The Frederick A. O. Schwarz Children's Center at the Museum of the City of New York offers programs that help children learn about New York City's history and their place in it. The Center provides a rich mix of lessons and hands-on activities, semester-long programs that explore East Harlem's evolving neighborhood, live performances that celebrate New York City's cultural diversity, and a city-wide history competition that encourages independent student research.

Enroll your class in an innovative and exciting hands-on program at the Museum of the City of New York while fulfilling the NYS Standards for Social Studies.

Choose from a variety of educational experiences, Monday through Friday. Morning, afternoon, and after school programs are available.

Call 212-534-1672, extension 3334, or email schoolprograms@mcny.org, or visit our website, www.mcny.org.

Gallery Experiences - $100 per class

Traveling through Time: New Amsterdam - New York
Students will learn how and why New Amsterdam became New York as they tour the Trade and New York Interiors exhibitions. Children will create their own "Delft tiles" to take home.
Grades K - 8

Leave It to the Beavers: Trade & Transportation
Children will learn how our city’s geography shaped the way people and goods moved into, out of, and around New York City. Each child will create an advertisement in the spirit of the clipper ship cards displayed in the Trade Gallery.
Grades K-8

Growing Up in New York City: New York City Childhood
Through paintings, old photographs, and the Museum’s toy collection, students will learn about the roles and lifestyles of children in New York City over the past 150 years. Students will create murals depicting their own New York City childhood.
Grades Pre-K - 5

Timescapes: A Multimedia Portrait of New York
Students will view a 25-minute multi-screen film depicting New York City's development through maps, photos, prints, and paintings from the Museum's collection. Museum Educators will facilitate a discussion with the students after they've watched this exciting multimedia portrait of the city's history. No more than 30 students can be accommodated at one time.
Grades 5 and up.

New for Middle School: 6 – 8th grades
Intro to New York City History

Museum educators will lead students on a thematic tour of the Museum, using inquiry and discussion to explore a variety of permanent and temporary exhibitions. Students will explore historical and contemporary themes that may include New Amsterdam and Colonial New York, trade, domestic life, and social history.

Independent Programs - $100 per class

Please note: these programs take place in the Museum's classrooms

Over the Bridges and through the Tunnels, to the Boroughs We Go… Bridges Connect Our City
Using maps and photographs, students will discuss how transportation between boroughs changed over time. Students will build their own model bridges based on the structure and style of bridges found throughout New York City.
Grades 3-8

The Grid: Urban Planning in New York City
Students will be introduced to the concept of city planning and explore how planning helps ensure that communities serve the needs of the people who live in them. Students will construct and model a neighborhood that is based on community needs and conforms to Manhattan’s grid system.
Grades K-6

Special offerings in conjunction with temporary exhibitions

Coming May 2008
Catholics in New York 1808 - 1946
The story of Catholics in New York is part of the formation of the great mosaic of the city—of struggle against prejudice, of constant renewal through immigration, and of the perpetual transformation of life and culture in a changing city. Through inquiry and discussion, students will utilize the various primary sources available in the exhibition, including photographs, paintings, documents and objects.

In order to ensure that you can visit on the date of your choice, we suggest contacting us at least one month in advance. A reduced fee may be issued in cases of documented need. Fees for schools in Community School District 4 are waived through the museum’s Good Neighbor Program. A $25 deposit must be received one week prior to the date of the visit. The deposit will be refunded if cancellations are made at least 48 hours before the scheduled visit.

Call 212-534-1672, extension 3334, or email schoolprograms@mcny.org, or visit our website, www.mcny.org.

Please read our school group policies here.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Professional Development at the Museum of the City of New York brings the complex history of New York City to life through objects, artifacts, dialogue, and display. Workshops for elementary, middle, and high school teachers are standards based. Topics range from looking at historic documents to analyzing the physical aspects of New York itself as the ultimate primary source. Each workshop combines document analysis, object inquiry, and exhibition related activities. Participants will discover how to investigate the city we live in today in search of clues of the city's past.

To book a Professional Development program, please contact EY Zipris, Professional Development Coordinator, at 212-534-1672, ext. 3356 or email ezipris@mcny.org

ALL DAY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EXTRAVANGANZA

Thursday June 5 10:00 AM ­ - 6:30 PM

Join us for the whole day or sign up for specific workshops. Materials and light refreshments will be provided.

10:00 AM - 12:30 PM Examining New York City Immigration

Participants will examine New York City immigration through Timescapes, temporary and permanent exhibitions, and primary sources to understand how immigration made an impact on New York City from the 17th to the 21st century. The workshop will conclude with a focus on oral history for classroom application.

1:30 PM - 4:00 PM Experiencing School Programs

An introduction to the Frederick A.O. Schwarz Children’s Center’s innovative hands-on school programs, including Traveling through Time: New Amsterdam to New York, the Museum’s most popular gallery program, and The Grid: Urban Planning in NYC, the most popular program that takes place in the Museum¹s classrooms.

Both programs fulfill the NYS Standards for Social Studies.

4:30 PM - 6:30 PM End of School Year Celebration

Join us for a sneak peek at upcoming programs including School Programs, New York City History Day, Saturday Academy, Neighborhood Explorers, and Professional Development opportunities as well as a guided tour of the Museum’s newest exhibition, Catholics in New York, 1808-1946.

Space is limited. Call 212.534.1672, ext. 3356 or e-mail ezipris@mcny.org to RSVP by May 30.

Directions to the Museum