After an Almost Two-Year Hiatus, over 20,000 students Visited the Detroit Institute of Arts last school year
Updated Aug 3, 2022
Museum also hosted over 7,000 students for Virtual Field Trips
August 3, 2022 (Detroit)—The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) hosted over 20,000 students on field trips last school year. Of these, 11,669 were from Wayne County, 8,608 from Oakland County and 5,524 from Macomb County. The DIA provides free bus transportation and free admission for schools in those counties, thanks to a tri-county millage passed in 2012.
Field trips at the museum were put on hold during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Self-guided field trips resumed in October 2021 and guided resumed March 2022. In the month of May alone, over 600 students participated in guided field trips at the museum.
“The DIA is committed to serving the needs of local students and teachers providing them access to the museum’s world-class collection, even during a global pandemic,” said Jason Gillespie, Director of Education Programs at the DIA. “We are proud that we were able to adapt to meet the various educational needs of our school partners we look forward to continuing more normal programming in the new school year.”
The museum now has virtual field trip options as well that over 7,000 students were able to experience in the 2021-2022 school year. These one-hour online field trips, engage students with works of art from The DIA collection through inquiry-based conversations led by a museum Gallery Teacher via a PowerPoint presentation with high-res images. Choose between thematic tour topics that introduce students to a range of art from different cultures.
Transportation costs have long been a major barrier for teachers wanting to take their students on field trips, but because the DIA arranges and pays for bus transportation, field trips have become a more viable option for Wayne, Oakland and Macomb County schools.
The museum offers field trips for PreK–12 classroom and homeschool groups, summer and recreational camps and community organizations. For a non-guided tour, the museum provides helpful online teaching resources, including graphic organizers tied to various curriculum areas, lesson plans and writing prompts. For a guided experience, DIA gallery teachers use inquiry-based and student-centered teaching strategies to facilitate learning. K–12 guided field trips explore art to build creative thinking and inspire curiosity and wonder through active, hands-on engagements, while supporting classroom curriculum learning outcomes.
“It was the first time at a museum for my ESL students and they loved it. The biggest sign that students enjoyed the tour was that they asked us, teachers, to bring them back for a longer tour in the fall. They kept asking us on the bus why we left so quickly! Thank you for this unique and very valuable experience.” – Maryna Hadeen, Woodhaven-Brownstown School District
The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), one of the premier art museums in the United States, is home to more than 60,000 works that comprise a multicultural survey of human creativity from ancient times through the 21st century. From the first Van Gogh painting to enter a U.S. museum (Self-Portrait, 1887), to Diego Rivera's world-renowned Detroit Industry murals (1932–33), the DIA’s collection is known for its quality, range and depth. The DIA’s mission is to create opportunities for all visitors to find personal meaning in art.
Programs are made possible with support from residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.
Museum also hosted over 7,000 students for Virtual Field Trips
August 3, 2022 (Detroit)—The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) hosted over 20,000 students on field trips last school year. Of these, 11,669 were from Wayne County, 8,608 from Oakland County and 5,524 from Macomb County. The DIA provides free bus transportation and free admission for schools in those counties, thanks to a tri-county millage passed in 2012.
Field trips at the museum were put on hold during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Self-guided field trips resumed in October 2021 and guided resumed March 2022. In the month of May alone, over 600 students participated in guided field trips at the museum.
“The DIA is committed to serving the needs of local students and teachers providing them access to the museum’s world-class collection, even during a global pandemic,” said Jason Gillespie, Director of Education Programs at the DIA. “We are proud that we were able to adapt to meet the various educational needs of our school partners we look forward to continuing more normal programming in the new school year.”
The museum now has virtual field trip options as well that over 7,000 students were able to experience in the 2021-2022 school year. These one-hour online field trips, engage students with works of art from The DIA collection through inquiry-based conversations led by a museum Gallery Teacher via a PowerPoint presentation with high-res images. Choose between thematic tour topics that introduce students to a range of art from different cultures.
Transportation costs have long been a major barrier for teachers wanting to take their students on field trips, but because the DIA arranges and pays for bus transportation, field trips have become a more viable option for Wayne, Oakland and Macomb County schools.
The museum offers field trips for PreK–12 classroom and homeschool groups, summer and recreational camps and community organizations. For a non-guided tour, the museum provides helpful online teaching resources, including graphic organizers tied to various curriculum areas, lesson plans and writing prompts. For a guided experience, DIA gallery teachers use inquiry-based and student-centered teaching strategies to facilitate learning. K–12 guided field trips explore art to build creative thinking and inspire curiosity and wonder through active, hands-on engagements, while supporting classroom curriculum learning outcomes.
“It was the first time at a museum for my ESL students and they loved it. The biggest sign that students enjoyed the tour was that they asked us, teachers, to bring them back for a longer tour in the fall. They kept asking us on the bus why we left so quickly! Thank you for this unique and very valuable experience.” – Maryna Hadeen, Woodhaven-Brownstown School District
The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), one of the premier art museums in the United States, is home to more than 60,000 works that comprise a multicultural survey of human creativity from ancient times through the 21st century. From the first Van Gogh painting to enter a U.S. museum (Self-Portrait, 1887), to Diego Rivera's world-renowned Detroit Industry murals (1932–33), the DIA’s collection is known for its quality, range and depth. The DIA’s mission is to create opportunities for all visitors to find personal meaning in art.
Programs are made possible with support from residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.