Tag Archive for: glcm

Join us for Water Safety Day!

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The Great Lakes Children’s Museum is proud to present Water Safety Day 2023; an event promoting being safe while enjoying the Greatest thing about the Great Lakes; Water! The Great Lakes can be dangerous, but by learning a little water safety, we can play in, on, and around water in a safer way! Let’s talk about safety in a fun – not scary – way so we can enjoy the Great Lakes together!

Join us for Water Safety Day May 20th, 2023 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm!

This event is FREE and open to the public! Water Safety Day will take place right outside the Great Lakes Children’s Museum, which will still be open for General Admission (we suggest a reservation if you want to play in the Museum). But stop by the fun on your way into the Museum to learn how to be safe on the water from these amazing partners:

Help us make a SPLASH at this first-annual water safety event at the Great Lakes Children’s Museum. In addition to all the fun you can always find at Discovery Pier and Elmwood Township Park like fishing, watching the tall ships, and playing at the beach, we will have several fun safety stations set up on the West side of M-22.

Lots to do!

You can learn about different types of lifejackets and how to wear them, run ‘sinking boat’ drills, attend a beach safety class with America’s Boating Club, take the PFD Quiz to get a FREE LIFEJACKET donated by Long Lake Marina, learn about swim safety and CPR with the Red Cross, see the Elmwood Fire Department Rescue Boat and Ambulance up close*, and learn about more ways to stay safe in, on, and around the water!

America’s Boating Club will demonstrate why water safety is so important: we are surrounded by water and drowning is a leading cause of death of children. But we can play safely in the water! We will learn:

  • How to wear a lifejacket—Linda Lifejacket will show you all the features of hers.
  • What is the difference between a toy and a lifejacket.
  • What your child looks like when in trouble in the water—and what they look like when wearing a lifejacket.
  • What the animals teach us about water safety; turtles, birds, sea otter.
  • Why you should always wear a lifejacket on a boat; four good reasons.
  • We will have the kids do a “sinking boat” drill to learn the importance of knowing where lifejackets are and how to put them on.
  • We will set up and conduct the Boating Quiz. When the kids complete the quiz they will get a new free lifejacket courtesy of Long Lake Marine.
  • We will show parents how to be “WATER WATCHERS” and how to throw ring buoys and help someone in trouble in the water.

At about 11:30 am, watch the Coast Guard run a recovery drill* where they will drop a rescue diver in the water at Elmwood Beach and recover the diver before they fly on home! Make sure to get there before 11:30 to see the Helicopter rescue drill!

 

*Barring any emergencies that require the attention of our Emergency Services.

You don’t need an RSVP, Ticket, or Special Invitation to attend! Everyone is welcome to join us for Water Safety Day!

Let’s Make GivingTuesday 2022 the Biggest Yet!

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GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement to help people do more good!

How to Give:

There are many ways to be a part of GivingTuesday! You can volunteer your time, lend your voice to a cause, share needed supplies, or donate money. Simply find a worthy cause that’s important to you and connect with them!

For example, if you wanted to include the Great Lakes Children’s Museum in your giving efforts, here are some things we’re in need of (or we’d appreciate):

Website

Social Media

Help us reach new followers with a like or share of our events or posts on FB, Instagram or Twitter

 

Who Participates?

GivingTuesday means different things to different people, but we all have something to offer. Nonprofits like the Great Lakes Children’s Museum rely on big-hearted benevolence to keep their organizations running smoothly. We appreciate YOU!

#give #collaborate #celebrate #generosity #equity #movement #buildtogether #dignity #commongood #greatlakeschildrenmuseum #glcm

Helicopter Upgrade Complete! Thanks NMC Makerspace!

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In January 2021, the NMC Makerspace contacted GLCM looking for a project for a class and we challenged them to upgrade our old, broken helicopter dashboard. They created an internal contest to see which students won the chance to work on this project. NMC students Mike Cardwell and Manny McMillan were the winners – and their prize was lots of long evenings and weekends spent designing and building this new dashboard!

The design and construction process took hours of testing, assembly, retesting, and reassembly. The students designing the dashboard needed to take not only play and usage into account, but cleaning, maintenance, and also misuse. Students were instructed to design the dashboard “as though an angry gorilla will be playing with it” and they delivered exactly that.

   

Assembly and installation took place in Mid-March 2022. Kids were IMMEDIATELY enthralled with the new equipment – charging up the stairs to flip switches, turn on LEDs, and play with the joysticks which are now much more accurate to a real helicopter. By the time Mike (pictured below) had installed the new dashboard, it was already the talk of the Museum.

Mike C., NMC Student, installing power to the new helicopter dashboard – designed and built in the Makerspace.

We are giving a HUGE thanks to NMC’s Makerspace, and especially Mike, Manny, Max, Keith, and Jason for helping us improve one of the most beloved exhibits here at the Museum. You all rock! And thank you to NMC for promoting community centered design, hands-on learning, and collaboration between educational institutions. Thank you for working hard so that the kids of Traverse City can play just as hard!