The School Access Program—Opening Doors

Canadian Children’s Museum, CMC2008-0934-0058-Dm

In the Children’s Museum, students make bread and create new endings to their favourite Robert Munsch stories. In Canada Hall, they travel back in time to experience daily life in New France and as one of the first European settlers in the Ottawa Valley. At the War Museum, they discover through diaries, letters and photos how Canadians were affected by the First World War.

These are just a few of many school programs that more than 3,000 students from low-income neighbourhoods in Ottawa-Gatineau are able to attend every year free of charge through the School Access Program.

Funded by donations from The Cowan Foundation, TD Bank Group and the Harold Crabtree Foundation, as well as from individuals, the program meets an acute need. “Students at these schools typically don’t have the opportunity to go on field trips to enrich and enhance their education,” explains Maureen Ward, Manager of Programs at the Museums. “At the beginning of the school year we invite schools in low-income neighbourhoods to apply for the program and all our spaces are filled within a month.”

A comment from a teacher sums up the program’s impact:

“One boy in Grade 3 who rarely gets to go on outings and who never smiles was beaming and couldn’t wait to tell me all about the programs.”

A thank you note from a student after visiting the Museum:

“Dear Museum, I love the Museum. I love the big doll house.”

More Teacher Comments

To ensure the School Access Program is working effectively, we ask participating teachers to fill in a short survey. Here is a sampling of the overwhelmingly positive teacher comments we have received:

“Your program provides opportunities that cannot be duplicated in the classroom. Active hands-on experience with rich resources leaves a significant impact on students, allowing them to increase their knowledge and brings realism to the topic of study.”

“What sets your program apart from others and makes it so educational, invaluable and enriching for the students is that they met actual veterans.”

“Your staff and animators were amazing. Thank you so much for giving our kids such a wonderful opportunity with the Access Program.”

“Excellent initiative. To repeat. The outlying regions are underprivileged and this kind of a school outing is very expensive. Thank you, it is much appreciated.”

“The hands-on activity was amazing! Coming here helps us appreciate our rich Canadian history.”

If you’d like to support more children through the School Access Program, please donate by way of the Youth Education Fund at historymuseum.ca/support and warmuseum.ca/support.