Fariña touts museum visit pilot program for middle schoolers

After-school programming, middle schoolers, and an arts focus: Chancellor Carmen Fariña’s program to get students into museums after classes checks off three Fariña-and-de Blasio-administration favorites.

The program was one of the first initiatives Fariña spoke about after becoming chancellor, and it kicked off with students’ first visits in early May. But Teen Thursdays got its official celebration at the Museum of the Moving Image today.

It’s the season of the pilot program, and this one is a true pilot: only five institutions took part in this seven-week version, but the city said almost 70 more are interested in joining in the fall.

The administration has been emphasizing its focus on the arts lately, most recently by touting the $20 million allocated to arts education in the mayor’s executive budget. Fariña said last week that money could include long-term funding for the teen program.

Here’s the city’s list of schools participating in Teen Thursdays:

In April, the Department selected five schools and partnered them with five cultural institutions to participate in the pilot program. Pilot schools were chosen because of their commitment to arts and history as well as their close proximity to their partnered cultural institution. For next year, schools wishing to participate in the program will be able to complete an application expressing interest. The five pilot schools and their respective cultural institutions are: ·       Brooklyn Schools for Global Studies – Brooklyn Historical Society: a nationally recognized history center dedicated to studying Brooklyn’s 400-year history. ·       P.S. 279 Captain Manuel Rivera – Bronx Museum of the Arts: a renowned museum that offers contemporary art exhibitions and education programs. ·       West Side Collaborative Middle School – New York Historical Society: one of America’s premier cultural institutions dedicated to researching and presenting history and art exhibitions. ·       I.S. 10 Horace Greely – Museum of the Moving Image: The country’s only museum dedicated to advancing the understanding, enjoyment, and appreciation of film and media. ·       I.S. 61 William A. Morris – Staten Island Museum: New York’s only general interest museum where visitors can explore a wide array of exhibits and educational programs.