Griffin MSI offers programming that supports educators and administrators inside the classroom and beyond.
Educator Workshops
Gain knowledge, teaching strategies directly relevant to your classroom and insights into cross cutting curriculum standards through the Museum’s science teacher education courses. Our teacher courses help reduce barriers to quality science teaching for all students. Teachers experience phenomenon-based, three-dimensional instruction while engaging in professional reflections and collaboration — all with the support of Griffin MSI's dedicated professional educators.
Throughout the year Griffin MSI’s education team runs programming to support teachers in the classroom through continuing education.
Foundations of NGSS
Dig into the Nest Generation Science Standards and enhance your ability to build them into your educational programming.
Two-day course- Gain deeper understanding of NGSS
- Ideal for K - 8 grade educators
- Continuing Education hours provided for Illinois Educators.
Intro to Next Generation Science Standards
This course will provide a primer on Next Generation Science Standards, we break it down why they were created and how classroom implementation might work.
- Introduction to NGSS for both science and non-science teachers
- Customizable and delivered in a 1 - 2 hour time frame
- Continuing Education hours provided for Illinois Educators
Field Trip Flip
Turn your field trips into wholistic learning experiences! During this course you will learn how to integrate classroom curriculum with these offsite days.
- Generate ideas for connecting learning opportunities to a shared student experience
- Suitable for K - 12 grade teachers
- Continuing Education hours provided for Illinois Educators
- Half day workshop
Activate the 4CS
The 4Cs of 21st Century Learning are critical for student success. Griffin MSI educators will show you how to integrate these valuable skills in your curriculum.
- Appropriate for Pre K - 12 grade facilitators
- Support a culture of STE(A)M teaching and learning
- Continuing Education hours provided for Illinois Educators
- Half-day workshop
Student Motivation and Engagement: The Secret Sauce
Learn how to cultivate the seeds of motivation and engagement that exist within all your students.
- Appropriate for all disciplines and all grade levels.
- Design activities that support internal motivation and lead to student engagement
- Continuing Education hours provided for Illinois Educators
- Full day workshop
1/5
Lester Crown Distinguished Teachers
The Lester Crown Griffin MSI Distinguished Teacher award is given to educators who completed at least four of Griffin MSI’s science teacher education courses, where educators gain valuable knowledge of Next-Generation-Science-Standards-aligned curriculum, improve teaching skills and return to the classroom with new ideas and resources to make science more engaging. Teacher honorees receive a certificate and a personal $1,000 award, as well as a $1,000 award for their school.
Science Leadership Initiative
Science Leadership Initiative addresses the critical issue of student achievement and exposure to STEM by supporting science education on a whole-school level.
- Identify the components that lead to an effective science education
- Support schools on a path toward improvement
- Promote a culture of shared leadership between teachers, administrators and Griffin MSI
- Recognize those that succeed as models for other schools
Research and Evaluation
The goal of our Research and Evaluation department is to measure the Museum’s impact on guests and our community. Our interdisciplinary team of researchers and evaluators apply the best practices from a wide variety of social science fields to get to the core of the guest experience in a way that is meaningful to the Museum and the community of which we are a part.