Helping Zimmerli Art Museum Understand Preschool Teachers’ Needs
Client: Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University | Location: New Brunswick, NJ | Funding: PNC Foundation
We partnered with the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University to identify the needs and limitations of local preschool teachers to utilize museum programs.
OVERVIEW
In 2020, we conducted a front-end study to help the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University better understand preschool teachers’ interests in, barriers to, and capacity to engage with museum resources and on-site programs.
APPROACH
We employed a qualitative research method, conducting in-depth interviews with preschool teachers, directors, and individuals who support the preschool community in New Brunswick Public Schools and surrounding districts.
CLIENT TAKEAWAYS
We found that preschool teachers and administrators have a shared primary motivation for museum field trips: to expose preschoolers to new places and experiences. While the motivation to take students on field trips is high, so too are the barriers, particularly transportation costs. Teachers and administrators also face numerous administrative hurdles—from a high volume of required paperwork and school board approvals to limitations on the distance they can travel. Increases in the cost of bussing, dwindling budgets, and bureaucratic disincentives have all led to a sharp reduction in preschool field trips.
Despite barriers to participation, we found that the museum’s Preschool Adventures in Art and Storytelling is a beloved program for those who attend. Preschool teachers and administrators recognize the value of storytelling and exposing children to art. As a result of this study, the museum is exploring ways to leverage its outreach program options. If barriers to preschool field trips remain high, one possible option for engagement is for the museum to take programs to the preschools.
