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Educational Programs at Your Location

Can't make it to Midland Center for the Arts? We can come to you with one of our on-site, hands-on, educational experiences for participants of all ages. Outreach programs must be arranged at least two weeks in advance. All programs are aligned with Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations. For a listing of standards met by specific programs, please email schools@midlandcenter.org.

Download the 2024/25 Education Group Guide
Download the 2024/25 Workshop Experience Guide

Sponsored By Dow Credit Union

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2025 Summer Library Opportunities

Book all hands-on workshops as well as our summer ADVENTURE library programs!

Go on an adventure with Midland Center for the Arts with these 45-60 minute workshops. We encourage science, learning, and creativity while allowing library staff to sit back and enjoy the excitement of all those participating at your location.

$100 / SINGLE PROGRAMS
($50 / per added booking in a season)

Unleash your creative personality by exploring the magic of colors and self-portraits. Discover the world of colors learning primary, secondary, and complementary hues while expressing yourself in an artistic way.
Unlock the secrets of the color spectrum and celebrate everything found in nature! From the vivid hues of flowers to the different pigments that are derived from plants and minerals, learn the role color plays in natural sciences and art through interactive workshop and hands-on activities.
Delve into the psychology and symbolism of colors in textiles and explore how different hues evoke emotions and cultural meanings. Through hands-on workshops, you will learn to harmonize shades, patterns, and textures and master the art of weaving vibrant and visually captivating textiles
Explore the fascinating realm of color perception! Through engaging demonstrations and interactive activities, unravel the mysteries behind color vision and gain a deeper understanding of the science that shapes our perception of the world.

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Classroom Workshops / Grades K - 5

Beyond the Matinee

Bring learning to life and expand your student’s matinee experience with a limited in-classroom or virtual workshop opportunity! 

Reinforce key concepts and themes from The Magic School Bus in the weeks leading up to or following the performance. A Center Educator will work with your students right in their very own classroom, or virtually for your convenience. Book one, two, or book all three! Workshops are booked on a first-come, first-scheduled basis.

BOOKING FOR 2025/26 SCHOOL YEAR STARTS AUG 1!

Explore our Solar System and all that is contained within. Through engaging hands-on activities and science experiments, students will learn about the planets (including dwarf planets), moons, asteroids, comets, and, of course, our Sun. Students will create their own planetary beads to create a space keychain or bracelet to keep!

Learn about how Astronauts prepare for their missions, from assignment to blast off. From the food they eat, to the suits they wear, students will be able to figure out if they have what it takes to go to space, and students will be able to create their own mission patch!

Blast off even further beyond our Solar System to the larger galaxy. Explore how scientists discover what lies outside of the Milky Way to galaxies millions of light-years away. Students will craft their own message to the Universe with their own Golden Record!
$100 each / single programs $50 / per added booking in a season
On-site library programs are subject to a mileage fee.

ENGLISH, HISTORY, SCIENCE

2025/26 Hands-On Workshops

Let us bring the learning to you! These a la’ carte workshops offer your students dynamic, hands-on lessons in science, English, or history - with an artistic, interdisciplinary twist. Each workshop lasts approximately 1 - 1.5 hours, and includes all materials participants need to complete the activities.

BOOKING FOR 2025/26 SCHOOL YEAR STARTS AUG 1!

Through science, song, and movement, students will learn how water moves around our world! Students will create a model of the water cycle and discover how water impacts the plants, animals, and humans on Earth. This workshop is the perfect blend of tactile, scientific exploration and creative expression.
Students will become chemists for a day as they investigate the chemical and physical changes of matter! Through engaging demonstrations and hands-on experiments, students will explore the relationships between energy and matter.
Splat! Drip! Splash! Meet some artists who aren’t afraid to get a little messy to create stunning visual art. Students will analyze art from Jackson Pollock, Sam Gilliam, Joan Mitchell, and Elaine de Kooning and then get a chance to be art detectives.
Blast off into the world of rockets! Students will enjoy interactive demonstrations of Newton’s Laws of Motion and a brief presentation of the history and science of rockets. Then, students will design, build, and test their own miniature straw rockets.

Explore the world of comics and graphic novels while learning about literary and artistic aspects of the genre. Students will enhance their work using dialogue and character development, and discover the basics of illustration, narrative writing, and bookbinding to create their own graphic novel.

Explore the world of comics and graphic novels while learning about literary and artistic aspects of the genre. Students will enhance their work using dialogue and character development, and discover the basics of illustration, narrative writing, and bookbinding to create their own graphic novel.
See history in motion as we learn how innovations in transportation shaped Michigan! From the Erie Canal to the revolution of the auto industry, students will discover how changes in transportation led to the settlement of Michigan. Along with history lessons, students will be able to design and craft their own transportation methods.
Embark on a thrilling journey through time! Students will become young historians as they delve into the fascinating world of primary and secondary resources from various historical periods to solve a mystery.
Art history is full of amazing artists who used multiple mediums to push boundaries! From Vincent Van Gogh to Andy Warhol and Frida Kahlo, learn all about the background of some of the most famous names in art. Students can then showcase their creativity by designing a social media page for their favorite artist.

$100 for one classroom of up to 30 students / $50 each additional classroom

Classroom maximum 30 students. Additional travel fees apply for all on-site programs

2026 Library Programs

Dive into the world of dinosaurs, archaeology, and paleontology through engaging workshops and story times designed for young explorers. Whether you're a budding scientist, a curious learner, or someone seeking adventure, the Midland Center for the Arts is the perfect starting point! Let us support your guests while you relax and enjoy the excitement of all participants in your space.
Planetarium / $150 for up to 40 students, $50 for additional groups up to 20 students

BOOKING BEGINS AUG 1, 2025
Dig through layers of the dirt to uncover ancient species that once roamed the Earth. Learn about the Earth’s different eras and the species that lived through them as well as the paleontologists who expose the past.
Discover the dinosaur in you! Look at the fossils of dinosaurs, compare them to our bones, and wonder what you would look like as a dinosaur!
Explore the depths of the Great Lakes as you dive into the world of underwater archaeology and our state’s extensive collection of shipwrecks. Learn about the various ways archaeologists and divers find, identify, and document ships.
Dive into ancient seas and unveil the mystery of how organisms evolved in Earth’s oceans over the period of 500 million years. Identify real fossils and find a deeper understanding of how the remnants of the past remain today.
$100 each / single programs $50 / per added booking in a season
On-site library programs are subject to a mileage fee.
Round Trip Mileage for On-site Education Programs:
0 - 15 MILES $0
16 - 30 MILES $15
31+ MILES $.67 /per mile

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