K–12 Schools & Educators
Guided tours, educator workshops, and online resources provide support for classroom teachers to integrate the museum and visual arts into the curriculum.School Tours
Inspire curiosity, support visual literacy skills, and connect students to opportunities for lifelong learning through a guided school tour. All tours encourage close-looking and interpretation through shared-inquiry discussions and activity-based learning. Submit requests at least four weeks in advance with the Tour Request Form below.
Field Trip Guide
Use this guide to help plan a class visit to the Palmer Museum of Art. It includes scheduling guidelines, fee and funding information, tour themes and related curriculum standards, and planning tips and resources. Click here to view the guide.Click here to view the guide.
Tour Themes
School tours at the Palmer support students’ observation, visual literacy, critical thinking, and discussion skills. Tour theme options: The Elements of Art (grades pre-K–3); Seeing Ourselves, Seeing Each Other (grades 3–12); Art and the Object (grades 3–12); Art & Society (grades 5–12).Find more information in the Field Trip Guide.
Fees & Funding
Through the generosity of the Carver Family Education Program Endowment at the Palmer Museum of Art, guided K–12 school tours can be offered free of charge on a first come, first served basis. When these funds are unavailable, tour fees for school groups are: $30 for up to 12 students, $60 for 13-24, $90 for 25-36, and $120 for 37-48.
Planning Tips
· School Tours may be scheduled Wednesdays-Fridays, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. · Request a tour date at least four weeks in advance through the Tour Request Form. · Maximum number of students for a guided tour is 48 (students will be divided into groups of 10-12 before entering the galleries). · One chaperone is required for every 10-12 students.Educator Programs
Educator workshops offer K–12 teachers the opportunity to explore museum collections, learn about teaching resources, and enjoy professional development designed to connect visual arts to class curriculum and educational goals.
Upcoming Educator Programs:
TBD (Summer Institute in Contemporary Art will be announced soon for dates in June 2025)
Lesson-Planning Resources
Virtual Tours & Artist Lectures
Access a variety of past Palmer exhibitions through virtual tours. With video-guided explorations of a selection of works, discussion prompts, and related art-making activities, these resources provide opportunities to connect students to the museum without planning a field trip. Virtual tours include: MADE IN PA, Africa in Art, Conversations across the Collection, Global Asias, Women in Art, and Art and Identity.
To access virtual tours, artist lectures, and other online resources, see below.
Online Resources
MADE IN PA Educator Resource Guide
This Educator Resource Guide is designed to connect K-12 educators to themes, resources, and suggested lessons related to the special exhibition MADE IN PA, on view at the Palmer through December 1, 2024.
Generous support for this project was provided by Art Bridges.
MADE IN PA Educator Resource Guide
Global Asias Educator Resource Packet
This resource packet introduces K-12 educators to online resources and lesson plans that explore artists, concepts, and themes featured in Global Asias.
See below for a downloadable PDF of the Global Asias Educator Resource Packet.
Global Asias Educator Resource PacketOnline Resources
Engage with the museum’s collection through virtual tours, online exhibitions, webinars, and art activity videos.
Explore our Online Resources page to prepare for a museum visit or to bring the museum into your classroom. Browse collection-inspired lesson plans created by teachers, for teachers. Use virtual tours for student assignments or to supplement in-class activities and discussions. Spark students’ creativity with art-making tutorial videos, inspired by works of art in the Palmer’s collection.
Online Resources
Educational programs at the Palmer are made possible by our Friends members! Become a Friend of the Palmer today!