Museo Institute

Participants transform their teaching practice by implementing approaches and methods learned from the informal educators at each cultural organization. Fall training covers topics including:

• Walking Through History: Diverse People and Perspectives - The Alamo

• Constructivism in STEAM: Maker-Centered Learning, Inquiry, and Play - The DoSeum

• STEAM and SEL: Exploring the relationship in the Art Museum - The McNay

• Incorporating Outdoor Learning Experiences - San Antonio Botanical Garden

• Making Connections: Using an Art Museum as a Resource - SAMA

• Unlocking Exploration and Connecting with Nature - San Antonio Zoo

• Interdisciplinary Strategies for STEAM teaching - The Witte Museum

The spring practicum is a hands-on/minds-on project during which each educator receives more training, beginning in late fall, along with coaching from educators at the cultural organization with which they are placed.

By engaging with each organization’s education staff and a cohort of peers from across the San Antonio area, participants design and implement projects to pilot new pedagogy and lesson/activity plans. By the end of the experience, these select teachers implement the new curriculum to students in their local learning environments. Each cultural organization provides a separate syllabus covering the details of their practicum. 

Our intent is to provide professional development that creates eager agents, thoughtful, reflective practitioners, and confident designers of educational content.

Our goal is to train educators in methods that empower students to inquire, investigate, solve problems, and think critically.

Our aim is to spark these positive outcomes for teachers through knowledge sharing, collaboration, reflection, and creativity inspired by each of our cultural organization’s educational offerings.

• February 2023: Applications Open for 2023-2024 Museo Institute Cohort

• March 31, 2023: Museo Institute Applications Due

  • Museo Institute is open to all educators (formal & informal) within the San Antonio region.  

• May 1, 2023: Educators are selected and notified of acceptance into Museo Institute.

  • Museum partners seek a diverse group, representative of educators across age/grade range and academic content areas.

• July 2023:  Kick-off Celebration to welcome the new Museo Institute Cohort and complete orientation. 

• August - October 2023: Half-day training sessions, one per museum scheduled on Saturdays.

• October - November 2023: Cohort divided into seven sub-groups. Practicum Orientation and Training at assigned museum.  

  • Educators give their preferred top three choices for the practicum and Museum partners select the cohort sub-groups. 

• December 2023 - May 2024: Spring Practicum 

  • Pre-work begins in late fall.

  • Practicum continues in spring.

• January 2024 - May 2024: Special events, ongoing collaboration

  • Special events hosted by various museum in spring.

  • Spring events offer opportunities to bring sub-cohorts together.  

• May 2024 - June 2024: Showcase Celebration

  • Museo Institute Cohort gathers to show what they have learned and celebrate their achievements.

  • ​​​​​​​Individual museums may also feature educator and student work in unique showcase events.

Registration for the full, year-long Museo Institute program is $250.00 per educator, due May 31, 2023.