Outreach - Montshire Museum of Science at Your School

Bring the Montshire Museum to your school! The Montshire is nationally known for its innovative outreach programs. Choose one or more of the following high-quality, hands-on science programs that will come to you.

StarLab

The StarLab portable planetarium program brings the night sky to life using a carefully designed program for elementary and middle school students. For younger elementary students, special focus is made on understanding how the Earth’s movement affects day and night. Middle elementary students begin to explore how the Earth’s orbit affects seasonal variations in visible constellations. For upper elementary and middle school students we might explore more advanced topics such as moon phases or the location of planets, depending on teacher expectations. Inside the dome, the program focuses on the current night sky with emphasis on learning how to locate key stars, constellations, visible planets and the moon. With only one class under the dome at a time, students become engaged in learning about the night sky. Your astronomer-in-residence will spend one hour with each class (up to five classes per day). StarLab fits in gyms, cafeterias, or any other large room with an 11-foot ceiling. StarLab is sponsored this year by the Roesch Family.

Grades: K-8
Fee: $700/day plus travel


StarLab logistics letter
StarLab schedule planning sheet

Workshops on Wheels

Bring a Montshire workshop to your classroom. We arrive complete with an unusual conglomeration of materials to transform your classroom into a bustling learning lab. The 50- to 60-minute programs can be tailored for non-school groups as well. Workshops are hands-on inquiry based and designed to build excitment about science. Choose from the Montshire school workshops.

Grades: K-8
Fee: $350/workshop plus travel and materials. Price reductions are offered for groups that schedule multiple workshops on the same day: two workshops for $500; three workshops for $600; four workshops for $700.

Each Residency is unique to best serve the needs and goals of the schools. 

Example A:  Goal: Increase the amount of inquiry occurring in the classroom.  Montshire Science Educators will a 2-hour professional development workshop for teachers on an in-service day to introduce NGSS practice skills.  Then each teacher will have a chance to meet with the Montshire staff to discuss an upcoming unit.  Montshire will then return on two subsequent dates to work with students with a hands-on program that further supported the unit.  

Example B:  Goal: To kick off a school-wide celebration about science and engineering.  Includes a consultation with each teacher to develop an engaging new science lesson focused on engineering skills.  Montshire also will lead a program in each classroom.  Culminates with a family night for all students and their families.

Science Residency

Boost your student’s science learning with a Montshire Science Residency. Enjoy one-on-one curriculum, or science content coaching, along with model lessons taught by a Montshire educator. Participating teachers will select one topic area that our science education experts will concentrate on with students in their classroom. Topics will be chosen in consultation with Montshire education staff to ensure appropriate integration into the school’s science curriculum.

Residencies are custom designed for each school’s needs and may include one or more of the following:

*Consultation on science topics
*Professional development for teachers
*Montshire educator led lessons
*Help developing new lessons or integrating standards

Grades: K-8
Fee: Starts at $700/day plus travel.  Please contact us for a quote for custom multi-day programs.  Please call 802-649-2200 or email montshire@montshire.org for more details.

Pop-Up Science

Montshire's Pop-Up Science outreach program travels to community fairs, school open houses, festivals, and private parties.

We will customize the programming to fit your needs and audience.  Multiple programs may be offered during an event to keep things fresh and fun. We bring everything! Just provide us the space and we will provide the rest. Some activities may require access to electricity.  Current topic choices include Pond Life, Build it, Bling, Human Body and Lego Gears. For program descriptions see Montshire Pop-up Science

Fee $500 for 2 hours, $600 for 3 hours, $700 for 5 hours plus travel

Travel rates based on the standard mileage IRS rate ($.545/mile in 2018)

For more information or to book a program please call 802-649-2200 (Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.) or email montshire@montshire.org