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Dear Colleague:
There is a long tradition of outreach at the American Museum of Natural History. Soon after the opening of the Museum in 1869, Alfred Bickmore, one of the institution's founders, began offering lantern slide lectures for teachers on the natural sciences. These lectures were so successful that the New York State Legislature designated funds for Bickmore to take his show on the road around the state. In 1922, Alfred Sievers, a Museum messenger riding a specially equipped Indian V-twin motorcycle, delivered specimens, films, and hand-colored glass lantern slides from the Museum to schools throughout the city. The "School Delivery Service" was an important function of the Museum in those days before VCRs, computers, or even filmstrips were available to teachers. In 1922, the delivery service reached 1,648,608 students at 475 schools in all five boroughs - 500,000 more kids than live in New York City at present. |  Alfred Sievers ©AMNH |
| Today we provide a similar service with a fleet of "Moveable Museums" - 37-foot converted Winnebagos complete with exhibitions, curricula, computers and videos, artifacts and specimens - that bring natural science and anthropology lessons to schools and communities throughout New York City. |
 One of the Moveable Museums that brings science exhibits to schools photo credit: Darrilyn Di Nardo |
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Since its founding, the Museum has pursued a twin mission of
scientific research and education. Scientists and educators
have drawn on the vast scientific resources of the Museum -
its collections of 32 million specimens and artifacts, research
staff of over 200, more than 100 expeditions, a library with
over 2,000,000 items, and 42 exhibition halls - to create
resources to support teaching and learning. At the Museum and
in New York City, a wide variety of activities and materials
for children, families, and adults of all ages are offered:
on-site tours, preschool programs, courses and lectures,
after-school programs, performances, workshops, field excursions,
teacher training, mentorships and internships. To take
these resources beyond its own walls and beyond New York City,
the Museum launched the
National Center
for Science Literacy, Education, and Technology in 1997
to reach out to schools, families, and community-based
organizations nationwide and around the world using print, video,
software, and on-line technologies.
Musings, the Museum's new quarterly electronic newsletter, is the latest effort in this long tradition of connecting people to science, scientists, and scientific discovery. In it you will find stories about exhibitions, research, and discoveries at the Museum along with effective science education ideas, drawn from our own experience and from teachers around the country and geared to the highest curriculum standards. Our goal is to provide you with greater access to the scientific and educational communities and to give you an outlet for your questions, interests, and ideas - a way to converse with the Museum and your colleagues. Please take a moment to send us your comments about the current newsletter and suggestions for future issues.
Sincerely, Special thanks to the staff of Special Collections. Special Collections is in the Museum Library and is open to the public from 11 am to 4 pm Tuesday through Friday. |
©2000 American Museum of Natural History