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Local News

SC4’s Challenger Learning Center Open for Groups

The Challenger Learning Center at SC4 celebrated its opening to the public over the weekend with a reception for leaders last Friday and unveiling to the public on Saturday. Schools, businesses, and community groups can now schedule a full mission experience for space-themed learning and team building.

The Challenger Learning Center is located near SC4’s Experience Center, a partnership with Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum that gives learners of all ages a self-guided exploration of various STEM themed exhibits. The Experience Center is open Monday – Friday from 9 AM – 5 PM inside SC4’s Clara Mackenzie Building.

The Challenger Learning Center is in the lower level of the Mackenzie Building and is a fully immersive space-themed STEM experience designed for groups of 18 – 35 learners. Groups enter the Challenger Learning Center and become part of an interactive, hands-on mission inside a simulated Space Station and Mission Control room.

To learn more and register your group for a Lunar Quest Mission at SC4’s Challenger Learning Center, visit challenger.sc4.edu.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Tickets on Sale Now for Rocket Mortgage Classic

The Rocket Mortgage Classic, Detroit’s annual PGA Tour event, will return to the Detroit Golf Club July 26 – 31, 2022, and daily grounds tickets and shared hospitality passes are now on sale.

Jason Langwell, Executive Director of the Rocket Mortgage Classic, said, “We are excited to get ticket sales underway for the 2022 tournament. As we enter our fourth year here in Detroit, the Rocket Mortgage Classic has established itself as a favorite summer tradition for residents of the city and beyond. Whether you’re looking to come out and watch the PGA TOUR’s best golfers up close and personal or you’re just a fan of exciting community events and summer fun, there’s something for everyone.”

PGA Tour fans will get the best prices if they buying tickets early, and grounds passes start at $60 for the first round on Thursday, July 28th, go up to $70 for the second round on Friday, July 29th, and cost $80 per pad for the final two rounds on Saturday and Sunday, July 30th and 31st.

Upgraded viewing experiences in hospitality tents start at $250 per day. Families are encouraged to attend, and up to four kids under 15 can attend free when accompanied by a ticketed adult.

For more information about the Rocket Mortgage Classic, visit RocketMortgageClassic.com.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Local Mom Looking for Players for Kicking Out Stigma Kickball League

Jessica Franz, a Port Huron area mom, is committed to finding recreational opportunities for her 20-year-old special needs son. Team sports are hard to find for older kids who still need that team experience and organized physical activity.

Franz is spearheading an effort to organize a kickball league that includes young adults living on the autism spectrum, or with other special needs. It will be called KOS, Kicking Out Stigma.

Franz said that it has been harder to find recreational sports for her son, Gabe, as he has gotten older. Gabe is an active young man who is interested in trains, fishing, and bowling, but what he really wants is to join a sports team, just like his younger siblings.

When she couldn’t find what she was looking for, Jessica Franz decided to start a league of her own and to put out the call for interested players. There is a possibility of future collaboration with Community Mental Health. The league would get started in mid-June.

Kicking Out Stigma Kickball League: Jessica Franz, jahgm@hotmail.com, 810-990-5118

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

SC4 and Wayne State Partner for Engineering Degree Program

St. Clair County Community College and Wayne State University are partners in a program to make it easier to launch a STEM career with an Engineering Degree.

Students will be able to earn most of their general education credits at SC4 and then to transfer “seamlessly” to Wayne State for a bachelor’s degree. They will be able to earn their Associate of Science degree while working toward the Wayne State transfer.

SC4 President Dr. Deborah A. Snyder said, “We know many SC4 students transfer on to earn four-year degrees and have gone on to lead in cutting-edge industries, but too many others lose interest in crucial STEM subjects or encounter barriers along the way.”

Snyder said that the community college can do more to inspire, educate and prepare students and cited the Challenger Learning Center and the Wayne State partnership as ways to “help students save on tuition costs and time as they pursue a bachelor’s degree from one of Michigan’s most innovative four-year institutions.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Detroit Auto Show Is Back Full Force Sept. 14-25

The North American International Auto Show has been reinvented for 2022 with a combination of indoor and outdoor displays. The Detroit Auto Show, as it is commonly called, is scheduled for September 14th through 25th at the Huntington Place, formerly Cobo Hall.

The Charity Preview is returning this year, and there are free community activities planned for Downtown Detroit.  The show is described as “next generation”.

The main floor at Huntington is already sold out. It will feature a mix of hands-on activations, traditional vehicle exhibits, and a showcase of automotive innovation and technology. Want to take a test drive? The 2023 Chevrolet Grand Prix downtown circuit will be available for test drives.

There is also a focus on the future of mobility with the AutoMobili-D exhibit, featuring the latest innovators, suppliers, and educators in the industry.

Detroit Auto Show Executive Director Rod Alberts said he expects the show to be a pivotal player in consumers’ vehicle shopping and purchase decisions.

https://naias.com/

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Sanborn Park to Get New Multi-Use Trail and Needs Volunteers

Sanborn Park is held dear by many Port Huron natives who learned to swim in the city pool, learned to play tennis on the courts, watched a baseball game on the field, or simply enjoyed playing on the playground on a lazy summer day.

The gem, located in the north end of Port Huron, is getting some upgrades and the community is asked to help with a Work Day on May 5th at 5:00 p.m.

A new multi-use trail is being constructed by the City of Port Huron in the Nature Area of the park. The city is working with the Friends of the St. Clair River to preserve and improve the ecological integrity of the park.

Friends President Sheri Faust said, “Our services to the city’s Multi-Use Trail Project include removing invasive species, conducting ecological surveys, and recruiting volunteers to help care for the park and trails. Sanborn Park Nature Area has a diversity of plant and animal life, such as rare white trout lilies and old-growth trees, and the park’s existing trails add to the unspoiled effect of this urban natural setting.”

A work day is scheduled for Thursday, May 5, at 5 p.m.. Help Friends of the St. Clair River to remove invasive species and trash from the trail. Please bring gloves or loppers if you own them; extras will be available to borrow.

Please meet at the Sanborn Park near the play structure. For more info, please email lydia@scriver.org.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland