Eleven museums in Massachusetts have formed a unique collaboration to help elementary school teachers improve their over all science literacy and their ability to transmit such literacy to the children that they teach. The main focus is a three-week summer institute and school year follow-up program that has created a professional partnership between classroom teachers and the diverse resources of the museums, their staffs, collections and exhibits. These partnerships contribute to the development of greater science literacy and improved attitudes toward science by these teachers and their students. One hundred and thirty two elementary teachers from at least thirty-five school districts in Massachusetts will be provided the opportunity to choose a workshop at one of the following facilities: The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, The Children's Museum, Boston, The Massachusetts Audubon Society, The MetroPark Zoos, The Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard, The Museum of Science, Boston, The New England Aquarium, The Manomet Bird Observatory, The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, The New England Science Center and The Springfield Science Museum. The whole group of teachers meet together for one day at the beginning and end of the workshop, but then attend the workshop of their choice, with their varying emphases on life science, physical science, and/or environmental science. All programs are inquiry-based with a heavy emphasis on activities and discovery. Key summer activities focus on helping teachers understand the commonalities among diverse scientific fields. The teachers develop an understanding of the nature of inquiry, the ways to foster it among children in school and out and investigate activities that can be modified for direct use in their classrooms. Throughout the year, a variety of programs help the teachers with lesson planning, resource consultation through the various informal science facilities, the loan of materials and other support services. Networking activities are encouraged through the publication of "Science is Elementary", a rich newsletter that is distributed on a regular basis to participants of the program. Thirty-five percent of the request has been cost-shared by the New England Aquarium, the collaborating museums, schools and private sector contributions.
