To expand learning opportunities to students, adults, families and teachers, we have awarded a grant to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri, to create the Ford Learning Center. The Learning Center will also help the museum reach out to underserved community audiences.
Providing Needed Resources
The Ford Learning Center includes the following resources:
- Seven classrooms for studio art classes
- An Educator Resource Center, allowing for an unprecedented level of service to teachers and youth development professionals seeking to use the museum's collections as part of their curriculum
- An Orientation/Training classroom offering state-of-the-art technology and training resources for older students and teachers
- The Ford Learning Center Gallery, providing exhibit space for artwork by children and adults
Adding Another Dimension to Education
In addition to the creation of the Learning Center, our grant also supports the "New Dimensions" program, which is an exciting new museum association with schools and youth agencies.
New Dimensions brings together middle school and high school students from urban and suburban school districts to work jointly on thematic projects over an extended period of time. In most New Dimensions projects, students spend a minimum of 8 to 10 hours at the museum, a significant increase over the traditional "one-hour, once-a-year" visit. This program is expected to serve as a national model for similar programs.
