Learn & Engage

The goal of the Learning team at The Neon Museum is to design and expand innovative programming options that are supported by and encourage Scholarly inquiry, provide Fun and Engaging learning experiences, and instill a sense of Belonging between The Neon Museum and all our guests.

The Learning team offers a range of programs to numerous audiences, and we are constantly imagining new ways to make our learning experiences more accessible. We offer field trips, Museum on Wheels, and a camp for K-12 students. Our STEAM Saturday programs provide hands-on learning for children and families. We are an approved professional development provider and offer PD for teachers on designing engaging learning experiences. The Learning team’s staff includes educators with prior, direct experience working in classrooms, artists and performers who are skilled at designing engaging learning experiences across subject areas. We are also experienced facilitators of targeted professional development opportunities.

The Learning team also highlights the contributions of various communities to the history of Las Vegas. We do this by spotlighting new content during heritage months and by incorporating new stories into our tours. We also host Scholar Fellows, offering access to our archives and designing opportunities to share new insights with the broader community. Our team includes researchers who help make meaningful connections between our collection and the larger stories of the history of Las Vegas.

Finally, the Learning team goes into the local community to offer new ways to connect with our collection through strategic partnerships and outreach efforts. We offer programming for older adults that centers on storytelling, provides a meaningful social experience, and encourages psychological / emotional wellness as well as improved cognitive health. Our staff includes community engagement experts who are skilled at developing new strategic partnerships.

Across all of our work, the Learning team embodies The Neon Museum’s core values of:

• Belonging
• Scholarship
• Fun Engagement
• Excellence

We have a saying on our team: “There’s a lesson there.” It’s one of our organizing principles and reflects our core teaching philosophy that the most meaningful learning occurs when learners can actively make connections between prior knowledge and new learning. We strive to design new ways to engage all learners – from young children through retired adults – so they are motivated to continue their learning beyond their experience with us.

Inspired by the influential works of educational philosophers like John Dewey, Lev Vygotsky, and Maria Montessori, our approach is grounded in the use of active and engaging learning activities