Museum Team Afterschool Program
Brooklyn Children's Museum, Inc.

Two Museum Team participants beautify their neighborhood.

Photo: BCM Staff

Founded in 1899, Brooklyn Children’s Museum (BCM) is the world’s first museum for children. It is a national leader in creating innovative programs and exhibitions for young learners, including those living in the neighborhood in which it is located and one of the most underserved areas of New York City—the Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhoods of central Brooklyn.

One of these innovative programs is the Museum Team Afterschool Program, a 15-year-old, free, year-round program that invites neighborhood children to “drop in” to the museum after school, during weekends, and in summer—with no parent or guardian in tow. Once registered, young people can attend as often as they like.

Museum Team offers fun but carefully structured, age-appropriate activities in which museum resources are used to further participants’ personal, intellectual, and creative development. Seven- to 13-year-olds are part of the Kids Crew. This program involves a changing mix of daily activities, as well as ongoing theme-based “clubs” that pursue long-term projects. For example, participants may make quilts while studying their importance in early American history; use hip-hop music as a point of departure for exploring other related cultural expressions such as graffiti and its impact on urban murals or calligraphy in advertising logos. Each project connects the children’s everyday lives with the broader world of history, culture, and science.

Older children are offered progressively more challenging activities that also foster responsibility and instill good work BCM Staff habits. They mentor younger children, assist with Kids Crew programs, and learn how to interpret and present exhibits to the public. For instance, a recent project involved extensive research in Crown Heights on religion, including visits to places of worship and interviews with community leaders. The information they gathered formed the basis of an eight-week curriculum for Kids Crew children. It also was used to create displays and performances for BCM visitors, including a documentary on Chanukah and a presentation on a traditional Islamic garment with an explanation of its origins and uses. Eventually, these older participants, known as Explainers, can receive paying jobs as museum interns and, at the same time, explore career paths, learn how to write resumes, and apply to college—all under the guidance of museum mentors.