Play On! Chicago Public Schools Brings Museum Experiences into Classrooms (Chicago, IL) – More students than ever across the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) District now have access to designated spaces where they can touch and explore the physical world around them. In partnership with the Chicago Children’s Museum, the District has been working to add Curiosity Classrooms to schools as part of efforts to bring sensory-rich, museum-quality experiences straight to children in pre-kindergarten through 2nd grade.
“Every child in Chicago should have access to fun and safe spaces where they can explore, play, and learn about the world around them,” said CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. “Families may not always have the opportunity to take their children to a high-quality museum so we are grateful for this partnership to bring these valuable experiences right into the classrooms, especially in schools that serve our most socioeconomically disadvantaged students.”
CPS CEO Pedro Martinez – along with other District leaders, school officials, and partners from Chicago Children’s Museum – on Wednesday walked through one of the newest Curiosity Classrooms at Burke Elementary School. They watched as students explored the space, dropped parachutes into wind tunnels, touched animal skins in a nature corner, pet a guinea pig and greeted a goldfish named “Princess.”
“For young children, play IS learning. When students can come to the Curiosity Classroom again and again to test, try, wonder and explore, when they can think creatively and direct their own learning, when they can directly experience and be curious about the natural and physical world, they are developing the skills to be lifelong learners,” says Chicago Children’s Museum Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Amy Spar. “We are proud to be a part of CPS’ goal of ensuring that every community has inclusive and collaborative partnerships for thriving schools, and to create high-quality learning experiences for students in preschool through 2nd grade that are aligned to their future learning.”
With the 15 rooms that opened this year, the District has now expanded the number of participating schools to 25 total. The Curiosity Classrooms feature art spaces, book nooks, block play areas, nature corners, and sensory tables to dig, scoop, and pour – all features that are meant to spark curiosity and inspire the District’s youngest learners to ask “what if” questions.
A number of other efforts complement the Curiosity Classrooms, including visits to the Chicago Children’s Museum, training and encouragement for teachers to integrate similar, developmentally appropriate, hands-on learning strategies into curricular units in the classrooms, and engagement with caregivers and families to continue the learning at home. There are plans to use the Curiosity Classrooms to launch parent training on how to best support their children’s learning and to strengthen the connection between what students are learning at school and their experiences at home.
“STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) learning starts in pre-kindergarten and this is a really wonderful way to promote early learning through a play-based model,” said Leslie McKinily, CPS’ Chief of Early Childhood Education. “It’s a daily learning experience that centers around joy while exposing children to the sciences early.”
Key principles of the Curiosity Classrooms include:
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Use materials that invite problem solving, self-expression and creativity
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Wonder, observe, question, test, fail, try again
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Provide authentic materials, equipment and tools
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Invite children to document and share ideas and discoveries
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Focus on STEAM concepts that can be directly experienced and are open-ended
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Include direct experiences with the natural and living world
Curiosity Classrooms have been developed through a STEAM Partnership between Chicago Public Schools and Chicago Children’s Museum, and generously funded by Crown Family Philanthropies. These efforts support the District’s five-year strategic plan, which prioritizes early learning through high-quality, comprehensive learning experiences for students in preschool through 2nd grade, focused on enrichment opportunities to build knowledge and foundational academic skills in all areas, including STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math).
Play On! Chicago Public Schools Brings Museum Experiences into Classrooms
