Proyecto Futuro is no longer an active project at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. This page is for reference only.

Building Science Education Capacity in Communities and Schools

Project description:  Proyecto Futuro is an outreach program of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science that includes family science nights and teacher professional development sessions. The project was designed to strengthen science education by focusing on school/community interactions. Project activities include: 1) teacher professional development workshops focusing on hands-on instructional methods; 2) dissemination of bilingual science curriculum materials for K-8 teachers, and 3) family science nights at the museum for parents, children, and teachers.

Project Goals:  Goals of the project are to involve parents from underserved communities in their children's education, increase teacher skills and confidence in implementing hands-on science, and foster positive attitudes toward science learning. Through Proyecto Futuro, we also encourage families to become life-long learners.

Proyecto Futuro

Project Funding:  Proyecto Futuro is currently funded through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Previous funding support for the project has come from the General Mills Foundation and the National Science Foundation.

Local Project Partners:  Partners in Proyecto Futuro are the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science and the Albuquerque Public Schools.

Commitment of Partner Schools:  Participating schools may enroll up to five teachers per year into the program-for a total of 135 teachers at the end of the current 3-year cycle. At day-long workshops, teachers have the opportunity to conduct hands-on science and math activities and relate them to grade-level curriculum. Each teacher receives a bilingual manual and materials. Teachers subsequently integrate the Proyecto Futuro activities into their classroom teaching. At the workshops, teachers are able to try things out and discuss best practices for implementing the bilingual activities into their curriculum. They also share ideas within grade levels and useful tips for implementation. Teachers are responsible for recruiting families from their schools for Parent Workshops and Family Museum Nights. Teachers are encouraged to attend these events, as well, which provides an opportunity for interaction between parents and teachers in an informal setting.

Project components:

1.  Teacher Professional Development Workshops
 
Three workshops per year are offered to facilitate on-going teacher professional development and planning. At these workshops, teachers have an opportunity to network with educators from other schools, share ideas for classroom implementation, and experiment with activities from the bilingual manuals, making connections with key concepts addressed in state and national science standards.
2.  Dissemination of Bilingual Science Materials
 
The Museum distributes bilingual activity manuals to all participating teachers. The bilingual manual includes Teacher Planning Guides, Teacher Activity Guides, and Student Activity Guides. Parents participating in science nights receive take-home kits that include a bilingual activity sheet and materials needed for the activity, as well as a family pass to return to the Museum.
 
Here are some activities in English and Spanish in Adobe Acrobat pdf format:
   
  • Parent Workshops in the Museum

  • The Museum hosts two hands-on science workshops throughout the school year for families from each school involved in Proyecto Futuro. Recruitment for these sessions takes place through flyers distributed at the schools. During the three-hour bilingual workshop, parents interact with each other while doing hands-on activities that utilize common items found in the household. Dinner is provided, which helps facilitate attendance by families. At the end of the workshop, parents take home science kits to work on with their children.

  • Children's Activities in the Museum

  • During the Parent Workshops, the children take part in three hours of structured educational activities. Groups of children, accompanied by an instructor, rotate through various hands-on activities in the Museum's exhibit halls.Proyecto Futuro

  • Family Museum Nights

  • As an alternative type of family event, the Museum hosts two bilingual family nights per school year for each partner school, where parents and children participate as a family in structured activities utilizing the Museum's exhibits. Activities during Museum Night might include visiting the Planetarium or the hands-on discovery room, listening to guest speakers, and learning from Museum exhibits while becoming involved in an activity. Dinner is provided.

    • Proyecto Futuro

    Contact persons:

    Carolyn Gregory, Proyecto Futuro, Project Coordinator
    Phone: (505) 841-2814
    Fax: (505) 841-2866
    E-mail: Carolyn Gregory