By: Erica Prange
Manager of School Engagement
As the school year begins, our team of educators invites preK–12th-grade students to touch fossilized dinosaur poop, collaborate with their peers to identify an animal skull by its teeth, compare and contrast resource use in different environments, and investigate dozens more ways that understanding the natural world helps us to understand ourselves.
Each of our school programs is designed to promote inquiry skills, engage students, and inspire them to return to the Museum to continue learning with their friends and families. Programming also aligns with the Ohio Department of Education’s Learning Standards, and great care is taken to ensure these experiences meet both the academic needs of the students and the practical needs of the school professionals planning these experiences. Plus, families can check out a free pass to visit the Museum from the
Cleveland Public Library!
To meet our programming goals, we’ve spent the summer reviewing feedback from classroom teachers, students, and our team of educators to decide which programs to update and revise. This year, our interactive video conferencing (IVC) programs have received the Pinnacle Award from the Center of Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC). This award is given based on classroom-teacher feedback on our programs, and we are excited by the positive response to our continual monitoring and improvement of our offerings.
In addition, as the Museum makes progress on its
Centennial Transformation, we’ve been busy adapting our programming to the changing spaces in the building. Along with
new hands-on workshops (check out our Human Origins, Rocks!, and Ohio Geography programs), we will also be offering gallery guides this year. These resources are designed to facilitate independent student exploration of Museum galleries under the guidance of a classroom teacher or adult chaperone.
Not all of our educational programming takes place in the building. Did you know we offer
programming at your location? A Museum educator brings the supplies, which (depending on your chosen topic) may include cast fossils, real Ohio animal furs and bones, mineral specimens, or even our portable planetarium. This year, we are not only bringing our programs to preK–12th-grade schools, but also to several after-school locations. We are also offering a new series of
career programs FREE of charge. This series can be viewed online as an IVC program. Watch live to participate in a Q&A with practicing scientists, or watch recorded for convenience.
After months of reviewing notes, cleaning supplies, updating content, and planning for new audiences, we cannot wait to dive into the year’s activities and see our students’ reactions. Although every group of learners is different, our drive to explore with students, and engage and empower them for a better tomorrow, remains the same.