Unpacking the Past Celebrates 10 Years at the Penn Museum

The Penn Museum is commemorating the 10th anniversary of its highly acclaimed educational program with Unpacking the Past Turns 10!, a K-12 community celebration on Saturday, September 21, 2024 from 10:00 am-1:00 pm.

To mark its 10th year, Philadelphia’s K-12 teachers, administrators, students, and families can experience their very own “express field trip” to the Penn Museum through Unpacking the Past Turns 10!, with:

– Hands-on activities based on an actual field trip to the Penn Museum, like paint-making from natural materials and a fiber-arts play space
– Complimentary Unpacking the Past tote bags for the first 500 registered attendees
– Free soft pretzels in a “snack zone”
– Teacher-parent/caregiver resource area
– Opportunities to plan field trips with the help of Penn Museum staff members and
– Family friendly tours every 30 minutes led by Museum educators.

Teachers and families will also meet with Museum educators and learn about the vast array of K-12 educational programs, such as its Global Learning Lab, a K-12 initiative that cultivates global citizenship through intercultural understanding, among others.

Museum admission with all-day gallery and exhibition access is included with the Unpacking the Past Turns 10! anniversary celebration. Teachers with identification receive free admission to the Penn Museum all year long.

An innovative partnership with the School District of Philadelphia since 2014, Unpacking the Past has brought archaeological collections to life for middle school students studying the ancient world. The multi-visit interdisciplinary program begins with an in-class lesson to prepare students for a museum field trip, which includes round-trip bus transportation. After the program, students receive a free family pass so they can return all year long. Unpacking the Past serves 6,000 sixth- and seventh- graders each year.