More than 3,000 students annually come to the Outdoor Discovery Center to learn about Michigan history from its indigenous communities to the early European settlers. Their learning includes hands-on activities related to daily life and culture including traditional gardening, tool making and use, foraging, hunting and trapping traditions, trading of natural resources, and production of maple syrup and sugar. Using the center's live animals and taxidermy, students explore are as they create projects that incorporate both the physical characteristics of animals and also the habitat in which those animals live. Our team of Education Network ambassadors also works with local schools to incorporate art into their lessons. Their projects have included plein air painting, sculptures in the spirit of work by Andy Goldworthy, and pencil sketching. During summer camps, students are often engaged in art-related activities including simple drawing and coloring to media production. The camp "Lights, Cameras, Animals" has children between 8-12 years old create a script and act based upon a theme facilitated and produced by a staff person. Lastly, the ODC has an art trail that is enjoyed by more than 50,000 visitors annually which includes sculpture and tactile elements to activate the viewers senses.

MUSIC FIELD TRIP EXPERIENCE Come to Rock, Roll and Learn. Our Studio. Their time to shine. Our program is perfect for kids of all types. It provides some basic music ideas as well as a lot of insight into instruments, the recording process, and also teamwork and character development. Program Description: The program is a two hour program that consists of 3 parts. First we explain a bit about each instrument and play some for them. Then they get a chance to play each instrument. Second we go in our recording studio and talk about recording and what is possible with modern recording technology. Lastly, we record something ourselves! Usually this is a “singing” situation, as this is the one thing in which everyone can participate. We learn about listening back to ourselves and trying to do things as best as we can and our team shares some stories about the world of music and it’s benefits to building character and teamwork.

Focused on Michigan history, Troy Historic Village education programs include onsite, outreach, and virtual field trip options for PreK - 8th grade students. Onsite field trips provide hands-on learning experiences in a log cabin, one-room schoolhouse, turn-of-the-century general store, and more. Activities include beeswax candlemaking, tin punch projects, and toy-making. Eighth grade classes can attend our annual Civil War Days, rotating through stations focused on soldier life, field medicine, the activism of Sojourner Truth, military drills, and 19th-century communication. The Village also offers " Our Community" workbooks as social studies curriculum supplements for 1st and 2nd graders.