ROYAL OAK – What’s the coolest place to be for kids in metro Detroit this summer? Why the Michigan Science Center, says Tonya Matthews, Chief Creativity Officer and CEO for the MiSci. With exhibits and events for children and adults of all ages, including its all-new STEM Playground, she says MiSci is the perfect place for family fun – rain or shine.

In this interview, Dr. Matthews also discussed:

Science at Play – Tinker, build, fly and play at our newest exhibit, STEM Playground. This interactive space is designed for visitors of all ages to play, learn, experiment and explore. Consisting of four challenge spaces, STEM Playground allows visitors to exercise their STEM skills as they create and test paper airplanes, use their imagination to build with blocks, learn about energy and water with sailboats, and bring it all together with explanations from MiSci STEM experts.

This exhibit is designed to provide a space where visitors can creatively solve problems using STEM, gain a broader understanding of available STEM careers, and have fun while relating scientific topics to their everyday lives.

Informal STEM Learning – Formal STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning is only one component of a larger network for educational learning that happens throughout a lifetime. When we talk about informal STEM learning, we are referring to the hands-on experiences and activities that engage children (and adults) with STEM in fun, inspiring and meaningful ways outside of the classroom.

The Michigan Science Center is dedicated to becoming the STEM hub of Michigan and a premier institution for informal STEM learning. All of our activities and experiences – live stage shows, exhibits, planetarium presentations, demonstrations and much more help bring science to life.

To listen, click on https://soundcloud.com/podcastdetroit/m2techcast-episode-89-dr-tanya-mathews-mich-science-center