The Museum of Northern Arizona’s summer Discovery Program aims to inspire a sense of love and responsibility for the Colorado Plateau, while providing a pathway into the future. Discovery 2008 offers 54 classes and summer camp sessions that connect youths ages 4–18 to this region and draw out their natural curiosity, creating a thirst for knowledge through direct experience.
Science investigations with experts, art projects with accomplished artists, and field trips led by experienced, energetic outdoor educators provide optimal learning experiences for Discovery’s students. Low student to teacher ratios bring students of all ages in direct contact with the cultural and biological heritage of this region. Through hands-on explorations and adventures, children not only learn more about their homeland, they learn how to work together and individually discover their own creative and investigative abilities.
“Every week at camp I feel quite certain I’m meeting the next generation’s great artists and scientists,” says MNA Youth Program Coordinator Rosemary Logan. “We’re not just imparting knowledge to our children with these programs, we’re teaching them the skills to become lifelong learners. We are encouraging their own innate abilities to explore, to discover, and to ask questions.
This year’s classes offer a diverse and exciting range of opportunities to learn about the region’s incomparable traditions―fine arts, natural sciences, Native cultures, and ecology. An old-time favorite class such as Urban Artist, inspires children to transform ordinary objects from our every day lives into extraordinary works of art, while one of the new classes, “It’s Not Easy Being Green,” teaches children more about the natural world around them through science experiments, crafts, songs, and games. Additionally, Discovery’s Summer Among the Peaks, for ages 9–13 and led by Andy Yazzie will celebrate 11 years of overnight camping adventures to places such as Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon, the San Juan River, Chaco Canyon, and the Navajo and Hopi Nations.
This summer Discovery continues it’s commitment to reach children of all ages. In addition to program expansions for preschool age children, MNA has renewed its commitment to ages 13–18 with the Junior Counselor program, Field Archaeologist and Field Entomology classes, and Discovery’s first backpacking and volunteer trip in partnership with the Grand Canyon Trust.
Discovery’s Junior Counselor program is entering its fourth year. Junior Counselors ages 13–17 assist Discovery teachers with programs. This volunteer opportunity provides valuable job experience and allows Discovery participants to stay connected in new ways. When asked about her experience as a former Discovery participant and now three year Junior Counselor, Kelly Reid exclaims, “”I always looked forward to summer camps at MNA as a participant. Now that I’m older, I still love camp, but return each year because of the joy it brings me to pass on my experiences to new kids.”
For reservations or information, contact the Discovery Office at 928/774-5213, ext. 241 or discovery@mna.mus.az.us. Scholarships are available and are awarded based on financial need and student interest. Class descriptions, scholarship information, and an application are available at www.musnaz.org.
The following sponsors support MNA’s Discovery 2008:
Albertsons Community Partners
Arizona Commission on the Arts/National Endowment for the Arts
Arizona Community Foundation
Flagstaff Community Foundation
Flagstaff Cultural Partners/City of Flagstaff
Forest Highlands Foundation
Bashas’ Thanks a Million
McCoy Motors
National Endowment for the Arts
New Frontiers
Sam’s Club
Walgreens
Wells Fargo Foundation
Target Stores
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
and anonymous contributors
The Museum of Northern Arizona is surrounded by tremendous geological, biological, and cultural resources in one of Earth’s most spectacular landscapes. With a long and illustrious history, MNA evokes the very spirit of the Colorado Plateau, including the Grand Canyon and Four Corners regions, inspiring a sense of love and responsibility for the beauty and diversity of the area. The Museum is located three miles north of historic downtown Flagstaff at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, on scenic Highway 180.