Hi, everybody. A few of you asked if I would share the responses I got about
outreach programming. I think that everybody posted these directly to the
list and not just to me, but just in case somebody missed one, here they all
are. Thank you again to those who responded. It is much appreciated.

I asked a friend from a local children's museum, and she provided the
following information about her outreach programs. She charges $125.00 per
outreach, which means that she might have one session and she might have
four sessions at one school, and she charges the same amount so long as they
are on the same day. The fee covers her mileage and any materials they may
use, in addition to her time. She has not placed a limit on how far she will
travel. She encourages working with one classroom at a time, though she has
worked with up to three at a time. This has proven less effective, but
sometimes groups have no other choice than to combine into one large group.
As far as her fee, sometimes a school will tell her that they only have $95,
for example, to work with, and in such circumstances she will accept a lower
fee. She sends pre- and post- visit materials to all of the groups she works
with.

Here are the other responses.

Sincerely,
Alissa Acker
Curator of Education
Lake Superior Railroad Museum


Hi! I work for an archaeological site that does have outreach programs.
Hope this can be of some use to you.
1.  Our site does not usually charge for our outreach programs, unless we do
a special program that involves making pottery or necklaces, or other crafts
that will be taken home.  These special programs involving crafts usually
have a materials fee.  The fee ranges from $1.00-$2.00 per student.
2. The programs that we provide usually work best with a group of 35
students or less.  This is because we have hands on activities such as using
prehistoric drills, mortars and pestles, and the chance to observe an
artifact by being able to hold it.  We will provide assembly type programs
if asked however.
3.  Our program topics involve archaeology and Native American lifeways,
particularly the Mississippian culture because Wickliffe Mounds is a
Mississippian village that dates from 1100-1350 AD.  Also as a Kentucky
site, our programs emphasize the goals of KERA (the Kentucky Education
Reform Act).
4.  Yes. We do limit the distance we will travel.  Our service range is 60
miles.  However, this covers three states.  There is no mileage charge to
the schools within the service range.
Missy Story
Museum Educator
Wickliffe Mounds Research Center
PO Box 155, 94 Green St.
Wickliffe KY  42087
270-335-3681
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Alissa and Listeros:
I too am developing outreach programs for our museum.  We are a state funded
museum so our monetary issues may not be the same.  We do not charge for our
outreaches.  We have limited our outreach area to within 2 hours of driving.
We have gone to areas of California as we are close to the border.

Usually the group is limited to a classroom presentation, however an
assembly is not out of the question.  What has been successful is visiting
different classrooms all day long at one school. In order to reach as many
classrooms as possible.

Usually the teacher has scheduled a tour and we make a visit to the school
prior to the tour.  This enhances the tour by allowing the discussion of
more topics.  I try to talk to the teacher before hand and ask what
subject/s they would like to have emphasized when I do the outreach. I have
used the Nevada curriculum standards to develop my topics.  We will also
visit schools that can not schedule a tour but would like to have a
classroom visit. Works great for middle schools where it is extremely
difficult to take a field trip.

I am forming a teacher advisory panel that will help me set topics and
evaluate programming.  It might be good to get involved with your local
teachers association.  Get on their agenda for their meeting.  Might help
make connections with the teachers that are really interested in what you
have to offer.

We have also done outreaches to nursing homes.  I am currently developing
outreach trunks about Railroad Science and Social Issues of the railroad.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Maria E. Sanchez
Curator of Education
Nevada State RR Museum
Carson City Nevada




Hello Alissa,
   In light of how new we are to our museum (only three years), it is a
little presumptuous of me to be attempting to answer your questions, but
I will tell you of our experiences thus far, as we develop our
program(s).
   We are a small, local historical society in a small train station
building, which was formerly a waiting room.  The "active" train station
building (that sells tickets, etc.) is opposite us on the tracks.
   In recognition of the fact that we are the historical society, that
has dictated the direction of our outreach thus far, and I imagine your
purpose would give direction to your programs, too.  As I get my feet
wet at this (I am *the* staff and only a part-time volunteer), I have
thus far had only the fourth grades from the closest elementary school.
They walked to the train station, they looked around for about ten
minutes and had a "What Do You Think it is?" worksheet, with
(digitally-done) line drawings of things that were on a table.  We had a
forty-five minute lesson on the history of the town, with an emphasis on
what it was like for a child to live here in whatever period we were
discussing, and I incorporated the mystery things that were on the table
when they came in.  After I talked, they looked around for another few
minutes, as they wanted a closer look at some of the things about which
we had talked.
   Our space is limited, by fire code, to fifty people -- and that is
VERY tight.  We then took only one class at a time.  The second year we
did this (because of a very enthusiastic teacher), we had three fourth
grade classes walk over, one right after the other.  One was going out
as another was coming in.
   This year I prepared an exhibit (for the public) of some items that
were recently donated to the society, from the contents of an attic, and
I utilized the things in there to recreate life in the town at around
1900.  For instance, we inherited a chamber pot, so in the middle of the
lecture to the fourth grades, I showed the classes a short, related
video clip from the PBS show "The 1900 House", where the similarly-aged
children (who were living for three months in the house stripped back to
the 1900s style) had to empty the chamber pot in the morning.  I
realized that by utilizing whatever I am exhibiting, I can vary the
presentation for each year, by using those objects to recreate the
times.
   I then contacted the board of education and got in touch with the
head of the social studies department.  I told her I would like to
expand now to one additional fourth grade in another of the four
elementary schools here.  She and I will meet, after school, with the
fourth grade teachers in another school next week.  I will tell them
what I have done thus far and bring samples of the worksheets, etc.
  When I am comfortable with two schools, I will ask to meet with the
fourth grade teachers in the third school, then the fourth.
  I have not yet looked ahead to whether I would like to have a program
for each grade, but by doing all the fourth grades, I can be assured
that most of the entire school population will have passed through the
museum once.
   I have also had Brownie groups visit and I do a similar, but slightly
different program, often incorporating some of the scouting material
that we have.
   We do not charge the schools for this, as we consider it the reason
for our existence and since the town lets us use the building (and pays
for repairs to the structure), I think it is the best way we can repay
the residents of the community.
   In the wake of our last exhibit, a member of a nearby historical
society asked if we would take our exhibit on the road to her society
for a February program, and we will.  We will not charge for this, as I
consider it a "professional courtesy" for another historical society.
   That is as much as we have done to date with our outreach programs
and I would be very interested in learning about the other replies that
you have received to your inquiry.  Perhaps you can summarize them and
post them to the list?
   Thank you
Lynne



Hi,
The experience at our museum is that service fees to schools for out reach
and admissions is a barrier to the schools regardless of the fee level.
Classroom and student budgets are not that flexible.

We have also learned that education of children in heritage issues is the
most compelling aspect of our operation which stimulates charitable gifts.
Small and midsize museums are far better off financially if they ask donors
to support their education programs over almost any other aspect of
programmatic costs. Donors want to see kids turned on to history. They will
give to make this happen.

Greg Koos
McLean County Museum of History
Bloomington IL

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