Four children walking by 4 photographs
Grades K-12

K-12 Visits and Tours

Overview

We welcome K-12 visits from schools in our region. Teachers may request a general tour of the museum’s current exhibitions, which includes an introduction to the museum’s mission to serve surrounding school districts. We will engage the questions: What does it mean to curate an exhibition? How should we navigate the art museum space? How does engaging with art help us strengthen and grow as students? If you want to request a general tour led by museum staff and WSU student ambassadors, please finish reading this page, and then fill out a tour request form.

We also love to work with teachers who have special goals for their students. Do you have specific subject matter you want to engage, either within the arts or in another discipline? Do you have ideas for unique ways to navigate the museum space? Do you have a special hands-on activity you want to try? If so, please email the museum’s Curator of Education & Programs before filling out the tour request form: kristin.carlson@wsu.edu.

Things to Know Before Requesting a Tour

  1. Schools within a 100-mile radius of the museum are eligible to apply for the museum’s Buy-A-Bus reimbursement program. To participate in Buy-A-Bus, please check the appropriate box on your tour request form. When your tour request is confirmed, you will be asked to submit your school’s tax information (W-9 form) as well as a travel cost estimate. After your visit, you will submit your bus invoice to the museum before you receive reimbursement. Please read the Buy-A-Bus page for more information.
  2. Request a tour at least three weeks in advance. May and June are the busiest times for K-12 visits, so plan even further in advance if possible.
  3. The ideal time for K-12 classes to visit is between 9am and 1pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, or Fridays. Depending on your group’s goals and the size of your group, you may request 60 minutes, 90 minutes, or 2 hours at the museum.
  4. The ideal size for a class visit is 25 students or less, with the appropriate number of accompanying adults (see below for chaperone guidelines). We understand that some schools need to maximize field trip transportation, so we will split your tour into smaller groups if needed.
  5. Review the museum’s current and upcoming exhibitions—making sure to check closing and opening dates for each exhibition—before you request potential dates for your visit.
  6. The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU is not required to censor exhibitions, though we will do our best to guide your group to age-appropriate content. You are responsible for reviewing the exhibitions that will be on view at the time of your class’s visit. If you have concerns about age-appropriate content, please email the museum’s Curator of Education & Programs in advance of your visit: kristin.carlson@wsu.edu.
  7. For parking and information about visiting other parts of the WSU Pullman campus, please contact the Brelsford WSU Visitor Center.

Chaperone Guidelines

Please make sure your group brings the appropriate number of teachers and chaperones:

  • Preschool and Kindergarten groups: 1 adult for every 3 children
  • 1st and 2nd grade groups: 1 adult for every 6 children
  • 3rd–8th grade groups: 1 adult for every 10 children
  • 9th–12th grade groups: 1 adult for every 15 students

Museum Rules and Etiquette

Please review museum rules and etiquette with all members of your group before your visit. You may also download or print a comprehensive list of museum conduct guidelines: Museum Conduct PDF.

  1. Keep your bodies and voices quiet and calm. Move slowly in the museum.
  2. Make sure not to touch the art, the glass cases, or the walls of the museum. It is ok to sit on the floor, but do not lean on the walls.
  3. No food or drink in the galleries. Also, no coats or large backpacks. You may leave these items in our cubbies, or on your bus.
  4. Only pencils are permitted in the galleries, no pens or markers. Clipboards and extra pencils may be provided by the museum upon request.
  5. Photography is permitted as long as flash is not used. Videography is not permitted without prior permission.
  6. Please silence your cell phone in the galleries. If you need to talk on your phone, please go to the lobby area.
  7. Encourage students to dress comfortably. The museum interior is cool and students may be asked to sit on the floor during their tour.  
  8. Chaperones should supervise the group of children assigned to them. Museum staff cannot take care of discipline while giving a tour. Thank you!

Request a Tour

Now that you have read through this page, you are ready to fill out a tour request form. Please remember to have three possible dates in mind before submitting your form.