A Path to Educational Excellence for DC Students

By Meredith Forbes,  Live It Learn It volunteer and MEd candidate at GMU

Take a walk through the halls of the National Gallery of Art, stare up into the night sky at the Smithsonian’s planetarium, or go on a scavenger hunt through the Botanic Gardens, and suddenly a tall granite sculpture, or bright star in space, or ordinary green fern, becomes a library of inquiry and learning for young children. This was my observation this past month visiting community resources across Washington, D.C. with DCPS students and teachers as a Live It Learn It volunteer.

Students sketch their favorite of Calder's "Animobiles" at the National Gallery of Art.

For a pre-service teacher like myself, it’s a beautiful sight to walk through the doors of the East wing of the National Gallery of Art and hear the chattering sounds of 17 fifth grade boys quickly turn into excited oohs and ahhs at the sight of Alexander Calder's 76-foot-long mobile suspended from the ceiling. “Wow, it looks like a dinosaur!” one student exclaims. Empowered with knowledge of the elements of art and sculpture from their pre-lesson, Mrs. Hardy’s fifth grade boys from Randle Highlands Elementary School spend the morning being artists, mathematicians, and explorers.

After studying masks at the National Museum of African Art, students create a mask of their own.

As a Live It Learn It volunteer, I have witnessed firsthand the powerful impact of learning outside the classroom, and have met some amazing kids and teachers. As a future teacher, Live It Learn It has reinforced my commitment to teach in under-served schools in Washington, D.C., and spread the Live It Learn It philosophy of learning through experience to my future students.