Science Alliance Middle School Program

Each week, students will engage in a new theme covering a range of scientific topics, including evolution, ecology, anthropology, astronomy, and Earth and planetary sciences. Students will explore the unique places where science happens by visiting the Museum’s collections and labs and meeting scientists. This academy will nurture students’ innate curiosity while allowing participants to generate new questions about the natural world.

Program Dates: Monday, July 28–Friday, August 22

Program Time: 9 am–3 pm Monday–Friday

Program Cost: $4,500

Member Sale starts on January 31, 2025

General Sale starts on February 5, 2025

Why do humans walk upright? Why are chimpanzees so different from us despite sharing 98.8 percent of our DNA? Why do great apes and humans not have tails? The human story is the dynamic story of us—our evolution, our interactions, and our expansion. Learn about how scientists and artists work together to reconstruct our ancient ancestors through explorations of our halls, laboratory experiments, and meetings with Museum scientists. In following this evolutionary tale, you will explore our place in the tree of life, investigate the evolutionary processes that shaped us, and discuss what makes us “human.”

Thursdays: 1/9, 1/16, 1/23, 1/30, 2/6, 2/27, 3/6, 3/13

Purchase class here

Reduced Tuition Available, Free Tuition Available

Cost: $1,000

Registration Open

Humans have gazed into the sky for centuries and wondered how our lives are connected to the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars that dot our night view. Through the science of astronomy, we have uncovered not just connections to our own lives, but to the universe at large. This class is designed as an introductory step into astronomy. We will survey the history, scale, and motions of the universe and learn about the ways that humans continue to gain a coherent picture of the cosmos. Along the way, we will also explore how Museum astronomers carry out their observations and other work to make new discoveries.

Fridays: 1/10, 1/17, 1/24, 1/31, 2/7, 2/28, 3/7, 3/14

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Reduced Tuition Sold Out, Free Tuition Sold Out

Cost: $1000

“Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution,” said the late geneticist Theodosius G. Dobzhansky. In this course, we will explore how evidence from genetics, molecular biology, and anatomy show us how all life is both vastly diverse and deeply connected. You will perform DNA extractions, dissect specimens, and tour Museum collections. Using these various lines of evidence, you will work as scientists to create your own evolutionary tree to explain relationships among species and discover common ancestors.

Thursdays: 1/9, 1/16, 1/23, 1/30, 2/6, 2/27, 3/6, 3/13

Click Here to Purchase

Reduced Tuition Available, Free Tuition Sold Out

Cost: $1,000

Are you curious about the wild, natural spaces in New York City, and how the relationship between different local organisms affects ecosystem survival? DecodeNYC invites you to dive into the study of ecosystems through computer modeling and practicing hands-on field methods. You will learn to use StarLogo Nova— a fun, block-based coding platform—to code the behaviors of mice, deer, even coyotes! The model you create will test out different strategies to manage ecological interactions, explore disease transmission, and solve cool questions about New York forests. By simulating different scenarios and analyzing what happens, you'll get to mirror the methods used by researchers to understand complex systems. No coding experience required! 

Fridays, 1/10, 1/17, 1/24, 1/31, 2/7, 2/28, 3/7, 3/14

Purchase class here

Reduced Tuition Sold Out, Free Tuition Sold Out

Cost: $1,000

Microbiology is the study of tiny organisms—those that are too small to be seen with the naked eye. You’ve heard about these microorganisms before: bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, and algae. Now learn how to study them, their central importance to all of life on this earth, and how microbiology is used to make medicines, improve food safety, protect the environment, even find ways to grow crops better. Our young explorers will learn how to create microbial communities, sample and culture microbial strains, and use microscopes to examine and study microbes. 

Saturdays, 1/11, 1/25, 2/1, 2/8

Purchase class here

Reduced Tuition Sold Out, Free Tuition Sold Out

Cost: $1,000