Raven Hill Discovery Center
Where Science, History & Art Connect for All Ages
Through Hands-On Activities & Explorations Both Indoors & Outdoors
4737 Fuller Road
East Jordan, Michigan 49727
231.536.3369
info@ravenhilldiscoverycenter.org
Established in 1991 ~ A 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation
Special outreach presentations at your site are available to classes, teachers, libraries, clubs, reunions, day cares and other organizations. Hands-on sessions for children and adults are available in the areas of science, history, or the arts. Programs cost $100 per hour, $500 per day or $300 per half day. Contact Cheri Leach at 231.536.3369 or email Cheri at info@ravenhilldiscoverycenter.org. Limited matching funds are available. Please call for information. Programs include, but are not limited to, the following:
Connections
Science, history and art lessons are hands-on and right in the classroom with kids. Teachers choose the activity they want, then they watch, participate & learn integrated activities to fit their curriculum. Schools design a travel schedule for Raven Hill to visit five or six classrooms in a day or provide a variety of lessons in one classroom. Kids and teachers benefit. Objectives correlate to the grade level objectives and Common Core State Standards (CCSS). For information on assemblies see next section.
Classroom Assemblies
Raven Hill Discovery Center offers a wide variety of Classroom Assemblies designed for any age of student from Preschool through High School with subject matter & presentations geared to the specific group. Schools can schedule programs to work on topics of their choice, including but not limited to science, history, art & more to fit needs. Activities can be designed to introduce, reinforce or review topics including Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and grade level objectives. Raven Hill Staff travel from classroom to classroom with hands-on presentations. Fees are $500 per day or $100 per hour plus mileage. For more information & to book Classroom Assemblies contact the Raven Hill. Call 231.536.3369 or 877.833.4254 or email info@ravenhilldiscoverycenter.org. Click here for a Classroom Assemblies flyer.
Animals To Go
Everyone’s favorite. Opportunities are provided to learn about & pet or hold exotic animals, including snakes, lizards, spiders, birds and mammals. Observation and comparison skills are emphasized.
Museum To Go
Hands-on Science “exhibits” of motion, light, sound, machines, magnetism, life science and other areas of interest are set up and art and history connections are made as a classroom or library is turned into a hands-on museum for exploration. Museum To Go is geared for any age with developmentally appropriate activities from preschool through adult. Click here for a Museum To Go flyer.
Field Trip To Go
Field Trips To Go brings Raven Hill Discovery Center Exhibits & hands-on activities to your site! This can be designed for any type of school or group including scouts, birthdays, reunions, clubs or other organizations. The school or group chooses the hands-on sicience, history or art discovery, as well as the time of day (daytime or evening) and the date (subjec to availability). Work with Raven Hill staff to plan the activity or activities – indoors or outdoors. Make the time educational & fun! NO assemblies. Click here for a Field Trip To Go flyer
Under Michigan
Under Michigan leads participants on an exciting trip through geologic time from the beginnings of our Earth through the ice ages and beyond. Participants explore the rocks and minerals of Earth and the fossils of the plants and animals that once lived here. Each person receives small rock and fossil samples from “under Michigan” to keep.
Stem & Steam Programs
Raven Hill Discovery Center offers a wide variety of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) & STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Artistry, Mathematics) Programs on site or at your site. These can be designed for any age of student from Preschool through High School with subject matter & presentations geared to the specific group. Groups can schedule programs to work on topics of their choice, including but not limited to astronomy, biology, chemistry, physics and more to fit needs. Activities can be designed to introduce, reinforce or review topics including Core Curriculum State Standards (CCSS) and grade level objectives. Fees vary according to the activities. Please call or email for more information. Call 231.536.3369 or 877.833.4254 or email info@ravenhilldiscoverycenter.org to book a STEM or STEAM Activity (by appointment and dependent on availability).
Click here for STEM and STEAM Information and flyers
History Alive!
Hands-on history activities are brought on site from a variety of time periods, such as pioneer, civil war, middle ages, ancient civilizations with science and art links.
Art To Go
Art exhibits and hands-on activities can travel to a variety of sites to promote the ties between art and history and science through informal educational opportunities.
Special Groups
Special Group visits are designed for any type of group. A few examples are families, school groups, scout troops, clubs, organizations, religious groups, reunions, camps or any group you want to put together! Scouts and other youth organizations can schedule day or evening programs to work on activities to fulfill journeys, badges, patches, belt loops or pins. Choose a specific topic for exploration: natural dyes, handmade paper, lasers, Michigan geology, wheat weaving, useful plants or whatever. Families can schedule Birthday Parties. Groups can choose science, history, and art activities to fit their particular needs. Call 231.536.3369 to book a Group Activity – at your site. Fees vary according to the activities. On site group activities at Raven Hill are also available including overnights.
Raven Hill Discovery Center also offers a variety of programs on site such as classes, field trips, FREE Second Saturdays, PD, CMU graduate classes. Click here or on the Program Tab to see on site programs.
Raven Hill Discovery Center is a regional science and technology center. It is located on 157 acres in a rural area of northwestern Lower Michigan adjacent to Little Traverse Conservancy’s Raven Ridge Nature Preserve. It is also a cultural, historical and art center. The overall goal of the Center is to build lifelong connections for children and adults that link science, history and the arts in a hands-on learning environment. Since 1992, Raven Hill Discovery Center annually has over 9000 visitors experience science and technology, history and the arts through hands-on exhibits and displays. Programs include school field trips, scout activities, summer day camp, adult enrichment classes, family days and professional development for teachers. The museum is also open to the general public. In addition, there thousands of contact hours with teachers and students in area classrooms, libraries, and kids’ clubs each year through the Center’s Outreach Program. Raven Hill is unique in northern Michigan. It draws regularly from a twelve-county area during the school year and from across the United States and the world during the summer tourist season. The Center is open year-round to the public, individuals, groups, and organizations.
Cheri Leach is founder, CEO and program officer of Raven Hill Discovery Center, a museum that builds connections for children and adults linking science, history and the arts in a hands-on learning environment. She has a major in biology and a minor in chemistry from Albion College in Albion, Michigan. She earned a Masters in Science Education through the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 1991 she was a National Science Teacher Association (NSTA) Exemplary Facilities Award winner. Also, in 1991, Cheri was an American Association of University Women Eleanor Roosevelt Fellow. She currently teaches graduate classes for teachers through Central Michigan University, as well as professional development classes and student classes at Raven Hill and through the Center’s Outreach programs. A science teacher since 1968 and a science workshop presenter since 1987, Cheri works as a mentor to both youngsters and teachers interested in the sciences and the connections to all other aspects of our lives.