Central Michigan University

The Center for Excellence in STEM Education invites you to participate in a set of recurring STEM Education field trips designed for area home school groups. The events will take place in the makerspace located on CMU’s campus in Mt. Pleasant. Enrolling your child(ren) allows them to participate in all fall events (one per month from January 2026 – April 2026).

The age ranges and focus are:

4-7 years old Play-Based Exploration

(If 4yo is not potty trained, the parent/adult must stay on site.)

• • Each session will follow a similar structure that allows students to engage in open-ended, sensory-rich activities both independently and as part of our community. Through hands-on experiences and play-based investigations, students will explore a variety of thematic topics. Students will interact with music, books, movement, and the occasional mess in an environment that promotes curiosity, play, and observation.
• 10 students maximum

8-16 years old Young Inventors

• Have you ever wondered, “How can I clean my room faster? Maybe you’ve thought, “How can I help my dog learn new tricks?” You may have pondered, “How can I solve this problem?” In our group, we will be learning how to put the design process to work answering your questions! We will have the chance to plan, build, test, and iterate to find answers. Put on your thinking caps, brainstorm your questions, and we’ll build solutions to those, “How can I?” questions. 
• 15 students maximum

Weather-related cancellations will only be made up if there are available options in the Center schedule.