Our Story
How we got here
Miami Children’s Museum received an Institute of Museum and Library Services grant in order to dive deep into the extraordinary impact of Children’s Museums and Museum Schools on children and their families.
Starting with just one museum school and a local traditional school, we uncovered the exceptional benefits and challenges of having a school within a museum. Fast forward to the end of 2023, and we had expanded to include three museum schools: Miami Children’s Museum, The Strong National Museum of Play, and the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center. By spring 2024, we had welcomed seven new partners, bringing the total to 10 museum schools, all seeking to understand the incredible impact of museum schools on children, families, and the community.
In June 2024, we held our inaugural meeting for the Museum Playful Learning Collective in Albuquerque, MN, with the generous support of Explora Museum. Since then, our collective has flourished from 12 members to over 50! We have 26 additional museums and 2 botanical gardens. Some with museums, some soon to be opening museums and others are interested in learning more about implementing a school in a museum.
We’ve also been joined by outside museums interested in learning more about museum schools and playful learning. We are thrilled by the overwhelming support and interest in the Museum Playful Learning Collective and can’t wait to continue learning and growing together!
What is a Museum School?
We are defining a museum school as a type of educational institution embedded within a museum that integrates museum resources, collections, and expertise into the school’s daily learning experiences. These schools focus on using all available museum’s resources to enhance and enrich traditional classroom learning, offering students opportunities to engage with artifacts, exhibits, and experts in various fields. Museum schools aim to provide a unique and enriching educational experience that goes beyond traditional classroom learning, leveraging all resources and expertise of museums to enhance students’ learning and engagement. A museum school sees children on a repeated basis, rather than a drop-in basis. Families register their children for at least an academic year.