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SnowSchool Sites - Michigan

Belle Isle Nature Zoo / Detroit Zoological Society
Contact: Wanda Johnson
Phone: (313)852-4056 ext. 3022
Address: 176 Lakeside Drive, Detroit, MI 48207
Web: www.detroitzoo.org

Site:
Offering family nature programs on the weekend and nature-based education programs to schools and community groups during the week.

Program:
A variety of programs are offered to the general public during our regular hours and on weekends. We invite school and community groups to contact our staff to discover special programs available by reservation.

Take Action!:
Financial and volunteer support is always needed.



The Chatfield School
Contact:  Betty McCauley, Director
Phone:  810.667.8970 x 204
Address:  231 Lake Drive Lapeer, MI  48446
Web:  www.chatfieldschool.org


Site:
Chatfield is a K-8 charter school located on a unique ten acre site surrounded by ponds, meadows, and woodlands. A thirty-five acre natural area with interpretative trails borders the school. Recently built on the school grounds is a five thousand square foot Earth Education Center which includes straw-bale walls, a living roof, greenhouse, solar heat and light.

Programs:
Chatfield offers public, private, and parochial schools all- seasons Outdoor Classroom programs to students of all ages. The school uses a curriculum-wide experiential based learning model where students learn through hands-on experience. All of the outdoor programs are aligned with the Michigan state standards and can address every core curriculum subject. Winter studies/fun will include orienteering, animal adaptation, tracking, snow science, winter ecology, winter survival and winter games.

Take Action!
Visit www.chatfieldschool.org, click on The Willows for program information and how you can be involved. Chatfield Outdoor Classroom programs greatly appreciate equipment donations, discounted equipment and volunteer support. Bring on winter!!


Delta-Schoolcraft Intermediate School District
Clear Lake Education Center
Contact: Mimi Klotz, Program Director
Phone: 906.280.5364
Address: 2525 3rd Avenue South - Escanaba, MI 49829
Web: www.clearlakeinfo.org
Emailclearlake@dsisd.k12.mi.us

Site:
Clear Lake Education Center is located in the heart of the Hiawatha National Forest, but to save on your travel expenses, our program comes to you. All we need is outdoor space to explore (indoor space to warm up is nice, too).

Program:
Students in grades 3-6 engage in scientific exploration of the natural winter world. Using scientific equipment and processes, we look at snow in new and exciting ways a science lesson wrapped up in a fun, snowshoe adventure! For more information please contact us: clearlake@dsisd.k12.mi.us

Take Action!:
Outdoor, experiential learning impacts students in a way no classroom with walls can. Partners, sponsors, and volunteers are always appreciated. Make a difference for kids today!


Michigan Technological University
Contact: Joan Schumaker Chadde - Education Program Coordinator
Phone: 906.487.3341
Address: 105 Dillman Hall, 1400 Townsend Dr.; Houghton, MI 49931
Web: wupcenter.mtu.edu
Partners: Michigan Technological University, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Western Upper Peninsula Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education

Site:
Houghton, Michigan is the gateway to the Keweenaw Peninsula & Isle Royale National Park. Located off the south shore of Lake Superior in a very snowy climate (up to eight meters annually), the Center provides winter ecology fieldtrips to students in grades 3-8.

Program:
Serves 20 school districts by providing programming in six basic service areas: leadership, student services, professional development, curriculum support, resource clearinghouse, and community involvement. Field trip programs are science based, utilizing skills such as observing, data collecting, and graphing. During the 2002-03 school year, the Center provided 114 field trips to 2409 students from 24 different schools using Little Bear Snowshoes. Most were in grades 3-8 and focused on math and science. For more information about Winter Ecology Field Trip Program for grades 3-8, please visit: wupcenter.mtu.edu/education/fnftrip.htm

Take Action!:
Contact the Center to find out how you can provide financial support.




SEE-North's Residential Program
Contact: Jamie Mielke - Coordinator of Residential Program
Phone: 231.348.9700
Address: 220 Park Avenue; Petoskey, MI 49770
Web: http://seenorth.org


Site:
Located in downtown Petosky, SEE-North is an independent non-profit organization whose mission is to foster people's connections with the plants, animals, and habitats of northern Michigan.

Program:
Students in grades 4-8 come in class groups and choose from a list of winter activities. The one- or two-day programs encompass a variety of basic subjects based on the best available scientific information, making learning exciting and relevant.

Take Action!:
The program always needs volunteers to help with programming, as well as donations of gear
.
West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science (WMAES)
Winter Environmental Education Adventures
Contact: Holly Orians
Phone: 616.791.7454
Address: 4463 Leonard Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI  49534
EMail hollyorians@choiceschools.com
Web: www.wma-es.com


Site:
Grand Rapids receives an annual snowfall of 74 inches from Lake Effect snow and is perfect for snowshoeing! WMAES is a public school that is a few miles outside of Grand Rapids city limits and the school sits on 62 acres of land. There are ponds, a prairie, a meadow and diverse forests to explore and learn from. Despite our urban setting we are home to many wild creatures that leave their signs behind.

Program:
Explore WMAES's 62 acres of ecosystems on snowshoes and learn about the natural world in an active way! All programs are individually designed to meet the teachers specific needs and classes will satisfy the Michigan standards in Physical Education, Physical and Earth Science, Language Arts, Math, and Social Studies. Programs available for grades K-12th
See website for Family Programs.

Take Action!:
Call WMAES to see how you can support their winter programs.



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