The Michigan Science Center is preparing to bring explosive reactions, cloud-making demonstrations, and other hands-on STEM experiences to communities across Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana during the 2026-2027 school year.
The outreach is part of Mi-Sci’s Aramco Traveling Science Program, which is supported by Aramco and is designed to bring interactive science programming to schools, libraries, community centers, summer child care groups, after-school programs, and other community events.
“Science is for everyone,” said Angela Cavanagh, Mi-Sci’s director of education. “Our goal is to put learners at the center of science and inspire curiosity through experiences they can see, touch and explore.”
The program began in 2012 and has reached more than 500,000 people in 73 Michigan counties, according to Mi-Sci.
It has since expanded to serve communities throughout both the Lower and Upper Peninsulas, as well as neighboring Ohio and Indiana.
During presentations, Cavanagh demonstrates the principles behind combustion with the “Whoosh Bottle” experiment, which uses a small amount of ethanol ignited inside a large water cooler jug.
The demonstration helps explain the relationship among fuel, oxygen, pressure, and temperature in a visible—and dramatic—way.
A second demonstration uses liquid nitrogen to create clouds, offering a close-up look at how temperature affects atoms and molecules and how substances can change from one state of matter to another.
The demonstrations reflect the range of programming available through the traveling program.
Mi-Sci also offers science festivals, family science nights, group presentations, interactive classroom workshops, and a portable planetarium called the Discovery Dome.
Available presentations include “Kaboomistry,” which explores the science of explosions, and “Frostology,” a liquid-nitrogen program focused on temperature and the movement of atoms and molecules. Hands-on workshops cover subjects including electricity, wind turbines, DNA, weather, oceans, magnets, and the states of matter.
Aramco’s support is helping Mi-Sci extend those experiences beyond its Detroit facility.
Aramco, an energy and chemicals company with a presence in Metro Detroit, operates the Aramco Research Center-Detroit in Novi, where it develops transportation solutions.
The company is also a founding member of the American Concrete Institute’s Center of Excellence for Nonmetallic Building Materials in Farmington Hills.
“Thanks to Aramco’s valued support, we can continue reaching curious minds with interactive STEM experiences and exciting demonstrations,” Mi-Sci said in information about the program.
Organizations interested in hosting the Aramco Traveling Science Program or other Mi-Sci workshops, group presentations, and interactive experiences can submit an online request or contact Mi-Sci at Outreach@Mi-Sci.org for information and reservations.