The Joslyn supports PK-12 students and teachers with opportunities to explore art together through guided tours and self-guided visits, professional development experiences, and curriculum enrichment.

School & Teacher Programs

Children in school uniforms are walking in a line towards a yellow school bus marked "First Student." The background shows trees and a bright sky. The scene depicts a school environment with children boarding the bus.

PK-12 Schools

Event

A group of people in a gallery observes two large abstract paintings on the walls and a unique sculpture on a pedestal. The room has light wooden floors and white walls, creating a modern, spacious atmosphere.

Check out school group visit information below, then request your visit.
Booking Notes 
We are currently accepting guided-tour school group requests for February and beyond.

Ready to Book?

Connect your PK-12 students to human creativity with a guided tour. Gallery Teachers provide inquiry-based exploration of art through curiosity-driven conversations, helping students build empathy, visual literacy, and critical thinking skills. One-hour guided tours are available starting October 1, 2024, through May 16, 2025, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 9 am to 1 pm. Museum admission, including ticketed exhibitions, is free. Request a guided tour four weeks in advance; once you receive an email confirmation from the School Programs Assistant, your visit is scheduled.

Guided Tours

CREATURES &#8211; PreK–Grade 1
Animals are hiding in The Joslyn. Students will find furry, feathered, and finned creatures in artworks; explore how artists created them; and discuss human relationships to animals. Gallery Teachers will set the foundation for visual literacy development in this fun introduction to the Museum.
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LOOK &#8211; Grades K-5
Visual literacy, a form of critical thinking, is central to young learners’ development. Students will learn how to read works in The Joslyn’s collection and gain skills to understand the visual world around them. Gallery Teachers will incorporate elements of art and design vocabulary in conversations based on four or five artworks in this tour.
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IDENTITY &#8211; Middle School
Building on learners’ visual literacy skills, this tour asks students to consider what influences or informs identity. Gallery Teachers will challenge students with engaging discussions to determine what identity means to them and how artists portray it in their work through symbols, styles, and more. Students will look at art to understand the importance of different perspectives while practicing empathy.
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COMMUNITY &#8211; High School
What is your purpose? As students prepare for life after high school, Gallery Teachers will guide learners to think about this question and what community means to them. With art serving as the focal point, students will consider what it means to belong, have a sense of place, and contribute to humanity. They will make connections to their identity while engaging visual literacy skills in conversations centered on art and community.
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ALL ABOARD &#8211; All Grade Levels 
On view February 18–May 2, 2025
From technological marvel to symbol of modern life, trains transformed the landscape, industry, and society of the US. All Aboard: The Railroad in American Art, 1840–1955 explores the railroad as a significant theme for American painters working in a range of styles, from the Hudson River School to Postwar Abstraction.
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Guided Tour Themes

Guide your PK-12 students as you explore the galleries in small groups at your own pace. Use our learning resources to engage your students in careful observations, artful discussions, and critical thinking. Self-guided visits are available during <a href="https://joslyn.org/visit/visit-detail">regular Museum hours</a> starting October 1. During the school year, a 9 am start is possible. Museum admission, including ticketed exhibitions, is free. Request a self-guided visit four weeks in advance; once you receive an email confirmation from the School Programs Assistant, your visit is scheduled.

Self-guided Visits

Add a one-hour studio experience to your elementary (Look) or middle school (Identity) guided-tour visit. Students will create unique artworks aligned to their tour theme and in their choice of available media. Teaching artists will guide students as they choose the subject, style, and composition of their work, and incorporate elements of art and design in their creative process. Groups with over 60 students should schedule two or more visits.
Fee schedule: $60 (up to 30 students); $120 (31–60 students)

Optional Studio Experience

KEEP IN MIND all group visits must be requested four weeks in advance.
GROUP SIZE 
Teachers with 10 students or more should complete the <a href="https://3jpi3w48jfv.typeform.com/to/BIH8u88D?typeform-source=joslyn.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Group Visit Request Form</a>. For guided-tour groups, 60 students (max); self-guided groups, 75 students (max). Larger groups should request two or more visits.
DAYS &amp; HOURS 
Guided tours are given Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from October 1, 2024, to May 16, 2025, from 9 am to 1 pm.
Self-guided visits take place on Tuesdays–Sundays starting October 1 during regular Museum hours; a 9 am start time may be requested during the school year.
TIME 
Group visits may take up to three hours max.
CHAPERONES 
One adult is required for every 10 students–no more, no less. Chaperones are responsible for students’ behavior while at The Joslyn.
LUNCH 
Groups may eat in The Fountain Court or Sculpture Gardens. Groups may also arrange a catered lunch in The Cafe.
FEES 
Museum admission, including ticketed exhibitions, is free for students, teachers, and approved chaperones. Studio experience: up to 30 students – $60; 31-60 students – $120
TRANSPORTATION, Funding is available during the school year to help cover the cost of transportation; first come, first served. If interested, request a grant application.
ART WORKS, The Joslyn&#8217;s interactive space, is for general Museum visitors; groups are not permitted but individuals are invited to come back.

Before You Book

Group Visits

Teachers from all disciplines, who work in Nebraska and western Iowa PK-12 school districts, are welcome to participate in this free program. Join in to connect with other teaching professionals—and yourself—over artful experiences at The Joslyn from 4:30 to 7:30 pm. Registration opens one weeks prior to each session and is required. Walk-in registration accepted as space allows.
January 30 &#8211; IDENTITY
What influences or informs your identity? Teachers will explore the American art galleries to discover how artists portray identity in their work. Then they’ll get creative making art together. <a href="https://joslyn.org/events/teacher-nights-january-2025?from=calendar">Registration opens Jan 16 here</a>.
March 27 &#8211; COMMUNITY
What does it mean to belong? While engaging with works in the European or contemporary art galleries, participants will consider what community means to them. Teachers will take what they learn and embody it in their hands-on art experience. <a href="https://joslyn.org/events/teacher-nights-march-2025">Registration opens Mar 13.</a>

Teacher Nights

Looking to mix-up your professional learning days? The Joslyn offers interactive, hands-on experiences for your staff, both at the Museum and at schools located within a 15-mile radius. <a href="mailto:shike@joslyn.org">Contact us to start the conversation.</a>

Teacher Inservice

PK-12 TEACHERS

Art, architecture, and a storied history make The Joslyn a premier event venue that your guests will talk about for years to come. Your vision, paired with our one-of-a-kind spaces, equals unforgettable moments. From large celebrations to intimate gatherings, social occasions to business meetings, there is no event quite like a Joslyn event. Explore your options and contact our events staff today to start planning.

PK-12 Schools

Event

Teacher Nights, Thu, Jan 30, 4:30–7:30 pm

Ready to Book?

Group Visits

PK-12 TEACHERS