JAMES NELSON AND ANNA LOUISE RAYMOND 

 FOUNDATION FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL AND 

 CHILDREN'S LECTURES 



The trend in recent years of greater use of museums by school groups 

 has continued, and we offered our usual programs, tours, and motion 

 pictures to meet this increasing demand for organized groups to visit 

 museums as a part of schoolwork. More than 2,000 groups totaling 

 about 78,000 children were given tours and programs, and almost 

 300 groups (nearly 8,000 children) were on waiting lists. Many of 

 these groups did not come to the Museum if there were no cancella- 

 tions. The total number of organized groups in the Museum for the 

 year was 4,485 groups including 206,583 students (many of these 

 groups could not be assisted by Raymond Foundation and explored 

 the Museum by themselves). 



Use of the Museum by school groups has spread farther and far- 

 ther into the suburbs and nearby towns and states. For example, 

 the total of Chicago public, parochial, and private schools served was 

 742 groups with 26,261 students, the total of suburban public, pa- 

 rochial, and private schools served was 1,237 groups with 46,863 

 students, and the total out-of-state attendance was 133 groups with 

 5,031 students. 



Of course the best educational program for a school group in the 

 Museum is when one Raymond Foundation staff member can assist 

 a group of not more than 35, but because of the great demand for 

 services this best method often has had to be changed so that one 

 staff member can direct and help a larger group of as many as 130. 

 Programs therefore have been designed to help the student help him- 

 self in his search for information in the Museum halls. Most out- 

 standing in demand and success for this type of program were "Ancient 

 Egypt, Our Inheritance from the Past" (given in spring and fall 46 

 times to 4,247 students), "Bird Study" (given in the spring 46 times 

 to 2,792 students), and "How Animals Adjust to Their Environment" 

 (given 12 times in the fall to 791 students) . 



One of the greatest needs in this school-Museum program has been 

 to get information and suggestions of programs to the schools and 

 teachers to help them plan their Museum trips. Suggestions sent to 

 all schools each September and February relate Museum programs 

 and tours to courses of study at various grade-levels at the times 

 needed. Often a program correlated with the course of study is of 

 timely interest as well. An example in 1959 was "Moon and Mete- 

 orites" for intermediate grades, which offered a movie "A Trip to 

 the Moon" and a tour of our excellent meteorite exhibits. Almost 



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