The armory center for the arts will design a multi-year kindergarten through third grade curriculum sequence that will link art and the natural sciences through outdoor educational experiences

The Armory Center For The Arts was awarded a $306,019 Project Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the Museums for America (MFA) program. The three-year grant will fund the design and implementation of a multi-year curriculum sequence linking art and natural sciences through outdoor educational experiences for kindergarten through third-grade students in the Pasadena Unified School District and the surrounding San Gabriel Valley school districts. Key program activities include a needs assessment, teacher training on traditional ecological knowledge, collaborative curriculum development between Armory teaching artists and classroom educators, and ongoing program evaluation to refine the curriculum. The project aims to strengthen arts integration, environmental education, and community engagement in the target school districts.

This three-year pilot program will initially serve the pasadena unified school district, with whom the museum has an established partnership, and will expand to the neighboring SAN gabriel valley school districts in the final year. Project activities include a needs assessment informed by educator, parent, and student feedback, and an intensive orientation for teachers that includes training on traditional ecological knowledge by an indigenous culture bearer. Educators will partner with armory teaching artists and teaching assistants to design units for each grade level, including an adapted curriculum for children in special education classes. Ongoing program evaluation will allow for program refinement throughout the pilot period.