Since 2009, the Peabody Museum has provided meaningful paid work experience to EVOLUTIONS students who facilitate interactive experiences for visitors. Through peer mentoring and training, these high school students learn how to communicate science topics to audiences of all ages. As they complete projects, they are awarded badges and take quizzes to show their mastery of a topic, which allow them to move up the career ladder. Youth educators are evaluated by college aged supervisors during each shift on their projects, workplace habits, and understanding of the 5 Es (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate).
By combining paid employment with mentorship and training, our employment program empowers EVO students to grow as science communicators, educators, and community leaders. Their work not only enriches the museum experience for visitors but also helps shape a new generation of young people passionate about science and lifelong learning. Through their work at the Museum, youth educators develop a wide range of transferable skills, including:
- Public speaking and science communication
- Leadership and teamwork
- Professional workplace skills
Each weekend, gallery educators interact with museum visitors through hands-on teaching carts and science craft activities. These interactive experiences encourage curiosity and conversation, helping visitors explore scientific concepts in ways that go beyond traditional exhibit labels. By facilitating dialogue with the public, youth educators make museum content more accessible, engaging, and meaningful for audiences of all ages. Our craft station is available every weekend in addition to our rotation of carts:
- Anthropology (Ancient Egypt & Mesopotamia): Explores and discusses the culture and lifestyle of Ancient Mesopotamian society using artifacts and games.
- Dynamic Nature: Emphasizes different types of evolution through environmental adaptations.
- Paleontology (Burke Hall): Discusses big events and evolution throughout Earth’s history and geologic time using fossils.
- Skulls (North American Dioramas): Compares predator/prey features using skull casts, games, and dioramas, focusing on behavioral ecology and symbiotic relationships in the animal kingdom.
- A World of Change: Discusses change in environments and animals after mass extinction, focusing on the rise of mammals after dinosaurs, using specimens and games.
In addition to weekend gallery activities, youth educators also support family and community programs, helping expand the Museum’s reach. Recent programs have included science workshops in Spanish and toddler-focused STEM programs, creating welcoming opportunities for families to engage with science together.
Structure
Museum Apprentices
Gallery educators start out as Museum Apprentices (MA). Through projects such as Collection of the Month (COTM), MA’s learn fundamental communication, workplace, teaching, and science skills that they will use for the duration of their time in the program.
Museum Educators
Museum Educators (ME) are paid to facilitate all the projects of the Gallery Educators, including library content, 70 Second Science, and updating the EVOLUTIONS website. Employees use their skills to engage with the New Haven community and make science topics accessible to audiences of all ages. Educators also take on MA’s to help with assignments as they transition into ME’s. Educators have an advanced understanding of the 5 E’s, which they implement into their projects.
Museum Specialists
Museum Specialists are the highest rung of the Gallery Educators program, and are the most advanced at interpreting, communicating, and creating content. Specialists work alongside supervisors, leading shifts and organizing activities, all while completing projects. They also train new apprentices and serve as mentors to other employees.
Activities
Gallery Eductators use many different activities and tools that help educate the community about the environment around them. They help the community through sharing their observations and research and then conveying them through different ways for the community to understand. One activity for example, would be videos, although Educators make them short, sweet and to the point. These activities are targeted towards young children, although adults can learn from them too!
Collection Showcase
In COTM, Museum Apprentices (MAs) select and research an artifact from the museum’s collection database. Sample artifacts range from rhodochrosite to spotted salamanders to wood ducks. Using their findings, the MAs create articles and a final presentation about their chosen topic. Through COTM, Gallery Educators learn the essential skills required to succeed as a future Museum Educators; they learn how to research, write and effectively communicate using the 5 Es: engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate. Employees also learn how to communicate and grasp people’s attention through digital platforms when presenting their final projects. For more information on Museum Apprentices and Museum Educators, check out the Gallery Educators Structure section!
70 Second Science
70 Second Science videos are short, digestible videos that introduce complex science topics in a fun way. Museum Educators conduct research, draft scripts, and record and edit videos on diverse topics across various fields of science, such as anthropology, zoology, and geology. Notable examples include the videos on the Red River Iron Meteorite, Trilobites, and Predator vs. Prey. Check out the YouTube channel to see more!
Website
Employees interested in web development also have the opportunity to work on the EVOLUTIONS website alongside their regular projects. With the help of supervisors and fellow staff, they will develop coding and design skills and implement them into the program's website and social media. Employees will learn to write proper HTML and CSS and create engaging and appealing web pages.
