“The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
-Dr. Seuss
It seems like only yesterday that I used this posting to explain the role of the Education Guides at CAC (actually, it was in my missive in this space last October), and as we continue to settle into our new home the portfolio of the Guides continues to expand.
That so many Docents and Volunteers continue to ask “What is an Education Guide?” or “How can I become an Education Guide?” the following is my answer those questions.
Job Description
CAC Education Guides facilitate a robust portfolio of education experiences for student visitors along with their teachers and chaperones. Programs range from 90-minute education field trips to workshops, engaging floor programs, and quarterly festivals for student groups K-12. These interactive activities focus on architecture, design, Chicago’s history, and the built environment. Sessions incorporate observation and demonstrations to foster critical thinking and collaboration skills for young people. Specific field trips, activations, and workshops led or supported by our Guides include…
90-Minute Walking Field Trips
-Our three primary student outdoor walking tours, “Chicago: City of Architecture”, “Science of Architecture” and “Building Blocks of Architecture” were explained in my October 2018 posting, that can be found in The Bridge feature articles archive.
-Starting this September, the Guides will once again be leading 90-minute indoor student tours of the Chicago Architecture Biennial in the Cultural Center. This program proved to be incredibly popular during its first run in Fall 2017, and training for this year’s exposition will be held in the weeks prior to the event.
-Our newest field trip is the “Explore the CAC” adventure. This indoor student tour explores the CAC galleries through guided observation and hands-on activities. Themes and concepts for this field trip are customized by grade level and subject matter, with K-5 students learning about “Me, My Neighborhood, My Community”, 6-8 graders focusing on “Place”, and 9-12 graders engaged in “Architecture as a tool to solve problems.”
Gallery Activations
-Our newest activity at CAC is the Mobile Architecture Lab, located in the Skyscraper Gallery from 11AM-3PM Friday-Sunday and on holidays. Education Guides will lead hands-on demonstrations for families exploring the science and art of architecture. The activities will align with the CAC Education Department and Public Program monthly themes, with March focused on Construction & Materials, April on Skyscrapers, May on Parks, and June on Inventions.
-You may have noticed that Education Guides are also leading the “Insider Guide to the Galleries”, a 45-minute tour starting at 11:45AM every Tuesday-Sunday. Exhibit Hosts will also be trained to lead this tour in April, and following that, a second afternoon version of the tour will be added to the CAC daily calendar.
90-Minute Studio Workshops
Guides collaborate with CAC Education staff in supporting 3 student workshops in the Design Studio:
-“LEGO Inspiration”: Students build with LEGOs to learn the Design Process in planning, building, and presenting their creations.
-“Design to Scale”: This workshop focuses on math and science, introducing students to architectural scale as they design and build a model in 1/4 inch scale.
-“Read + Build”: This studio experience combines interactive storytelling with a “make and take” project. Students listen to a book with an architectural theme and then create a craft based on the story.
Upcoming Training
Two training opportunities for new Education Guides are planned for 2019. The next session will be on two consecutive Fridays in April, the 5th and 12th, with another class scheduled for September.
I wholeheartedly encourage current Docents, Exhibit Hosts, and Guest Services Volunteers to expand your personal CAC portfolios by becoming an Education Guide. More information about the program and about how to apply for the next training class is available in the Volunteer/Education Guide tab on CAC website.
Look at upcoming news on The Bridge for more details about the training, and Caroline and Erin will be conducting interviews for the April class in the coming weeks.
Cheers, Bob
Great letter as always, Bob!
Hey everyone – For me, its immensely rewarding to open students’ minds to really “see” the world around them. That’s what education guides do …. sign up to become one!