By Veronica Proctor, Senior Education Outreach Coordinator, and Damaris Osuna, Education Outreach Manager

The Autry’s Education Department connects the museum with thousands of local students ranging in age from kindergarten through college every year through a variety of outreach programs that combine hands-on history, classroom partnerships, and real-world, standards-aligned experiences. Through participation in programs such as Autry Classroom Curators, Autry in Residence, and the annual Student Visual Arts Exhibition, students engage with the diverse and ever-evolving stories of the American West. 

Imagine college students excitedly scrolling through articles, letters, and photographs while discussing which of these primary sources are the most compelling. This is what project-based learning looked like in Dr. Dawn Dennis’ California for Educators history course at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) in 2023.  

As part of a semester-long project, Dr. Dennis’ CSUN students developed standards-based lessons for K-12 students. At the beginning of the project, the Autry’s Education department facilitated a lesson development process workshop at CSUN. Groups of students then selected primary sources from an online exhibition about educator and politician Mervyn M. Dymally and created lessons centered on those sources. Each group presented its lessons to Autry staff. Upon receiving feedback, groups revised their lessons before sharing them with others. 

This project was inspired by the online exhibition Mervyn M. Dymally: The Bridge-Builder of Los Angeles about California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) alumnus Mervyn M. Dymally. Dr. Dennis created this online exhibition with her Cal State LA students and co-workers. Since 2018, the Autry’s Education Department has supported Dr. Dennis’ Cal State LA and CSUN students on projects like this through an outreach program called Autry Classroom Curators (ACC). 

Through ACC, the Autry’s Education Department partners with educators to provide thousands of students with learning experiences that are inquiry-based, connect to the American West, and help develop the critical thinking skills and knowledge students need to be successful in school, higher education, the workforce, and beyond. During this program, students work collaboratively to conduct research driven by a compelling question. Students then share their learning by creating projects ranging from lessons and artwork to digital stories, PSAs, and zines.  

Beyond ACC, we continue to expand our educational reach through Autry in Residence (AIR), an in-classroom program that brings museum educators and dynamic learning directly into schools. Designed primarily for grades 3–5, the program turns students into “history detectives” as they investigate primary sources, handle replica objects, and engage in inquiry-based activities that connect to topics such as Tongva culture and lifeways, the California Gold Rush, and westward expansion. Each program combines storytelling, collaborative discussion, and hands-on exploration, creating meaningful access to museum learning for schools that may not otherwise be able to visit the Autry. Through partnerships with local schools, AIR can meet the needs of students and teachers by providing a structure that seamlessly blends into existing classroom learning, reflecting our ongoing commitment to educational equity, cultural understanding, and community partnership. 

This April, we were also honored to welcome students, educators, and loved ones to our tenth Student Visual Arts Exhibition. The Student Visual Arts Exhibition is an annual art show in which middle and high school students from across the American West submit works surrounding a central theme; this year’s theme was Visions of Humanity. With 500 submissions every year, the exhibition is shaped through an intentional curatorial process led by the Autry’s education outreach manager. Through engagement with each artwork and accompanying label, our curation works to uplift student storytelling, experimentation, and perspectives.   

This year's submissions touched on culturally relevant and personally engaging themes. Some highlighted the power of protest while others spotlighted beloved family members or simple gestures of care. There were moments of hope, struggle, compassion, anger, and joy. For these students, it’s clear that the West is not only a geographical place but also a space where different cultures, histories, and time periods interact. This annual exhibition reflects the Autry’s ongoing commitment to elevating new voices and expanding conversations about the American West, in this case through contemporary student perspectives.  

We look forward to welcoming everyone to the 2027 Student Visual Arts Exhibition, Visions of Connection.