“Level Up” features an exciting traveling exhibit, “Electric Playhouse Travels”
The exhibit opens Wed., Oct. 19 and is made possible by General Motors
Detroit, Mich., October 10, 2022 – On Wednesday, October 19, the Michigan Science Center (Mi-Sci) will open “Level Up,” an 8,000 square-foot, prototype exhibit featuring the traveling exhibit “Electric Playhouse Travels,” which connects playing games to problem-solving in daily life and potential careers.
The installation is designed for families and students and demonstrates the acquired skills behind what kids love most – video and analog games – to create interactive, immersive learning experiences. The exhibit is made possible by General Motors. Electric Playhouse Travels, is a special feature within Level Up, available for a limited time, through January 3. Level Up will remain at the Michigan Science Center through the school year.
“As a STEM engagement hub, we use informal learning approaches to demystify challenging concepts and place them into everyday contexts in ways that help to augment K-12 education,” said Dr. Christian Greer, president and CEO of Mi-Sci. “With the generous support of General Motors, we can connect youth with STEM on their terms, igniting their awareness of the value of play in imaginative thinking and creative problem-solving.”
“In today’s ever-changing economy, problem-solving skills are becoming an increasingly critical component for building a successful 21st-century career,” said Terry Rhadigan, vice president of Corporate Giving at General Motors. “The Level Up exhibit does a wonderful job showing how play inspires cognitive development and we’re certain it will inspire students to find a new or renewed interest in STEM.”
As a special feature of the exhibit, the Michigan Science Center is excited to bring Electric Playhouse Travels through January 3rd. Electric Playhouse Travels is the premiere traveling exhibition-experience and is a joint venture between Exhibits Development Group, LLC and The Electric Playhouse. This digital hands-free experience is a mix of games, artistic interactives, and experiences that are ready for exploration. Using projection mapping and sensors, movements are tracked for interactions without the need for headsets or other wearable devices. Visitors enter an exhibition of interactive experiences designed to promote healthy, active play that surprises, delights, and inspires movement all themed to feel like visitors are fully immersed in a digital universe. Visitors are invited to interact with the space themed landscape of puzzles, challenges, and wonder.
Level Up also consists of the following game zones:
Console or Video Games – Research indicates action gamers are better skilled at using models to solve problems outside of games. In Portal 2 for the Xbox, players must come up with a question, design experiments, and implement solutions while applying advanced physics. Multiplayer modes allow players to collaboratively problem-solve to work toward a collective win against the game.
Virtual Reality Games – Featuring Oculus Rift headsets, this zone will transport you to different worlds and places. You will also learn how this technology is being used in healthcare settings.
Analog Games – Board games teach hands-on STEM skills without the need for a tech component and appeal to a wide age range. Large-scale games in Level Up will allow players to learn design and game mechanics.
Arcade Zone – The final zone will incorporate a dedicated space for guests to play classic arcade games plus winning games from the Games for Change (G4C) student challenge competition and games in a virtual playground with floor and ceiling projection where students use their body as the game controller.
The Ames Room – A special room designed to challenge your perceptions of reality by removing all the visual cues we usually use to determine an object’s size. This effect causes objects and people in a seemingly ordinary room shrink or grow depending on their position in the room. When we look at someone inside an Ames Room, our brains are fooled into thinking that the room is a regular square; in reality, the room is trapezoidal, with one corner farther away than the others. Mi-Sci’s Ames Room will also feature a selfie station for those who want to share their experience.
Level Up featuring Electric Playhouse Travels is included in Mi-Sci’s general admission price. Reserve tickets at www.mi-sci.org. Mi-Sci is located at 5020 John R. Street in Midtown, Detroit and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.
The Michigan Science Center (Mi-Sci) is a Smithsonian affiliate that inspires nearly 250,000 curious minds of all ages every year through STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) discovery, innovation and interactive education in Detroit and across Michigan. As a STEM hub, Mi-Sci focuses on developing and introducing expanded education programs, exhibits and initiatives to empower and enrich our children and community. Through our Traveling Science Program and distance learning initiative, ECHO, we are expanding beyond our Detroit-based facility, with a goal of reaching all 83 counties of Michigan. With the Toyota Engineering 4D Theater, live science demonstrations, lab activities and 220+ interactive exhibits, there are dozens of ways to customize your Mi-Sci visit. The Michigan Science Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and does not receive funding from Detroit or the state of Michigan. For more information, please call 313.577.8400 or visit the website, Mi-Sci.org.
About General Motors
General Motors (NYSE:GM) is a global company focused on advancing an all-electric future that is inclusive and accessible to all. At the heart of this strategy is the Ultium battery platform, which will power everything from mass-market to high-performance vehicles. General Motors, its subsidiaries and its joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Baojun and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety and security services, can be found at https://www.gm.com.
About Exhibits Development
EDG is dedicated to the development, production, marketing, and distribution of traveling museum exhibitions and cultural projects. EDG also serves as a partner to other exhibition organizers, museums, foundations, and collection owners in the U.S. and abroad, in the care and stewardship of their exhibitions and collections. EDG’s mission is to initiate and promote international cultural and intellectual exchange by bringing high-quality traveling exhibitions of art, science, and history to broad and diverse audiences. For more information, please visit www.exhibitsdevelopment.com
About Electric Playhouse:
Electric Playhouse is a STEAM-powered interactive and visual arts studio based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Electric Playhouse team consists of artists, designers, software developers, architects, creative technologists, exhibit fabricators, and support staff who design experiences that invite visitors into immersive projection-mapped environments to express themselves artistically and challenge themselves through healthy, active play. Learn more here: electricplayhouse.com