The 2022 STEM Passport Mobile App is Here!
You and your child can explore STEM in the Great Lakes Bay Region (GLBR) with our new mobile app. The GLBR is home to a variety of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) destinations and programs. The Great Lakes Bay Region STEM Passport is a learning resource for 19 different hands-on, dynamic STEM organizations in the community. Now locating them is easy! The app is a great resource to access information about current STEM-based activities and events in the region.
The app is currently available on Android / Google Play Store, and iOS / Apple App Store. Below you will find instructions on how to download the app, create an account, app destinations, and other STEM and regional resources.
INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO USE APP:
Environmental Education & STEM
What is Map Buddy?
Map Buddy is an app that lets you find and interact with places using your cell phone based on where you’re physically located. With the STEM Pipeline map in Map Buddy you can find and check-in to participating Michigan STEM organizations. By checking in you have a chance to win prizes via attendance at STEM Passport locations.
Launching Map Buddy
First, visit the Map Buddy app using your phone. You can do this by scanning the following QR code:
This will take you to the STEM Pipeline map inside of the app.
Install Map Buddy
At this point, the app is open inside of your web browser, but that isn’t necessarily the easiest Map Buddy. Instead, you may prefer to install the mobile app.
iOS Safari & Android Chrome
Download the mobile App by scanning this QR Code or clicking on the link.
Creating an Account
Note: If you logged into Map Buddy on iOS in your browser, you will need to log in again. iOS won’t remember your login across Safari and the installed app. If you prefer, keep using Map Buddy in your browser and you will still have access to the information.
| Step 1: Enable Location Access
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| Radar Chat needs your permission to access your location data. On the screen that you’re viewing, tap the “Enable Location Access” button in the middle of the screen.
Note: If you visited a different screen then you can tap the global icon on the bottom toolbar to head back to a screen with this button.Your phone will then ask you if you would like to share your location with Map Buddy. Confirm that you would like to give access, and once you do, the map should update to show your location. |
| Step 2: Create an Account
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| Next you’ll want to create an account with Map Buddy. By having an account you will be able to check-in to the locations that you visit in order to win prizes.
Tap the “Create Account or Login” button that replaced the location button. This will take you to the account creation screen. |
| Step 3: Provide your Email Address
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| On this screen, type in your email address, and then tap the “Email me a Login Link” button. |
Step 4: Confirm your Email Address  |
| You will receive an email with a button to sign in. Tap the button in the email to be taken back to the app. |
| Step 5: Choose a Username
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| You’ll then be taken to a screen where you can enter a username. Type in a username and tap the “Confirm Username” button to finish creating an account.
You’ll be taken back to the STEM Pipeline map. The top of your screen should have “#glbra-stem-pipeline” displayed to show that you’re in the STEM map. If it doesn’t, then tap the magnifying lens icon in the bottom bar, then type “stem” in the search at the top of the screen. Tap the result for #glbra-stem-pipeline to be taken to the map. Tap the “Subscribe” button on this screen if present to subscribe to the map. |
STEM Map:  |
| Now that you’re viewing in the STEM map, you can look for locations to check in to. Depending on where you’re currently located you might not see anything on the map. Tap the zoom-out button on the map to zoom out several times and it should then display STEM locations that you can interact with. |
Icons on the map represent our partner locations. Tap one of the icons to get a popup with more information about the location and to be given the opportunity to interact with it.
The icons below each message allow you to interact with it. The icons perform the following actions:
- Globe: Takes you to the website for that location
- Calendar: Takes you to the STEM Pipeline events calendar for that location
- Instagram Logo: Takes you to the location’s Instagram account, if applicable
- Facebook Logo: Takes you to the location’s Facebook account, if applicable
- Turning Indicator: Opens your maps application so you can get driving directions
- Marker with a Plus: Prompts you to check in to the location if you’re nearby
How to Check-In
To check-in, you’ll need to be visiting the location in real life when you tap the check-in button. If you’re close enough, you’ll get a popup asking if you agree to share your email with the STEM Pipeline for the contest. If you aren’t close enough to the location, then you’ll get an error that you need to get closer. Every phone has a different GPS quality. If you’re inside of the building and your GPS says that you’re far away, you may want to stand outside of the building to increase the accuracy.
Once you check-in to the location, the check-in button will be disabled.
START EXPLORING TODAY!
STEM Destinations on App
- Arenac Community Center, Standish – arenaccommunitycenter.org
- Bay City State Recreation Area, Bay City – https://bit.ly/BayCityStatePark
- Bay County Library System – www.baycountylibrary.org
- Alice and Jack Wirt Public Library, Bay City
- Auburn Area Branch Library, Auburn
- Pinconning Branch Library, Pinconning
- Historical Sage Library, Bay City
- Bookmobile & Outreach Services
- The Historical Museum of Bay County, Bay City – www.bchsmuseum.org
- Beaverton Activity Center, Gladwin – www.beavertonactivitycenter.com
- Castle Museum of Saginaw County, Saginaw – www.castlemuseum.org/
- Chippewa Nature Center, Midland – www.chippewanaturecenter.org
- CMU Center for Excellence in STEM Education, Mt. Pleasant – www.cmich.edu/stemed
- Delta College Planetarium, Bay City – www.delta.edu/planetarium
- Dow GLBI’s STEM Center, Midland – www.dowglbi.com/
- Forest Hill Nature Area, Alma – www.giresd.net
- Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum – Saginaw – www.marshallfredericks.net/steam.html
- Midland Center for the Arts, Midland – www.midlandcenter.org
- Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum, Saginaw – www.michildrensmuseum.org
- MSU St. Andrews STEAM Center, Midland – standrews.msu.edu/
- Mt. Pleasant Discovery Museum, Mt. Pleasant – www.mpdiscoverymuseum.org
- Saginaw Children’s Zoo, Saginaw – www.saginawzoo.com
- Saginaw ISD – Hartley Outdoor Education Center, Saginaw – www.sisd.cc/hartley-outdoor-education-center–2
- Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge/Green Point Nature Center, Saginaw – www.facebook.com/ShiawasseeNWR
- STEM@SVSU – Saginaw – www.svsu.edu/stem/
- T.A. Cutler Memorial Library, Saint Louis – www.stlouismi.com/residents/library
- YMCA Camp Timbers – Saginaw /West Branch – saginawymca.org/camp-timbers/
More STEM Resources
- Bedtime Math – bedtimemath.org/
- Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan – www.gshom.org/en/events/event-calendar.html
- Math in the Mail – www.mathinthemail.org
- Mathnasium of Saginaw – www.facebook.com/mathnasiumofsaginaw/
- Midland Section of the American Chemical Society – www.midlandacs.org
- MSU Extension 4-H – www.canr.msu.edu/resources/teaching_science_when_you_dont_know_diddly_squat_series
& hwww.canr.msu.edu/outreach/county or MSU Extension-Midland County 4-H – Contact: howedolo@msu.edu - MSU St. Andrews STEAM Center, Midland – standrews.msu.edu/
- STEM Saginaw, Saginaw – saginawstem.org/
Library Systems & STEM
- Michigan Public Libraries by County – www.everylibrary.com/MI-County.html
- Michigan Library Directory – librarytechnology.org/libraries/public.pl?State=Michigan
Environmental Education & STEM
- Bay City State Recreation Park – www.michigan.gov/baycity
- Bay Sail Schooner Appledore – www.baysailbaycity.org
- Chippewa Nature Center – www.chippewanaturecenter.org/
- Chippewa Watershed Conservatory – www.chippewawatershedconservancy.org/
- Dow Gardens – dowgardens.org/
- EAA Chapter 1093: Home to Midland Young Eagles – www.facebook.com/EAAChapter1093
- Hartley Outdoor Education Center – www.sisd.cc/hartley-outdoor-education-center–2
- Little Forks Nature Conservancy – www.littleforks.org/
- MiPINES Outdoor Education – www.tinyurl.com/MIPINESmap
- Museum of Cultural and Natural History – www.cmich.edu/colleges/class/MCNH/Pages/default.aspx
- Saginaw Bay Land Conservancy – www.sblc-mi.org/
- Saginaw Conservation District – www.facebook.com/saginawcd/
- Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge – www.facebook.com/ShiawasseeNWR
Other Family Resources
- Bay-Arenac Counties GSC – www.bayarenacgreatstart.org
- Boys & Girls Clubs of the Great Lakes Bay Region – www.boysandgirlsclubsglbr.com/
- Children’s Grief Center of the Great Lakes Bay Region – www.facebook.com/childrensgriefcenter
- Clare and Gladwin Counties GSC – www.claregladwingreatstart.com
- Clare-Gladwin RESD SPARKS – www.cgresd.net/domain/51
- Gratiot-Isabella Counties GSC – www.giresd.net/domain/36
- Greater Midland Community Center – www.greatermidland.org/
- Great Start to Quality – www.greatstarttoquality.org
- Midland County GSC – www.greatstartmidland.org
- Saginaw County GSC – www.greatstartsaginaw.org/
- THRIVE Great Lakes Bay – thrivegreatlakesbay.org/
- The ROCK Center for Youth Development – www.therockc4yd.org/
