All Collections

November is National Entrepreneurship Month and Michigan Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II has created an exciting collection of activities just for Mizzen!

Filled with fun, immersive, and interactive content, this playlist introduces students to entrepreneurship as a mindset.

Students in K-12 age groups will build their skillset through discovery, problem-solving, and collaboration.

Play and being playful are considered cornerstones of creativity and idea generation. There is significant evidence that many ideas for new products and services were developed through playing around with ideas, materials, and products. Play itself gives us a fresh perspective, which is often critical in solving problems and being innovative. Play also helps us better understand the world around us because we can explore things in a fun way - we can make and build, create new worlds and personas, play new games, and break the rules, without fear of consequences. Play helps entrepreneurs innovate because it's risk-free-there's no judgment or failure when you're playing.

In Activity 1, students will be using their imaginations to transform everyday objects into something different and playing through design challenges during Activity 2. Students will rotate in teams to four different stations with a challenge to create something at each. Finally, Activity 3 will involve creative play as students create a menu and play food for an alien planet. To close out the activity and lesson, students will role play waiters/waitresses and customers at each other's diners.

Students will engage in a four-week learning experience focused on creating innovator trading cards. This project allows them to explore and highlight the varied contributions of Black Americans to their communities, developing key skills such as listening, drawing, speaking, and foundational categorization. In the final week, Week 4, students will use their completed trading cards to determine the most suitable type of community helper for various scenarios.

There are two activities in the Innovator Trading Card Collection: 

• Activity 1, Designing Innovator Trading Cards, focuses on the "theme of the week," learning about the innovators and their influence, and designing the innovator trading cards. 

• Activity 2, Playing Innovator Trading Cads, focuses on facilitating the associated game to reinforce learning.

Finish strong with Active Kids and Minds Functional Fitness third and final Collection. Covering Weeks 9-12, this Collection brings together skills learned throughout the program, and celebrates the accomplishments of participants.

Belonging. New friends. Fresh foods. Joy. Embracing a whole-child perspective, this playlist celebrates the many everyday ways we can nourish youth health and wellness. Dive into this collection and you’ll find blood-pumping relay races, team-building balloon tosses, and creativity-boosting game design. Plus this playlist is brimming with learning resources you can use to introduce youth to yoga, mindfulness meditation, and the health benefits of seasonal fruits and vegetables!

“Physical activity, creative expression, and social interaction are all essential for well-rounded development that goes beyond the classroom. Whether it’s through sports, outdoor adventures, or introductions to wellness, youth learn the value of taking care of their body and mind. And that’s a cornerstone of their success and happiness.” — Richmond Brown, Jr.

Richmond Brown, Jr. is a native of Charleston, SC who recently relocated to Los Angeles, CA continuing 15 years of dedication and service in leadership in the out-of-school time field. As the Associate Director of Programs with Woodcraft Rangers, he oversees expanded learning partnerships and 21st CCLC programs throughout the Los Angeles area.

Teens Curate Teens offers a process for young people to take on the responsibility for creating all aspects of an exhibition. A curator is in charge of selecting artwork for an exhibition or presentation. Learn how a curator or curatorial team creates an art exhibit that gives voice to their peers’ concerns and interests to possibly initiate change. Students develop their collaborative skills to identify a common theme to create a dynamic art event for their community. Together the team chooses a location for the event, guidelines for the artists’ application, outreach, criteria for selection, marketing and PR, placement of the artwork in the space, and the opening & programing of the exhibit.

“How to Grow Dahlias: A Full-Season Garden Guide”

Once your learners know “Things to Know Before You Grow,” it’s time to dig into the garden and get their hands dirty with one of the most beloved and magical plants of all—dahlias! In this joyful, in-depth module, youth follow the full life cycle of a dahlia, from inspecting tubers in spring to harvesting show-stopping blooms, and finally saving those tubers for next season’s magic. Along the way, they’ll learn how to identify healthy tubers, prep and plant with confidence, care for their plants organically, and participate in the fall tradition of cutting back, dividing, and overwintering their garden’s gold.

The “How to Grow Dahlias” collection includes five hands-on lessons and a library of interactive worksheets, journal pages, and planting-day checklists—plus several engaging “how-to” videos from Farmer Steph herself. Whether you’re growing dahlias in a schoolyard bed or in containers on a sunny windowsill, this module turns your classroom into a bloom-filled lab where kids learn to nurture life, track seasonal change, and celebrate every stage of the growing cycle.

By the end of this series, students won’t just grow flowers—they’ll grow confidence, observation skills, and a lifelong appreciation for the natural beauty they helped bring to life.