Programs At Your School

Programs At Your School

Bring the museum to your classroom with one of our outreach programs facilitated by a museum educator.

Registration

Our calendar for the 2024-2025 school year is currently full. If you would like to be added to our waitlist to receive notifications about the 2025-2026 school year, please complete our waitlist form. Email our outreach programs email with questions.

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Program Options

Building Colorado Communities

During this facilitated 90-minute game led by a museum educator, students are divided into historic cultural communities and must make decisions that help their individual progress in the game while taking their group’s needs into consideration. Communities include the Núuchiu (Ute), Tsistsistas (Cheyenne) and Hinono’ei (Arapaho), and Hispano. We establish short and long-term goals, complete trading rounds, cover economics, geography, and history with a real emphasis on building empathy. This program concludes with a contemporary look at the communities discussed throughout the game. Building Colorado Communities won the Caroline Bancroft History Award from History Colorado in 2020. Available for third grade and above. Most popular with third grade.

Building Colorado Cities

During this 90-minute game led by a museum educator, students are divided into groups representing cities in Colorado. Students will work in teams to weigh the opportunity costs, incentives, and risks to make the same choices that historic Colorado cities faced. They will decide where to build railroads, who should be allowed to work in mines, and where the first state fair should be. This program addresses social studies, economics, and geography standards. Available for fourth grade and above. Most popular with fourth grade. Building Colorado Cities won the Josephine H. Miles History Award from History Colorado.

Ute Knowledge: STEM Kit

During this 90-minute program in your classroom students will investigate how the Ute people used science, technology, engineering and math to survive and thrive in the Rocky Mountains. Through activities such as an interactive map exploration, matching and challenges, students will work as a class and in smaller teams to test materials and strategies to see how Ute people solved problems in the past and still do today. This program meets history, math and science standards. Available for grades three through five. This program has limited availability.

The Ute Knowledge History Take Out Kit is part of the Ute STEM Project, supported by the National Science Foundation. This program is possible through the expert knowledge and generous efforts of the representatives of Southern Ute Indian Tribe, The Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (“The three Ute Tribes.”) and was developed by History Colorado.

How it works

Each program is designed for one classroom. Our educator will run the program multiple times to work with each classroom in a grade. The museum educator will come to your classroom with all the supplies for the program. There are pre-lessons available, but they are not required. All the museum educator needs is access to your projection system (laptop & projector).

Pricing

Number of classes                           Price

1 classroom                                        $150

2 classrooms                                      $270

3 classrooms                                      $375

Each additional                                  $100

A 20% discount is available for Title 1 schools.

Our educators travel within the Denver Metro Area. An additional mileage fee is also charged in excess of 20 miles roundtrip to compensate our traveling educators per day of travel. The current rate for mileage is 70 cents/mile. As much as possible, we try to book all of your classrooms for the same day.

Booking & Payment Policy

Teachers that booked an outreach program last year receive priority access from August 7 – August 21, 2024 for the 2024-2025 school year. On August 22, 2024, the registration link will be posted online.

If you booked a program last year, you will receive a direct email with information about priority access, if you did not receive this, please email our outreach programs email.

• All teachers interested in an outreach program must complete the online registration form to begin their booking. Once your inquiry is received, you will be contacted by a staff member to finalize your booking for your classroom(s). Completing the online booking form does not confirm your dates. Your program is not confirmed until you receive an invoice. Dates fill up quickly. We recommend trying to reserve your desired date early.
• Final payment is due 30 days prior to your scheduled program. Payment can be made online (under School Programs Payment), over the phone (303.278.3557) using a credit card, or by mailing a check.
• If a program is cancelled less than 30 days prior to your scheduled program, the museum will work with you to reschedule.
• If a program is cancelled due to inclement weather, the museum will work with the school to reschedule to another open date on our outreach calendar for the current school year.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the class?

Each outreach program is 90 minutes, facilitated by a museum staff member. We know that it can be difficult to try to find a 90-minute block of time in your schedule. We can work around specials and lunch if needed. When possible, we try to fit multiple classes into one day.

What if I do not have more than one 90-minute block of time in the day?

We do our best to accommodate school schedules. If your schedule can only accommodate one classroom per day, we will try to pair you with another school with a similar situation. Schools that can accommodate multiple programs in one day are given priority with their dates. Single day programs are dependent on facilitator availability.

How does this relate to what I’m teaching?

All outreach programs cover themes relevant to social studies, geography, economics, and financial literacy. Both Building Colorado programs are immersive games that moves students through a timeline of historic events. Topics include Indigenous history, westward expansion, the Gold Rush, reservations and how communities interacted and traded with each other throughout Colorado’s history. The Ute Knowledge: STEM Kit is less structured, allowing students to answer questions and solve problems while exploring themes such as engineering and ecology in small groups. 

What do you need from the teacher?

Classroom set-up: This program requires students to be able to sit in groups, preferably at tables, though the floor can also work depending on the space.

Technology: Both Building Colorado programs require the use of the teacher’s computer and projection system. Our museum’s educators will log into the online presentation system Prezi and will use a presentation to lead students through the game. The Ute program does not require technology.

All outreach programs are fully facilitated by a Golden History Museum staff member though we may ask a teacher to assist. 

Can I schedule for just my class?

Yes, but it is cheaper to book the program for multiple classes.

Do you offer a virtual version of this program?

Due to the high demand of our in-person programs, we do not have any virtual offerings.

Is there a discount for Title I schools?

Yes! There is a 20% discount for all Title I schools.

What happens in case of inclement weather on the scheduled day?

Generally Golden History Museum & Park follows the weather decisions for the school districts where we teach programs. If there is a cancellation or a delay, we will work with teachers to try and reschedule programs. We do take the safety of our educator’s seriously and reserve the right to cancel or reschedule Building Colorado programs for inclement weather including but not limited to snow, wind, rain or extreme temperatures.  The museum hopes to make an informed decision 24 hours before the program begins, however, depending on the severity of the weather, a decision may need to be made the morning of the scheduled visit. If the need arises, the Education Department will work with the booking teacher to reschedule the program as quickly as possible.

Photos: Jim Rabiolo