carry some titles in Spanish such as, Maybe I’ll Be An Architect/ Tal Vez Sere Una Arquitecta and Maybe I’ll Be An Engineer/ Tal Vez Sere Una Ingeniera.”
“I love working at Mi-Sci. Guests should definitely check out the Science Hall. Our current temporary exhibition, called Above and Beyond, highlights innovation and ideas around the aerodynamics of spaceflight and aviation. And our stage shows are always a fun time. We offer live interactive demonstrations daily (10:30am, 12:30pm, 2:30pm).”
Michigan Science Center Detroit rocket (photo courtesy of Mi-Sci)
“Fun fact about our museum. There is an easter egg (hidden feature) that a lot of people don’t realize we have. In our Space Gallery, one of the rockets was too tall, so it actually continues up above the ceiling. Look beyond the solar panels for the top of the rocket!”
“Mi-Sci is fun for all ages. We also have 21+ events. And we host lots of field trips across all grades from kindergarten to high school groups.”
“Memberships with Mi-Sci, on top of being amazing and worthwhile in general, can also get you discounted rates and free entry at many other museums across the country.”
Thank you, Camera! Come check out Mi-Sci’s STEM pop-up at Detroit Bookfest. And be sure to visit the museum while you’re in town.
Michigan Science Center Detroit (photo courtesy of Mi-Sci)
DETROIT – With just one month left, the all-volunteer Detroit Festival of Books is making final preparations for the seventh-annual Bookfest on Sunday, July 21.
Bookfest is expanding beyond its traditional venue in Shed 5. For the first time in its history, Bookfest will also be present inside portions of Shed 4, the Russell Street parking area adjoining Shed 4, and the plaza adjoining Shed 5.
“It’s becoming a much bigger event than it was when we started in 2017” said Ryan M. Place, founder and chairman of Bookfest. “We’ll have more booksellers, authors, and organizations with children’s programming. And we’ll have more volunteers to make sure Bookfest is a fun experience for everyone. Stay tuned!”
The Detroit Festival of Books will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 21. Admission is free. Photos of the 2023 Bookfest are available for download and use via this link.
*Big thank you to Bookfest Committee member Louie Meizlish for sourcing and arranging this!*
Arts & Scraps Detroit Scrapmobile (photo by Arts & Scraps)
Arts & Scraps has been an interactive institution on the Eastside for over thirty years.
Founded in 1989 by Peg Upmeyer, Arts & Scraps was originally started to help cash-strapped teachers obtain affordable, creative resources for their students.
Arts & Scraps is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and recycling store which collects donated recycled goods and turns them into art.
They recycle over 28 tons (ie: 56,000 pounds) of industrial materials annually!
Arts & Scraps Detroit (photo by Ryan M. Place)
Their East English Village location includes a 5,000-square foot combination store, offices, classroom, and donation intake. Located across Harper Avenue is their 13,000-square foot warehouse where the Scrapmobile is parked and where their creative ‘sticky kits’ are assembled.
Open to the general public, the store features a delightfully whimsical interior, which fondly reminds me of rummaging for treasures at Neisner’s and Jupiter’s on Vernor Hwy many moons ago.
Arts & Scraps community store manager, Stevie Baka, was kind enough to chat with me about their operation.
Arts & Scraps Detroit community store manager, Stevie Baka (photo by Ryan M. Place)
Let’s hear from Stevie directly:
“Arts & Scraps is thrilled to be coming to Detroit Bookfest! Our 26-foot-long bus, the Scrapmobile, will be there. The inside is filled with recycled creative materials, kids can get a bag and make something completely unique. Building their own book, for example.”
“Arts & Scraps is a creative re-use that focuses on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) education by reimagining teaching tools. Our programming is STEM, and the store is art-based.”
“Many businesses generate a ton of ‘waste’ which can easily be donated and used by someone else. You never know what somebody can use or re-use. We also encourage people to recycle what they can at home.”
“The store features things like fabric, yarn stock, rubber stamps, sewing materials, scrapbooking & collage-making materials, heritage crafts, old photos, postcards, magazines, bottles, paint, laces, etc.”
Arts & Scraps Detroit (photo by Ryan M. Place)
“Kids can make some amazing stuff! We encourage kids to focus on imagination, creativity, and open-ended experimentation. We’re experience-driven and encourage people to experiment with their innate creativity. We’re also a field trip program with a target age range of three to pre-teen.”
“If your company is looking for something unique to do, Arts & Scraps engages in corporate volunteering. Companies like Ford, Rocket, BCBS, Motown Mission, etc, have their employees volunteer here.”
“We often receive donations of the contents of entire houses when people’s relatives pass on. There is an energy transference when loved one’s pass away. People feel good knowing that their items are not going into the trash but being loved and re-used by the community.”
“In regard to book donations, we prefer anything kids, educational, old, weird, unusual, etc, because the books will be cup up and collaged, which we know is considered sacrilegious by many book collectors, but it’s still better than old books being pulped and completely destroyed.”
St. Albertus Rectory (4231 St. Aubin @ Canfield, Detroit) photo by Google
Interesting historical sidenote about Stevie:
They live inside the old St. Albertus Rectory (4231 St. Aubin @ Canfield, Detroit). Open from 1891-1990, the rectory is now in the care of Stevie’s family.
“My family immigrated from Poland and lived near the Rectory in Poletown. My Grandpa went to school there, got married there and my brothers were able to move in and rehab it under the guidance of the Polish American Historical Site Association (PAHSA) who owns the property. We are always looking for volunteers there, as well.”
Are you looking for a way to support children in Detroit? Bring your gently used children’s books to Bookfest 2024.
Birdie’s Bookmobile is a non-profit organization dedicated to making diverse books more accessible, increasing the number of books children have at home, and helping improve literacy outcomes.
They are partnered with over 40 Detroit Public and charter schools, after-school programs, and non-profit organizations, and have distributed more than 18,000 books to children and families in Detroit.
Your book donations will help build home libraries, encourage shared reading experiences, and improve literacy outcomes.
Book Needs:
Board Books
Picture Books
Early Readers
Chapter Books
Graphic Novels
Middle Grade
YA
Birdie’s Book Mobile (phot by Birdies)
Where will Birdie’s Bookmobile be located during Bookfest?
Birdie’s Bookmobile will be located outside Eastern Market’s Shed 5 in the DTE Plaza.
This is the main plaza on the west side of the building facing Russell Street at Alfred Street.
DTE Plaza outside Eastern Market’s Shed 5 (Detroit, Michigan) located at Russell Street and Alfred Street
Many people will walk over and find great food and drinks for sale inside the Strategic Clubhouse or the Classic Grill inside the Fox Classic Clubhouse.
Ages
This is an all-ages event, open to anyone.
Appearances
Former Detroit Red Wings champion, Darren McCarty will be coming to the cornhole tournament! Darren will be doing meet n’ greet, signing autographs, taking photos, etc. Bring cash. Bring your items to be signed or purchase them from Darren.
Darren McCarty at Detroit Bookfest Cornhole Tournament (photo by Darren McCarty)
Bags
You can BYOB (bring your own bags) if you want to. If not, house bags will be provided to you.
Bar
Alcohol will be for sale for those 21+ up. You can purchase inside the Summerhouse or from one of the mobile carts or at one of the three clubhouses.
Beer
We are excited to announce that Bell’s Brewery and New Belgium Brewing Co.will be ON-SITE doing samplings, selling beer, and giving away swag/merch!
Bell’s Brewery & New Belgium Brewery at Detroit Bookfest Cornhole Tournament
Cornhole
Cornhole boards are placed 27 feet apart from front edge to front edge. You stand opposite your partner. Each team throws four bags per turn. You alternate throws with your opponent. A bag on the board is one point. A bag through the hole is three points.
In cancellation scoring, the points of one player cancel out the points of their opponent. For example: if you throw a bag through the hole, that’s 3 points and if your opponent gets two bags on the board, that’s two points. You would do 3-2, so you get one point on the scoreboard. Whichever team scores 21 points first is the winner of the game and will advance to the next round.
Detroit Bookfest
The Detroit Festival of Books (aka: Detroit Bookfest) is the largest book festival in the state of Michigan. Entry to the event is free. The event is organized by a 501c3 non-profit organization comprised entirely of unpaid volunteers who donate their time to making the event happen. It occurs annual on the 3rd Sunday in July at Detroit’s historic Eastern Market.
Food
Big Red’s BBQ Pit (based in Westland) are bringing their amazing BBQ foodtruck to the cornhole tournament! Click on the link for their menu. The food from this truck has gone viral online. They have some amazing BBQ food.
Format
The format is a round robin to match skill levels. Once levels are matched, it’s a Double Elimination (meaning if you lose two games, you’re out).
Fox Hills
Fox Hills is a 500-acre golf course with 63 holes of golf. They also have a driving range. Fox Hills is also very popular for special events like weddings. Fox Hills Country Club was established way back in 1927. Then in 1974 it became a public golf course. Thanks to the generosity of Fox Hills, we are able to host this fundraiser at Fox Hills.
Fox Hills has 3 golf courses: Golden (great and beautiful course), Strategic (short game, no driver needed), and Classic (versatile and great for any skill level). They also have two driving ranges and the Strategic range even has Footgolf.
Fox Hills is also a great location for events such as weddings, showers, high school banquets, corporate picnics, corporate team building, and more.
The Learning Center at Fox Hills features eight brand new Trackman simulators, which create an amazing experience for the user.
The cornhole tournament will take place at the Summerhouse, both inside and on the Summerhouse lawn.
The Summerhouse is a 10,000 square foot pavilion with a bar and restrooms inside. The Summerhouse walls are made of retractable windscreens.
Fox Hills Summerhouse (Plymouth, Michigan)
Money
Teams must register online. Stripe is used to process your funds.
However, once you are at the event, cash is preferred for the 50/50 raffle, bars, foodtruck, etc. Credit cards and debit cards will also be accepted for bars and foodtruck.
Nature
Fox Hills is a certified Audubon Sanctuary. Bald eagles live on Fox Classic (the hills). There are also numerous deer, turkeys, sandhill cranes, and more.
A partial listing of wildlife sightings at Fox Hills includes a variety of birds such as herons, orioles, red tailed hawks, pheasants, woodpeckers and cedar wax wings. In addition, other animals such as fox, mink, muskrats, rabbits, frogs and turtles are commonly seen. Over 100 species of wildlife/birds have been observed on the property.
Bald Eagles at Fox Hills Plymouth
News Coverage
Thank you DBusiness Magazine for the amazing coverage!
Who is organizing this fundraiser? This charity fundraiser is being organized by Friends of Detroit Bookfest and Bearded Boards Cornhole. Thanks to the generosity of Fox Hills, we are able to host this fundraiser at Fox Hills. 100% of the proceeds go directly to Detroit Bookfest.
Bearded Boards Cornhole is co-organizing the Detroit Bookfest Cornhole Tournament
Parking
Fox Hills regularly handles massive events. There is plenty of free parking.
Prizes
1st place prize, 2nd place prize, 3rd place cash prizes. Amounts depend on how many teams register.
Proceeds
100% of the proceeds go to Detroit Bookfest, which is a 501c3 non-profit organization.
Raffle
There will be a 50/50 Raffle. Bring cash to buy your raffle tickets!
Refunds
Refunds will only be issued if this event does not take place.
Registration
You can register your two-person team here. The cost is $50.00 per team.
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