Let me "Borrow A Cubicle"- School Tours
Let's get staff, students, and volunteers excited for your field trip!
Does your museum want to offer school tours? Is there a school tour but many exhibits have changed and you have not had time to modify the tour? Let's get a engaging tour so students can take back amazing ideas and conversations they can have with their families and classmates.
Let's get the kids learning about the awesome story your museum shares!
This partnership is great for organizations who want:
A confident "Yes!" when a teacher asks if you offer field trips.
Training materials designed to allow staff and volunteers to showcases their talents to the visiting schoolchildren.
Students to be engaged with the material and ask questions. Such methods could come from Project Zero or Digital Inquiry Method.
This program is not best suited for:
An organization that does not share standard materials. This program is so staff and volunteers are sharing the same ideas not just a volley of questions, then answers, and then move on.
Only want visitors to be self-guided and small groups at a time. The Reference Desk may be a great place to start!
Tours that only use an app and they move along the museum themselves. App design is not in my wheelhouse and also kids need to be interacting with adults and peers to learn best.
After a School Tour Creation you will have:
Staff who will have more time to focus on other aspects of your museum. You can save time on field trip preparation if the materials are ready. Your staff and volunteers have a consistent tour and will build a routine to save time getting kids around your museum.
Students will ask questions beyond, "Where's is the bathroom?" Using Project Zero, Digital Inquiry Method, and other higher order thinking questions will have students connect the dots on how your organization fits into their world and their class materials.
Educators and chaperones will be part of the discussion, not just be standing in the back. When educators and chaperones see they are active members of the field trip too, they may return as individual visitors with their family and friends.
The Process to Serve Your Museum
01
Book and Sign Contract
I accept submissions on a rolling basis. You will hear back in 2-5 business days with a contract or follow-up questions. The contract proposal sent via email is valid for five days. Contract and payment must be completed before work is performed.
02
First Meeting
This meeting will be one hour through Google Meet. It will be solution-focused and any software or materials that I complete will be to you to explore. There is a direct messaging system for you to ask any questions after the meeting
03
Second Meeting
About 2 months later we will debrief to make sure your goals and servies have been met. Any amendments or revisions will be completed. License discussion of products or services will occur then. The second meeting will be 30 minutes.
Field trips are amazing ways to give students another mode of learning. your museum be a part of a student's growth.
Price:
$820- price includes taxes
You will receive the completed materials 24 hours before your first meeting. You select the details that work for your organization's needs what after you sign your contract.
Refund policy: The program is fully refundable 5 days from time of purchase. Please email mel@museumextraordinary.com and the payment should be back into your account in 10 business days.
You will have support after the second meeting, but it must be in the scope of the original project. Ex. You may ask follow-up questions about a strategy or tool I discussed about during our second meeting about the field trip. You cannot ask me to plan volunteer onboarding in the same package. The time clock for my response would be 2-5 business days.
Have you wrangled a large group of students before?
Hey! I am Melissa and I have volunteered at history museums since 2006.
In my time I have led or been a part of a station for school tours for two decades. I also was a classroom teacher and during that time I organized the field trips or was a general teacher chaperone. Now I am also a parent chaperone on field trips. I have seen the many perspectives behind a field trip. I also know so many children open up at a museum where they normally are more reserved or not answering questions in class. It is a different mode of learning, and many the students enjoy!
Have I Created Any Questions?
What kind of museums do you serve?
The programs and products are best for organizations that want to increase student and family connections. Aquariums, nature centers and zoos are welcome to join if your tours and exhibits are station-based, I am happy to help!
What is the turn-around time?
You will receive the deliverable 24 hours before our first meeting. This will give you time to see if there are any questions I created. There may be a delay if materials are not sent in step one.
Do you limit the types of museums or volunteers you work with?
If your organization has any live animals in your care, there must not be any incidences of harm or neglect to the animals.
For organizations and people working with history and science I develop and discuss topics that are historically and scientifically factual.
What if we don't have a large staff?
No worries! Let Borrow Your Cubicle Services can be a great way for you to hand me a hat or two. If you are a large museum staff you may find the collections helpful and the Reference Desk a great resource!
What are ways of support?
For 1:1 services have one hour meeting and a half hour follow-up to make any amends and for me to officially send the single-use license to you. For shop and general inquiries you can email mel@museumextraordinary.com I will try to get back to everything in 3-5 business days.
Do you work with youth volunteers or court ordered volunteers?
Unfortunately, since labor laws for children vary amongst states I would defer to the volunteer policies of your local museums. For court orders you would need to work with your legal team what is best for your volunteering.
I do have an overview and safety checklist for you to view. Hope that helps!
What is the refund policy?
You can receive a receive a full refund if you email mel@museumextraodinary.com within 5 days of purchase. You then will receive your refund through the credit card used in 10 business days. After 5 days of purchase, the service is not refundable.
In addition to the care of live animals and as well as following historic and scientific facts I need to discuss below a tough topic but one I find important.
Tough topics may be discussed at your organization, and they are important to share. You do at times have to teach and learn about tough topics to become better people. I will always form tour and training materials to honor victims and anyone who is oppressed in the time period or region your museum covers.
I will not work with an organization who has in their exhibits or archives people who were collected as trophies. Those people need to be repatriated, and I do not provide that service.
Let's bring the student's enthusiasm to your tours and everyone can learn from each other.
If you would like to contact me about field trip planning please fill out the contact form here.
Busy and cannot be by a computer for virtual meetings?
The Wayfinding Station
We are collaborating through my client portal to meet your needs whether it is amending a tour, working on your individual volunteer skills, or you are a volunteer leader and need a plan to help your group thrive at events.