American Museum of Natural History Department of Education, Science and Nature Program collection

The American Museum of Natural history was founded in 1869 by Albert Bickmore with education as a core mission of the institution and educational programs have been essential to the museum since its founding. The Science and Nature Program (SNP) is a continuation of the museum’s long tradition of serving as an educational resource and outlet. It was established to provide science education to young students, their parents or grandparents, and science educators of young students within New York City. The program was developed and created by Jane Kloecker in 1998, welcomed its first students in the fall of 1998, and grew into an expansive science program for young students under her leadership and administration until her retirement in 2016. The program continues to serve the community today.

The goal of the program is to expose young children to science education within the setting of the museum in order to enhance their understanding of the natural world and to develop skills related to scientific inquiry. This innovative and pioneering program utilizes the scientific expertise and resources of the museum to create age-appropriate science curriculum for students as young as 3. The classrooms are equipped with materials designed for hands-on learning, including live animal habitats and artifacts and specimens from the museum, and students are taken on excursions into the museum’s exhibitions to highlight science curriculum concepts and further facilitate exposure and learning. The program requires the participation of students’ parent or grandparent based on the premise that young children’s learning and retention are enhanced when a related adult is also involved in the learning process.

Since its beginning, a priority of the program has been to form partnerships with community organizations in order to reach families who had limited science education opportunities or exposure to museums. In this capacity the program has performed outreach work with early childhood educators to strengthen their science curriculum by involving teachers and students into the museum, while also facilitating professional development opportunities for educators. This work has included partnering with local community center Head Start programs and day cares, and public schools to bring the museum’s resources to young children, their parents, and teachers; hosting educational workshops for early childhood teachers at the museum; collaborating with other programs and institutions; and sharing the work of the Science and Nature Program at education conferences nationally and internationally.

There is also a strong research and evaluative aspect to the program. Dr. Ted Chittenden was an educational researcher associated with the Science and Nature Program from 2001 until 2012. Dr. Chittenden facilitated assessments and analysis on the program and its participants in order to develop a better understanding of the impact of science learning in young children. His findings have shed light on how the approach of the Science and Nature Program develops an awareness of the natural world that extends beyond the classroom.

The program has grown to now offer classes to students from the age of 3 to 12 in seven different classes determined by age and/or grade level. Additional educational programs for young students between the ages of 2 and 6 are also offered through the Early Adventures Program (caregiver or program with parent/grandparent), while further educational opportunities for students beyond the age of 12 are also available through two programs within the Education Department at the Museum of Natural History, the Science Alliance Program and the Lang Science Program.

Jane Rohan Kloecker spent her career working almost entirely in early childhood education. Prior to founding the Science and Nature Program at the Museum of Natural History in 1998, Jane Kloecker built an extensive resume in the education field in New York City. From 1966 to 1971 Jane Kloecker was a Head Teacher and Teacher Trainer at The Dalton School, between 1971 and 1973 was a Head Teacher and consultant for the Academy of Sacred Heart, from 1973 until 1976 served as the principal of the lower school at the Calhoun School, and between 1977 and 1984 was a consultant for the New York City Board of Education. In 1998 she founded and became the director of the Science and Nature Program at the Museum of Natural History and remained in that position until her retirement in 2016.

Dr. Edward Augustus Chittenden III, Ted, Chittenden was an educational researcher associated with the Science and Nature Program from 2001 until his death in 2012. He was born in New Haven, Connecticut on April 5, 1930 and died on December 22, 2012 in New York City. He earned an undergraduate degree from Yale University and later earned a Ph.D. from Columbia University after serving in the Army during the Korean War. In 1968 he began working at the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey, and served as the director of the Early Childhood Education Research Group until his retirement in 1999. During his tenure at the Early Childhood Education Research Group, his research and writing focused the assessment of how young children learn. From 2001 until 2012 Dr. Chittenden served as a Research and Assessment Advisor to the Science and Nature Program where his research was centered on how early childhood science education provided a base for life-long science learning. Dr. Chittenden was also a founding member of the North Dakota Study Group, a group of educators from across the United States brought together to discuss and write about assessment issues in the field of education.