Philadelphia Museum of Art Education Committee

Left to right: Lorene Cary; Elizabeth Anderson, Curator of Education for Public Programs; Natalye Paquin, Esq.; Marla Shoemaker, Sr. Curator of Education; Hon. James R. Roebuck, Jr.; Anne d'Harnoncourt, Director of PMA; Naomi Post Street
In profile: Dr. Constance E. Clayton, Museum Trustee, Facing: Danielle Rice; Marguerite Lenfest; Lois Brodsky; Betty Marmon, Dir. Of Development PMA; Lynne Honickman, Museum Trustee and Chair of the Education Committee; Sherry Pailet. With back to camera: Tammy Salvatore, Naomi Post Street

Founder and President of The Honickman Foundation, Lynne Honickman, serves as Co-Chair of the Education Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art which serves as advocates for the role of education within the Museum, and for the role of the Museum as an educational organization within the community. One of the goals of the Education Committee is to engage the public in a way that makes the collections and resources more readily accessible to a broad and diverse audience of all ages. The Museum is accomplishing this through five initiatives:

  • Supporting the Arts in K-12 – offers children many opportunities for learning, reflection and self discovery. More than 80,000 students throughout the region participate annually in Museum activities and over 3,000 teachers take part annually in Museum workshops.

  • Expanding College Experiences – the Museum is a key resource for regional colleges and universities. Education staff members work with faculty to design tours and programs, with courses ranging from introductory classes to advanced seminars in specialized fields.

  • Partnering with Community Organizations – both large and small to help make Philadelphia a world-class city. Through creative programming that reflects the diversity and interests of its residents, the Museum hopes to inspire and educate its many citizens.

  • Ensuring Accessibility – people with disabilities or age-related limitations are welcomed into the Museum through a wide variety of programs and services. A front-line staff that receives regular training in helping visitors with disabilities is always there to assist.

  • Enhancing Lifelong Learning – encounters with art enliven the mind and awaken the creative spirit. The Museum offers family and adult audiences many opportunities to engage with art, tailoring strategies to the needs and interests of a wide spectrum of ages and experiences.

In response to a National Endowment for the Humanities Challenge Grant, The Honickman Foundation has pledged its support to the mission of the Education Committee in the form of a lead grant. The NEH Grant will be used to endow the Senior Curator of Education and to provide a fund for humanities-based interpretive programs and material at the Museum. The endowment will also support programs for teachers and school children, interactive Web sites, scholarly publications, courses, lectures, symposia and concerts.

Earth Force

In 2005, The Honickman Foundation supported a pilot program between Earth Force, an environmental organization with a local chapter in Philadelphia, and Project H.O.M.E.'s Honickman Learning Center and Comcast Technology Labs. Designing programs for upper elementary to high school students, Earth Force engages young people as active citizens who improve the environment and their communities now and in the future.

Earth Force trains and supports educators in programs that enable young people to lead community action projects focused on creating sustainable solutions for local environment. Since its creation Earth Force has developed a series of tools designed to assist educators in facilitating youth-driven civic action with their students. Community Action and Problem Solving (CAPS) was the first program developed, and is the basis for Earth Force programming today.

In the end, Earth Force is a transformative experience for students, educators and the community.

The National Constitution Center Young Scholars Program

With support from The Honickman Foundation's Leadership gift to the Young Scholars Program, 3,644 fifth grade students from the Philadelphia Public School District enjoyed free visits to the National Constitution Center during the 2004-2005 school year. Young Scholars' schools received free admission for all fifth grade students, teachers, and chaperones and free bus transportation. In recognizing the gift at a press conference, Paul Vallas, CEO of the School District, explained that "through this program, the National Constitution Center will become an extension of our 5th graders' classrooms, allowing history to come alive in ways that can only be possible with access to this wonderful Center."