Arkansas State University

Purpose: Supporting Lifelong Learning The Arkansas State University (ASU) Museum will provide new learning opportunities at the museum and expand its outreach to schools, families, and the Mississippi Delta region. The primary audience for this project will be K through 12 classes and teachers, although some activities will also benefit a wider segment of the population. The ASU Museum will use a combination of educational tools to add interactive elements to its existing exhibits and will align educational programs and activities with the Arkansas and Missouri curriculum frameworks. The planned activities include a combination of high-tech and low-tech methods to increase learning in the museum by engaging visitors in interactive experiences that will help them understand the exhibits and relate that understanding to their lives and communities. In this project, the museum will fund a graduate assistant/intern who will help the educator create print and online materials such as teachers' guides, lesson plans, and worksheets; develop interactive activities to increase the effectiveness of permanent exhibits; upgrade and update the lending trunks in the Suitcase Exhibits program that reaches schools, libraries, and community centers; and update the museum's Web site and enhance distance learning capabilities.