The Discovery Museums, a hands-on science education museum center in Acton, have been awarded a one year Massachusetts Cultural Council Planning Grant of ten thousand dollars to develop a sustained partnership with The Worcester Center for Crafts and The Uxbridge Public Schools along with the Uxbridge Police Department. Thirteen cultural organization/school partnerships were awarded this year across the state.
Our primary focus is institutionalizing a museum school environment in the school and the community. This partnership will plan for regional enhancement through the arts and sciences where students learn how to identify local resources and apply them to give back to the community.
The Uxbridge Youth Center established by the Uxbridge Police Department in cooperation with the schools will be expanded to include studio spaces for artists and artisans, a gallery storefront, and a mini science museum. Students will be involved in the planning, renovating, and the managing of these spaces.
Since 1992 The Uxbridge Public Schools have partnered with the Discovery Museums. This has led to significant changes in curriculum and instruction. Specifically, we have focused on the application of "knowledge to knowledge" by students to create learning packages that support interdisciplinary teaching. This work supports the implementation of the state's curriculum frameworks and is presented statewide and nationally at educational conferences.
Through a grant from the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce, parents, community volunteers, and high school students in industrial technology classes have constructed an exhibit loaning center. Students will run this loaning center and make student created exhibits available to classrooms throughout the system.
Hopedale Public Schools has joined this venture. Science teacher and Uxbridge parent Louis Fraga is teaching two Explore and Discover classes where students create exhibits. Eventually there will be inter-district sharing of exhibits.
Since 1982 parents, students, teachers, local businesses, artists, and community volunteers have transformed the North Uxbridge Community Playground at the Blanchard Early Childhood Center into a community park that includes an outdoor classroom and research environment for children. The interior of the high school is also taking on a museum-like appearance with murals, mosaics, and stained glass gracing the walls.
The Worcester Center for the Crafts, one of the oldest nationally recognized craft education centers, will contribute their studio-based learning methods to the project. Recognizing Uxbridge's cultural history, textiles will be the first studio focus. Professional weavers and textile artists will be a part of this new venture.
An Uxbridge Public School web site entitled Explore and Discover shares this program globally. In the near future, homepages of The Discovery Museums and The Worcester Center For Crafts will be linked.
The mission of the Massachusetts Cultural Council is to promote excellence, access, education, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences in order to improve the quality of life for all Massachusetts residents and to contribute to the economic vitality of communities.