Education Programs Offered for
Girl Scout Troops
The Museum offers a variety of hands-on education programs that help scouts to fulfill badge requirements. The programs are offered on school holidays/breaks and on the weekends. Troops can also purchase a Joliet Area Historical Museum patch for an additional $1 per girl. To schedule a program, call (815) 723-5201, ext. 235. Time slots fill quickly so schedule your program early to ensure the date and time you want!

The following programs can be utilized to fulfill a
general “Visit A Museum” requirement. Badge-specific programs are listed below.

Prairie Pioneers
Suggested Program Length: 2 hours
Cost: $5/Scout
 What? No “X box!” No cars? No grocery stores?!? This program gives students a glimpse of life on the prairie in 1832, the year Charles Reed built his cabin on the land that would become Joliet . Students learn about housing, transportation, clothing, chores and games of yesteryear through hands-on activities and games. Students make and taste homemade butter—a favorite of scouts and leaders alike. This program also includes an abbreviated tour of the Museum’s main gallery. Recommended for all Girl Scout levels.

Toys and Games of Times Past
Suggested Program Length: 2 hours
Cost: $5/Scout
 Are kids today like kids of yesterday? This program utilizes toys and games to illustrate how Native American and pioneer children lived over two-hundred years ago. Scouts play with old-fashioned toys and discover that kids today are very much like those of yesteryear. Scouts will make a ball and cup toy and a “recycled” toy to take home. This program also includes an abbreviated tour of the Museum’s main gallery. Recommended for Girl Scouts in the 2 nd grade and older. This program also helps Juniors to fulfill badge work requirements for the Toy Maker badge~see Junior’s Programs for more information.

Badge Specific Programs
 Each of these programs is designed to fulfill several components for each badge listed. Please contact the education department if you have specific questions about any of these programs.

Brownie Scouts

Puppets, Dolls and Plays Try-It
Suggested Program Length: 2 hours
Cost: $8/Scout
In this hands-on program, your scouts will learn how to make dolls in various forms from the handmade yarn dolls that Pioneer girls played with to a marionette Juliette Low doll. They will also learn about the famous Rialto Theater as they make their own collapsible theater. This program fulfills requirements 2, 4, and 5 of the Puppets, Dolls and Plays Try-It.

Colors and Shapes Try-It
Suggested Program Length: 2 hours
Cost: $6/Scout
The Latino culture plays a prominent role in the diversity of Joliet today. Work towards your Color and Shapes Try-It while learning about the art forms of Mexico and other Central American countries, some of the most colorful cultures in the world. In this program, scouts will sculpt Migajon miniatures, tiny toys thought to have originated in Ecuador , out of bread. Next, we’ll mix paint colors and make our own version of Otomi paper figures. Finally, in the tradition of the Huichol Indians of Mexico, we will make yarn paintings. This program fulfills requirements 3, 5, and 6 of the Color and Shapes Try-It. **Please have girls bring a small box to transport their projects as they will be wet when they leave.

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Junior Scouts

World Neighbors Badge
Suggested Program Length: 2 hours per session
Cost: $5/Scout (Register for both sessions and the cost is $9/Scout)
 Register your scouts for both sessions of the World Neighbors class to totally complete the work required for this badge or register for just one of the sessions to get you started. If you want to register for both sessions, it is recommended that you schedule the sessions on two different dates.

 

World Neighbors-It’s A Small World After All! Session 1
Tour the Museum and, in the process, learn about the immigrants from around the world that made Joliet their home. Where did they come from? How did they live in their homelands? Why did they move to America? Scouts will participate in a Cultural Scavenger Hunt, map the country of origins of the immigrants, and play a game of “House Match.” This session fulfills requirement #5-The World Next Door; #7-There’s No Place Like Home; and #8-It’s A Small World.

World Neighbor’s-It’s A Small World After All! Session 2
 Tour the Museum and engage in fun activities to learn about the immigrant groups that have called Joliet home. Play games from around the world, participate in a global fashion show, and learn a foreign language or two! This session fulfills requirement #1-Global Games; #2-The Love of Language; and #10- Clothing All Over the World.

Local Lore Badge
Suggested Program Length: 2 hours per session
Cost: $5/Scout (Register for both sessions and the cost is $9/Scout)
 Register your scouts for both sessions of the Local Lore class to totally complete the work required for this badge or register for just one of the sessions to get you started. If you want to register for both sessions, it is recommended that you schedule the sessions on two different dates.

 

Local Lore-Session 1
 Tour the Museum to learn about the people, places, and events that shaped the history of Joliet. View maps to see how Joliet has changed over the years (starting with the Will County Atlas of 1873) and then design and write a one-page newsletter, complete with advertisements, that focuses on one period in the history of Joliet. This session fulfills requirement #2-It’s All on the Maps; #5 Extra, Extra, Read All About It!; and #7-Take a Trip.

Local Lore-Session 2
 How much do you really know about downtown Joliet? We’ll start at the Museum and take an architecture walk through the downtown “loop” where we’ll look at styles of architecture, the materials used in the buildings, and examine the monuments on the courthouse square to learn what these structures tell us about local history. When we get back to the Museum, we’ll sketch a picture of your favorite building and talk about what downtown Joliet might look like in the future. This session fulfills requirement #1-Word of Mouth; #4-Tour Your Community; #10-Focus on the Future. This session is only available April 1-October 31 st, weather permitting. A waiver signed by parents is required for this program and will be sent to leaders along with confirmation information.

Toys and Games of Times Past
Suggested Program Length: 2 hours
Cost: $5/Scout
 Are kids today like kids of yesterday? This program utilizes toys and games to illustrate how Native American and pioneer children lived over two-hundred years ago. Scouts play with old-fashioned toys and discover, in the process, that kids today are very much like those of yesteryear. We’ll also discover some of the ancient roots of the toys the Native American and pioneer children played with. Scouts will make a ball and cup toy and a “recycled” toy to take home. This program also includes an abbreviated tour of the Museum’s main gallery. This session fulfills requirement #2-Toys Around the World; #3-Toys Through History; and #10-Trash It!

Ceramics and Clay Badge
Suggested Program Length: 2 hours
Program Cost: $6/Scout
Do you like to write stories? Draw? Play with clay? Native Americans used to do all three at the same time by using pictographs to tell stories. In this program, we’ll tour the Museum’s galleries to learn more about the Native Americans that used to call this area home. Then, we’ll learn more about pictographs and how the Native Americans used them to tell stories. Prepare to get messy as we make our own mini clay pots and decorate them with stories. This program fulfills requirements 1, 3, and 10 of the Ceramics and Clay Badge. **Please bring several small boxes to transport the pots home.

Visual Arts at the Museum
Suggested Program Length: 2 hours
Program Cost: $6/Scout
In this program, scouts will analyze artifacts in the galleries to learn how visual arts can be utilized to teach about history. What can you learn about a culture simply by looking at their art? How is this learning different than learning from a text book? How can art be used to teach history? Scouts will learn the answers to these questions and more in this program. Students will paint towards the end of the program so wear appropriate attire, and be prepared to transport wet paintings or pick them up at a later date. This program fulfills requirements 1, 7, 9 and 10 of the Visual Arts Badge.

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Special Events at the Museum

Haunted Museum
October 22, 6-10 p.m.
Walk the Museum’s “haunted galleries” to meet spirits from Joliet ’s past (played by actors). Attendees are invited to wear costumes and enjoy refreshments at the end of the ghost trail. Look for details, including this year’s theme, cost, and reservation information at the end of August.

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What do I need to know before scheduling a program at the Museum?

Schedule Early
Program dates fill quickly, so register early to reserve your program date and time. Please consult your school calendar when scheduling programs so that you are aware of holiday weekends, etc. Please do not register for Museum programs at the Girl Scout Council Headquarters!!

Program Fees
 Please check the program descriptions for program fees and length. Separate payment/deposit requirements are listed for special event programs.

Adult and Sibling Fees
Two leaders are free (except for special event programs). All other adults will pay the regular admission fee of $6. Siblings age 3 and older can participate in the program and will be charged the scout fee.

Minimums
A minimum of 8 participants is required for participation in our programs. If you do not have 8 scouts in your troop, consider pairing with a sister troop or inviting siblings to participate. If you do not have 8 participants, you can still schedule a program, you will simply be charged for the minimum number of scouts required for programming.

Program Deposit and Cancellation Policy
A $10 deposit, due upon receipt of your confirmation notice, is required to hold the date/time of your program. If the deposit is not received by the date on your confirmation notice, you will lose your desired date/time. The deposit can be applied to the cost of your program or refunded the day of your program. You will lose your deposit if you must cancel your program and do not do so at least one week prior to your program.

Special Needs
The Museum is handicap accessible. When scheduling a program, please let us know if you have any patrons with special needs so that appropriate accommodations can be arranged.

Arrivals/Departures
Education programs are often scheduled back to back. Thus, your program will begin and end at the scheduled time, out of respect for the next scheduled program.

Patches
 A Museum patch can be purchased for $1 per scout/leader. Please arrange this when you schedule your program.

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How do I schedule an education program at the Museum?

Education Director, Kim Shehorn
(815) 723-5201, ext. 235.
k.shehorn@jolietmuseum.org

Be prepared to provide the following information:

  • Name, address, and phone number of leader
  • Program that you would like to schedule
  • Date and time requested for program
  • Age/grade of students, number of children, if you have special needs patrons that will need accommodations

You will receive a confirmation notice in the mail or via e-mail. Please read the notice and call us immediately if there are any errors. Upon receipt of the confirmation notice, please mail your $10 deposit to the following address: Joliet Area Historical Museum, Education Department, 204 N. Ottawa St., Joliet , IL 60432 .

We look forward to working with you and your Scouts!!!

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