“Hi, welcome to the Museum” is the friendly greeting Education Curator Teresa Woodard extends to visiting students and their teachers as they eagerly enter the foyer of the Museum. Students from Kindergarten through twelfth grades visit the Museum throughout the year for free curriculum-based programs focusing on local natural history, Native American culture and Riverside history.
Teresa Woodard, Danielle Leland and Kim Cobb are the professional museum educators who make the Museum come alive for the students. They are assisted by several enthusiastic docents who help make the Museum experience a great success. The volunteers on the school tour team include Sue Legner (who guides students through the photography exhibit on the second floor), Ginny Rudd (who assists with the Nature Lab) , and Carol Zuloaga, Thora Ziegler, Margie Quiroz, Jo Matza and Betze Snead, who assist with the scavenger hunt and other activities that relate to the tours.
In 2015, there were 85 guided and self-tours for students with close to 2,000 students participating. The tour options include “Geology: Rocks Are All Around Us,” “Nature Study,“ in the Museum’s Nature Lab, “Acorns, Walnuts and Willows: Connecting With Native Cultures,” “History on the Street: A Tour of Downtown Riverside,” and “Self-Guided Group Tours” for those that may not have enough time to participate in a guided tour. More information about the tours can be found on the Museum’s website.
The RMA takes pride in supporting these tours through volunteer participation and funding as requested. More volunteers are needed, and we encourage RMA members to become involved as a school tour docent. Please call Sue Weatherwax at 951-826-5114 and join this fantastic team. You will find it well worth your time!