Where I went to college, we had a program called 'You See, I See', which had students of the university assuming docent roles to take groups of local children through the museums of the city. Each docent would be assigned a group of children and would work consistently with them at 3-5 museums, as well as in hands-on creative workshops for the kids. Generally the students and docents would meet every weekend for several hours (say 10-1PM on Saturdays). Some of the schools we worked with offered extra credit for participating in the program, but because participation remained voluntary, the students who attended were generally interested and eager to learn. The children ranged from ages 6-16, and the group size was limited to 15. Arrangements were made with the museum administration so admission was free for both children and docents.

The program required a significant time commitment from the university students, but was rewarding enough to be well worth it. The small group sizes and regular interaction created an atmosphere of understanding and trust; by the last tour, the kids often felt comfortable enough to ask questions about the art, and answered with their opinions when they were asked (this is no small feat!). Some of the older children became interested enough to come along for another round of tours to accompany younger children.

It seems to me that given the caliber of Yale's students and museums, and their particularly strong arts programs, an arrangement like this would be a great opportunity for community outreach and education. The museum tours offered by the individual museums are usually one-time deals that offer little of the interpersonal contact children sometimes need to become truly engaged.

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