Educators’ Weekend

Our annual Educators’ Weekend features free admission for teachers, afterschool professionals, and their families (up to four people total with teacher ID). This is a special opportunity for educators to explore the Museum, learn more about our educational programs, and find connections that link their classroom with ours. Mystic Seaport Education staff will be on hand to discuss program offerings and answer questions.

“Education is a core value of the Museum,” said Susan Funk, vice president for education and public programs. “We appreciate the work educators do every day. This is our way of saying thanks.”

Mystic Seaport offers a variety of programs designed for students. These programs support Common Core and Connecticut standards and can be customized. Subject areas that can be included are history, social studies, language arts, science and technology, music, and art.

Program delivery includes: field trips, in-class lectures, planetarium programs, and overnight programs aboard a Mystic Seaport vessel. Resource materials such as books, videotapes, and audiotapes are available in the Museum Store.

“It’s one thing to read something out of a book, it’s another to be there,” Funk said. “Our programs are hands-on. They give students a chance to learn outside of the classroom while still maintaining the curriculum needs of the schools. Experiential learning allows students to connect to history in new and exciting ways.”

Additional programs are designed specifically for teachers. Teacher workshops can be developed, including how to use a museum as a teaching tool. Other symposiums and programs are available and offer continuing education units.

“While we know teachers enjoy bringing their classes here for field trips or having one of our staff members come to their school, it was important for us to develop programs that are geared directly to teachers,” said Funk.