Transforming Our Educational Programs

People who visit the George Eastman Museum as children are more likely to return as adults, to form a lasting connection with our institution, and — most significantly — to have a greater interest in museums generally and a deeper understanding of art, history, and science.

The Eastman Museum is launching an initiative to revitalize our educational programs for school groups and families with children. We are most pleased that Suzanne Kolodziej, who has extensive experience as a museum educator and administrator, has joined our staff as Museum Educator, K–12 and Families.

In collaboration with the museum’s engagement team, Suzanne will develop the museum’s educational offerings (K–12), interact directly with students and teachers, and build and foster relationships with the Rochester City School District and education institutions across Greater Rochester. She will also lead the museum’s family programming.

In spring 2019, the Eastman Museum and Writers & Books jointly launched a collaborative program with nearby Francis Parker School №23. The project extended an existing Expanded Learning Collaboration between the Memorial Art Gallery and the Rochester City School District. The Eastman Museum and Writers & Books program was designed to fit well with the sixth-grade curriculum on identity through lessons and activities based on the partnership of word and image. In fall 2019, the program was expanded to include fifth graders from the school. Although it was well received and successful in delivering on its goals, the program was limited in scope and scale. (It has been temporarily suspended because of COVID-19.)

The coming creation of new educational programs and learning opportunities to serve school groups and families will advance some of the Eastman Museum’s highest priorities. Educational programs for children are essential to our efforts to inclusively serve Greater Rochester’s diverse population. New learning opportunities for families with children are a key aspect of our strategic initiative to transform our visitors’ experience.

Our plans for educational programs for student groups and families include:

• A series of exhibition-related, single visit tours for upper elementary, middle school, and high school students, with an emphasis on current trends in visual literacy, digital literacy, and global competence — aligned with state and national educational standards.
• Creation of an agile new community gallery space that can be used for exhibitions organized by our educational staff, including displays of photographs or moving image works by local students.
• In partnership with Writers & Books, broadening our current Expanded Learning Collaboration to include fifth and sixth graders at city Schools №45 and 29, which already have programs for younger students at the Memorial Art Gallery.
• Expanded outreach to city, suburban, and rural schools to integrate the Eastman Museum into their teaching programs.
• A contemporary and balanced interpretation of the story of George Eastman, his estate, and his legacy that is relevant to diverse audiences, including student groups and families.
• Experiences, such as demonstrations and hands-on workshops, for students and families to explore STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers related to photography, cinema, and museum studies.
• Programs that explore the meaning and importance of preservation in the context of the museum’s collections and our National Historic Landmark.
• An inclusive approach to serving youth with learning differences and on the autism spectrum.
• An enhanced Discovery Room — both on-site, with new hands-on experiences including those connected to current exhibitions, and online, with virtual GEM Kids activities.
• Collaborating with other organizations to offer pre-college programs for high school students in areas such as photography, documentary filmmaking, and museum studies.

We recognize that this is an ambitious agenda, which will require time and the dedication of substantial resources, but such programs will make a transformative contribution to advancing one of the George Eastman Museum’s three core missions: to inclusively serve our diverse community.

Bruce Barnes, PhD

Ron and Donna Fielding Director

September/October 2021 Bulletin