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Children’s Museum Board Votes to Increase Community Access
to Arts-Based Education Programs
November 30, 2007—In a decision driven by a commitment to focus Museum resources on its core mission of providing the downtown and greater San Diego/Tijuana community with an outstanding arts and cultural institution, the Children’s Museum Board of Directors voted in strong agreement this afternoon not to house the Museum School in its new facility scheduled to open next year. The vote was taken with full board participation.

“Our decision, which was the most difficult our board has ever faced, is founded upon the long-term goal of providing arts-based education programs to the greatest number of children we can,” said Laurie Mitchell, president of the Children’s Museum Board of Directors. “We believe it is appropriate and more beneficial to the whole community if we can use our educational resources and space to serve the most students possible, rather than an exclusive group of eighty students.”

Mitchell further stressed that the Museum education center will not be used to house exhibitions, or turned over to any other school, but will be used for Museum programming that is focused on sustained learning experiences accessible to everyone in the community.

To help ensure the Museum School’s ongoing vitality, the Museum’s Board voted to continue to pay the school’s rent, as it has for the past five years. The Museum will pay the Museum School’s rent through August 1, 2009. The Museum has begun to work with the Education Task Force of CCDC (Center City Development Corporation) to identify appropriate alternative housing for the school in the downtown area.

To further enrich the arts education of all downtown students, the Museum will develop partnerships with the Museum School and other downtown schools for arts education programs, after-school programs and special exhibits. The Museum is planning to partner with schools and community groups throughout the San Diego/Tijuana region.

Afterschool Program
Sponsored by the Downtown YMCA, all Museum School students are eligible to participate in the FREE “6 to 6” before and after school care program. Students can be dropped off as early as 7am and picked up as late as 6pm each school day. The 6 to 6 Program provides children with a safe and nurturing environment through a variety of activities such as Homework Headstart, Activate America Fitness, Character Development Classes, and by providing healthy snacks.

Parent/Community Involvement
The Museum School has opportunities for parent involvement on many levels —including assisting in classrooms, providing professional expertise in areas of governance and fundraising, chaperoning field trips and events, and the preparation of materials. The input and support of our families is critical to foster a close-knit community of learners.

Mission
Through its mission of learning for life, the school celebrates, nurtures
and enhances the abilities of all participants through experiential, project-based learning. Using the wealth of resources at the Children’s Museum and the San Diego region, the school provides direct learning opportunities in an intercultural community.

The Museum School is a small, public charter school, currently serving 80 students in grades three through six from throughout San Diego. There is a high staff-to-student ratio, providing attention to the individual needs of all students. Children often work in multi-aged groupings working toward a community goal of becoming self-directed, lifelong learners.

The school has been a successful contributor to San Diego’s public charter school community since 1998. Having earned the Governor’s Performance Award for seven of nine years, the Museum School has surpassed the State of California’s API goal of 800 over the past three years.

Curriculum
With “learning to learn” as a capstone skill, the Museum School encourages children to become responsible citizens, productive workers, creative and healthy individuals, problem solvers and self-directed learners. Project-based departments and enriching classes, such as art, music, sewing, kung fu, movement, and media arts are integral to the regular curriculum. Working closely with Museum artists and their interactive installations, students will have opportunities to aid in program development for the Museum itself.

Faculty
The Museum School has an experienced staff of credentialed teachers and visiting professional experts who are dedicated to its mission and philosophy. Their shared vision is vital in delivering an educational program that is innovative and unique.

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