INNOVATIVE ART AND SCIENCE EDUCATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA MUSEUM OF THE NORTH

The University of Alaska Museum of the North (UAMN) is a research and teaching institution at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. UAMN’s Education & Public Programs department designs engaging science, culture, and art activities. We run ~60 public programs and events throughout the year, reaching ~3,000 members of the community. In the past year, children and families explored Denali geology, earthquakes, energy, petroglyphs, and thin sections.

UAMN partners with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the National Optical and Astronomy Observatory, and the University of Washington-Bothell on the Colors of Nature project, which blends art and science through programs for students, families, and educators. Over the course of the project, ~250 girls attend science and art summer academies. Past activities have included creating art inspired by satellite imagery, discovering the mineralogy of pigments, and relating traditional Alaska Native artwork to local and regional geology. The project endeavors to increase STEM learning through art and interest girls in STEM careers.

I will share these and other examples of our museum programs and invite researchers from and/or working in Alaska to collaborate on future education and outreach projects.