School Programs

We offer a number of teaching materials & workshops for educators that we hope are valuable resources for teaching and learning.  Our education team offers tours for school groups of both our permanent collection as well as special exhibitions; teaching resources that can be used in the classroom in advance and following your students' tour; teacher workshops focused on a variety of topics related to arts education; evenings for educators, where teachers meet, discuss ideas, and find ways to incorporate the Museum's resources into their classrooms; and The Scholastic Art Awards, which offers students grades 7-12 across Mississippi the opportunity to receive regional and national recognition for their artwork. 

School Group Tours

Visits to a museum present a wonderful opportunity for students to synthesize their classroom learning, as well as the chance to learn in a way that is unique and challenging.  See below for information about current tours and to view recommended pre- and post-visit lessons to maximize your classroom's museum experience.  Click here for information about scheduling your tour. 

The School Program Planner has everything you'll need to plan your visit to the Museum.  Click the image below to access.

Tours Currently Available:

Highlights from The Mississippi Story
Recommended Ages: All Ages
Bring your students to explore The Mississippi Story, an exhibition comprised of artwork from the Museum's permanent collection that reveals the remarkable history of our state through the visual arts.  The installation includes more than 200 objects and is divided thematically into four sections: Mississippi's Landscape, Mississippi's People, Life in Mississippi, and Exporting Mississippi's Culture.

Click here for information about Curious George Saves the Day: The Art of Margret and H.A. Rey, the 2012 installment of The Annie Laurie Swaim Hearin Memorial Exhibition Series.

Need-based Field Trip Grants available
Click here for more information.

Information about School Tours:
FAQ for Teachers

Teaching Resources

Resources can be used in conjunction with a visit to the Museum, which we strongly encourage, and also on their own in the classroom.  For more information about scheduling a visit, please click here.

Current exhibition Guides for Educators:
Curious George Saves the Day: The Art of Margret and H. A. Rey.

Past exhibition Guides for Educators:
The Orient Expressed: Japan's Influence on Western Art, 1854-1918
Breach of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Freedom Riders

We'd love to hear your suggestions on how we can best serve educators.  Please e-mail comments and suggestions to us!

Scott Cook's "Show and Tell"

Thursday, April 19, 2012
Award-winning children’s book illustrator and native Jacksonian Scott Cook will present a 45-minute interactive “Show and Tell” program on the process of creating a book from beginning to end.  His dynamic presentation and lively interplay with students is designed to encourage the exploration of individual creativity and provoke an awareness of where life’s choices can lead.

The program is open to students in grades 3-5.  Access the registration form here.

Teacher Workshops

We currently offer teacher workshops through our partnerships with Parents for Public Schools and through the Mississippi Arts Education Association (MAEA).  Check out their websites for upcoming teacher workshops at the Museum!

Evening for Educators

Evening for Educators is an opportunity for educators-of all ages and all disciplines-to look, learn, and connect with colleagues.  Held prior to the opening of each new installation in the Museum's Barksdale Galleries for Changing Exhibitions, we invite all educators to join us for a guided walk-through of the new exhibition and to discuss, strategize, and learn new ways to integrate the Museum into the classroom.

Upcoming Evenings for Educators:

March 6, 2012
3-5 PM