Education

Situated on Philadelphia’s historic Independence Mall - just a block from the Liberty Bell - the National Museum of American Jewish History (NMAJH) offers a range of uniquely engaging and interactive visits for students of every age. NMAJH presents educational programs featuring primary sources and original artifacts that inspire in people of all backgrounds a greater appreciation for the diversity of the American Jewish experience and the freedoms to which all Americans aspire.

Need more information? Please contact the Education Department at 215-923-3811 x 272 or education@nmajh.org.

Scholarship

NMAJH is committed to making our educational programs available to all schoolchildren regardless of financial means.

• Title I schools are automatically eligible to receive a scholarship to cover the cost of admission and transportation.
• All schools may apply for need-based scholarships, available on a first-come, first served basis. 

The scholarship program is made possible by the generous support of individual, foundation, and corporate donors.

Book your visit!

• Each educational program is about 90 minutes. Please allow at least two hours total for your Museum visit.
• Lunch space may be available with advance registration.
• See more detailed pricing information below (if applicable to your group)

For more information and to start planning your visit, please use our Group Visits Inquiry form. You can also contact Group Services at 215-923-3811 x 141 or email groups@nmajh.org.  
 
Please indicate your interest in a scholarship or transportation reimbursement in the "Notes" section of the Group Visits Inquiry form.

Our object-based lessons provide students with opportunities to develop skills in comprehension and critical thinking through close engagement with primary documents, historic artifacts, maps, and interactive visual and audio displays. Through active learning outside of a formal classroom, students learn to observe, listen, and participate effectively in group discussions. These lessons can serve as compelling topics for project-based curricula and individual research projects.

To see how a Museum visit may support Common Core and the national and Pennsylvania standards in Language Arts, Social Studies, History, Civics, and Government or to see the specific curriculum connection of an individual program, please contact education@nmajh.org.

Becoming American: History of Immigration 1880s-1924 (grades 4 and up)
Starting with a Traveling Suitcase visit to your school and followed by a Museum tour at a later date, students use object-based inquiry and hands-on activities to learn about immigrant life through the eyes of Eva Baen, a teenager who immigrated to Philadelphia in 1913. Students also learn about stories of contemporary immigration and celebrate each other’s cultures and traditions. Students even have an exciting opportunity to “meet” Eva Baen, through our partnership with Historic Philadelphia, Inc.! Please note that Eva Baen does not accept visitors on the weekend.

Click here for more information on this program as a distance learning opportunity.

In their Shoes: Three Generations of Dreamers and Doers (grades 4-6)
How has daily life in America changed over time? Through interactive activities, students imagine living in colonial America, in a wagon on the Oregon Trail, and in a busy, urban immigrant neighborhood during the early 1900s.

On a Mission! (grades 4-7)
This program sends students “on a mission” to explore key artifacts throughout the Museum and become junior tour guides. Students become mini-experts and educate their peers through storytelling, roleplaying, and inquiry.

Values in Action (grades 6 and up)
Explore the lives of ordinary people individuals throughout the history of American Jewry who were determined to make positive change. How did their values spur them to action and how can we embody those values today?

This tour can be adapted to support classes participating in Need In Deed.

Unique Promise and Imperfect Freedom (grades 6 and up)
What unique opportunities has the United States been able to offer, and who has been able to access those opportunities? From the colonial period to the present day, explore stories of American Jews facing discrimination and achieving victory in the name of religious, ethnic, and racial freedom.

American Jews and WWII (grades 6 and up)
With a focus on the United States's response to the Holocaust, this program pairs the Unique Promise and Imperfect Freedom tour with the unique opportunity of speaking with a Holocaust survivor, subject to speaker availability on weekdays only.

Bring your students for a stimulating and rich sensory experience in a child-friendly environment! Through stimulating field trips and a variety of educational programs, the Museum provides the types of learning experiences that contribute to the social, cognitive, and emotional development of young children. 

Groups are limited to 30 students. 

Circles & Squares: Shapes in the Museum   
Enhance preschoolers’ ability to recognize and distinguish circles and squares in objects both in and outside of the Museum through a series of activities including an interactive reading, an exploration of the galleries, and an arts and crafts project.

Travels & Transportation
Interactive reading, gallery exploration, and arts and crafts will engage preschoolers with an exploration of various forms of transportation. They will learn about how transportation has developed and changed through time and discuss some of the reasons people have to travel.

For more information and to start planning your visit, please contact education@nmajh.org.

Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
On view October 4, 2019 — January 12, 2020

Ideal for grades 6 and up

Through the examination of artifacts and pop culture, discover the career, life, and legacy of this iconic Supreme Court Justice. In close proximity to the establishment of the Supreme Court, and on the one hundredth anniversary of the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, this exhibition tells a compelling story about one of the most influential women of our time.

Book your tour today!

This special Museum program offers an interactive museum exploration that highlights the lives of American Jews who overcame obstacles and found their creative voice. It is followed by a dynamic performance or conversation, where students hear first-person accounts from individuals who have made courageous choices or used art to find their creative voice.

The content of Courageous Choices is aligned to Common Core and National Social Studies and History Standards. Students will analyze and interpret documents, museum text, and a performance in order to develop an understanding of contemporary and historical figures who exemplify the principles of American values and freedom.

Recommended for grades 6 and up.

Courageous Choices – Finding Your Creative Voice

We’re happy to partner with award-winning actor, dancer, and instructor Khalil Munir, in our signature Courageous Choices program, at which he performs 1 Pound, 4 Ounces. A Philadelphia native, Munir chose the arts as a path away from despair and misfortune. 1 Pound 4 Ounces is the riveting one-man show combining impassioned storytelling with music and improvisational tap dance. Having overcome adversities including a broken home marred by drugs and incarceration, as well as devastating childhood learning hurdles, Munir has conquered that and much more, emerging as an artistic risk-taker and respected role model.

Courageous Choices dates for the 2019-2020 school year:

• January 17
• March 12
• April 17
• May 5

Courageous Choices: Finding Your Creative Voice is generously sponsored by the Lundy Law Foundation for the 2019 year.

Thanks to The Lundy Law Foundation, each participant in the Courageous Choices – Finding Your Creative Voice program receives a copy of award-winning children’s and young adult author, Jacqueline Woodson’s miracle’s boys to take home and read, thus extending their educational experience.

Watch a video celebrating our partnership here!

“We are always treated warmly. My students' special needs are always accommodated.” -- High School Educator, Philadelphia, PA
 
We are committed to ensuring that the opportunity to learn from our collection is available to all. Therefore, we offer tours that are customized to students’ levels of comfort and ability, both physical and cognitive. Experienced educators are available to facilitate these tours and activities. We will work with you to adjust our programs to your students’ needs.

 Please refer to our K-12 Lessons and Activities to choose a program. We will work with you to adjust the program to your group's needs.

Bring the Museum to Your Classroom: Traveling and Virtual Lectures Series

We are pleased to bring the excitement of the Museum directly to your community and inspire your students to further explore the Museum’s collection in-person or online. Museum educators are available to visit your classroom in-person or virtually (via video conference).

Click here for more information about Traveling Museum opportunities.

Teacher Resources and Lesson Plans

In addition to high-quality tours and on-site experiences, NMAJH develops lesson plans to be used in the classroom. We welcome you to download these lesson plans and use them however will best support your curriculum.

Please click here to access these resources.

K-12 Schools and Youth Groups
Price includes admission and guided activity. 
$14 per student; space is limited to 100 students.*
1 chaperone required per 10 students.** 

Traveling Museum — we come to you!
$175 for the first presentation; $50 for each additional presentation on the same day. An additional travel fee may be charged based on the distance from the Museum.
Up to 4 presentations per day, and up to 35 participants per presentation.
 
Preschools
Price includes admission, guided lesson, and an optional arts & crafts activity. 
$14 per student, space is limited to 30 students.*
1 chaperone required per 5 students.**

* For groups larger than the limit, please contact Group Services at groups@nmajh.org or call 215.-923-3811 ext. 141
** Required chaperones receive complimentary admission. There is a cost associated with additional chaperones.