Yale University (Peabody Museum of Natural History)

The Peabody Museum of Natural History will use funds for “EVOLUTIONS,” an after-school program for 60 New Haven public school students in grades 9 to 12, from groups traditionally underrepresented in the sciences, in an academically rigorous, for-credit program focused on science literacy, college preparation, and career awareness. Students will spend one afternoon a week at the museum during the academic year, where they will produce a museum exhibition, attend seminars, explore museum collections, participate in college field trips, and intern in a variety of Yale laboratories. Older students will participate in a “career ladder” where they will learn to interpret the museum’s exhibits for the public. Students will be trained by a professional museum evaluator to implement tracking studies and other evaluative methods to assess the impact of their activities on museum visitors.