Integrating STEM at the Farmington Hills Nature Center (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)
STEM Summer Leadership Experience Flyer
STEM Leadership Experience Scholarship Application Form
STEM in Nature Program - Teacher Scholarship Form
STEM in Nature - Education Programs
Heritage Park is a ready-made classroom for teaching STEM. Our "STEM in Nature" programs help STEM concepts and classroom curriculum come alive for students. The integration of real world problems, nature exploration and engineering design challenges has been popular with teachers and students. Students see how STEM skills apply to relevant environmental issues and can be used to build the systems and products that our communities need in order to provide for a sustainable future.
Students in our "STEM in Nature" programs create, design and invent while fostering inspiration from observations of the natural world. They get to think like Engineers, considering science, limited resources, design criteria and testing. Like real engineers today, they have to apply their experiences with nature’s systems and natural resources to their inventions. They practice this by using the materials provided wisely, and designing for disassembly (so materials can be reused and not discarded). Kids’ creativity and enthusiasm overflows as they test their ideas and explain the world around them. Programs are available for all ages from pre-K though high school, including on-site and outreach opportunities.
Limited scholarships which are made possible by the Bosch Community Fund, are available to teachers, covering the full program cost.
Maker Movement
The Nature Center is becoming a hub for makerspace opportunities. Check out our mobile "STEM in Nature" maker boxes containing materials for inventing, designing, building and creating. What will you make today?
Energy Awareness and Efficiency
Education for energy awareness and efficiency is an important component of our STEM in Nature experiences, with the realization that everything is connected to energy . Key energy concepts are emphasized and connected through program content, investigations, hands-on demonstrations, and understanding alternative energy sources and technology.
School Family Energy STEM Nights
Family Energy Night is our outreach program for schools that features hands-on STEM activities along with fun for the whole family! Families rotate though a variety of energy related games, investigations and engineering challenges, using STEM skills to demystify energy concepts and see how technology and other choices help us use energy wisely.
Check out this video of Family Energy Night at Kenbrook Elementary
Summer STEM Leadership Experience for 8th - 11th graders
Our 2015 and 2016 “STEM Leadership Experience" camps at the Farmington Hills Nature Center were a huge success! The 2017 STEM Leadership Experience will include the best parts of past experiences, along with some new opportunities. Students can choose between Session 1 or Session 2, or participate in both sessions.
Limited scholarships which are made possible by the Bosch Community Fund, are available to cover the cost of participation.
Check out this video from the STEM Leadership Experience 2015