Manatees. Museum mysteries. Space. These are the topics on tap this year for The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature’s annual Summer Learning Day — which will take place virtually this year because of social distancing guidelines. This day full of FREE interactive online sessions is sponsored by Mosaic and will take place on Saturday, July 18, for students in grades K-8. Participating students will receive free passes to visit the Museum in person (accompanied by a grownup) and have opportunities to earn more for reading accomplishments. “There are numerous studies that show children lose reading and math skills during the summer months when school is not in session,” said Brynne Anne Besio, CEO of The Bishop. “That’s why we’ve held free annual Summer Learning Day events at the Museum for the last several years. This year, concerns about summer learning loss are even greater because schools were closed early, and educators — and parents! — had to quickly adjust to new online learning platforms for the last few months of the year. “While we can’t host a free in-person day at the Museum this year — the crowd would be too large for social distancing guidelines — we still want to help support families trying to combat learning loss. So we developed special programs and reading incentives for kids and moved them online! As one of the leading nonprofit organizations in the region, we believe it’s part of our mission to do all we can to support students and families, and help them gain better footing for academic success.” |
How to Participate |
All programs will take place online via Zoom. Preregistration is required. Register online at www.BishopScience.org/SLD Students must RSVP for each session they want to attend in order to get the Zoom access code to participate. Students will receive a special admissions code that entitles them to one free child and one free adult admission to visit the Museum in person between July 19 and Dec. 31, 2020. Students will receive a code for a free pass for themselves and an adult for each session they attend. (Children must be accompanied by an adult during their in-person visits.) |
July 18 Summer Learning Day Program Schedule |
10:30 a.m.: Ask Howard Anything — Just for KidsHave your kids ever wondered why the moon has phases, why the sun rises and sets or even what a black hole is? During this special live session of Ask Howard Anything, kids can pepper Howard Hochhalter, Manager of The Planetarium, with all their astronomy and space-related questions. 12:30 p.m.: Museum MysteriesWith more than 100,000 objects in our collection, it’s no wonder you might visit sometime and wonder “What’s that?” or “Where’d it come from?” During Museum Mysteries, we’ll explore some of neatest objects in our collections as we answer these questions and more. We’ll even share an activity you can do at home to create a box to showcase your own treasures! 4 p.m.: Meet the ManateesLearn about Felicia, Doscal and Viva, the manatees we are caring for in our Parker Manatee Rehabilitation Habitat.Our animal care staff will show you how they care for the manatees in our Stage 2 rehabilitation center, which provides a temporary home for manatees before their return home to the wild. And, join us on Facebook at 3pm for Tales Under the TreeIn addition, at 3 p.m. our Facebook followers can enjoy the latest episode of Tales Under the Tree as we read “Verdi,” by Janell Cannon. The story focuses on a young python named Verdi, who decides he doesn’t want to grow up to be big and green. Tales Under the Tree is a weekly program that The Bishop presents as part of our ongoing commitment to literacy for young learners. No registration is required; just follow us on Facebook! |
PLUS: Download Your Summer Reading Log and Earn More Free Passes to Visit The Bishop in Person |
Students can also download a FREE Summer Reading Log at www.BishopScience/SLD. Then, for every five hours of reading that a student logs before Dec. 31, they’ll receive another pass to visit The Bishop in person for FREE. (A parent or guardian must verify the hours. Student pass also includes one free adult admission.) |