NYC & Company Launches Virtual Field Trips

It’s the city that never sleeps and now you can visit it anytime. NYC & Company, the official destination marketing organization for the five boroughs of New York City is expanding its virtual offerings to spotlight online experiences to engage young New Yorkers and travelers who are unable to visit the destination. The NYC Virtual Field Trips digital resource, available at nycgo.com/virtualfieldtrips, comprises five-borough arts organizations and tourism businesses that are offering digital activity books, study guides, livestreams and more, this summer and beyond.

The new initiative also includes curated recommendations from a selection of the City’s most innovative thinkers and educators, with additional curators to be announced as the program rolls out.

“New York City has always been an attractive playground for families, and our world-class arts & culture organizations, attractions and tours are committed to engaging young visitors virtually until they can return in person. We encourage New Yorkers and the world to take advantage of our new NYC Virtual Field Trips resource and plan their five-borough virtual field trip now,” said Fred Dixon, NYC & Company President and CEO.

Consumers can browse NYC Virtual Field Trips by type of content, subject, borough, age range and more. Featured experiences include:

Art & Culture

• Brooklyn Museum’s K-12 online learning resources include information, images, questions for viewing, and activity ideas relating to the museum’s previous exhibitions.
• The Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute offers educational guidebooks supporting the institute’s recent exhibitions including THE COLOR OF POWER: HEROES, SHEROES, & THEIR CREATORS, which debuted in November 2019, with suggested lesson plan activities, interactive viewing questions, and more.
• Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum’s educational resources include a Spotlight on Pride, featuring information on influential LGBTQ+ designers and wearers of jewelry from past to present.
• Pre-K–12 groups are able to take virtual tours led by The Jewish Museum educators, exploring works of art in the museum’s collection via online video platforms.
• Curriculum resources from The Metropolitan Museum of Art include comprehensive illustrated guides introducing students to select collections of the iconic Museum.
• MoMA’s Guides for Educators are available as downloadable PDFs, with topics ranging from Modern Art and Ideas, to Residential Architecture in MoMA’s Collection, to Latin American and Caribbean Modern and Contemporary Art.
• The Morgan Library & Museum’s arts in education programs are available for virtual field trips for grades K-12, covering various themes including Mythical Creatures and It’s Alive! Frankenstein at 200.
• Queens Museum’s online resources include a Stay-at-home Guide for Teens, as part of the museum’s Queens Teens program which offers local youth opportunities to gain exposure to a cultural institution and develop a creative interest and passion for the arts.

Attractions & Tours

• Educator-guides from Big Onion Walking Tours offer virtual tours of neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn, with live, hourlong sessions featuring interactive narrations and discussion.
• Those looking to learn more about the Empire State Building’s construction, technology, history, and more can visit the icon’s online Education Center.
• Inside Out Tours’ The Great Bridge: Brooklyn Bridge Tour is available virtually, with 360-degree video views of the famous landmark and Brooklyn’s waterfront neighborhood, DUMBO.
• Created for educators and student tour group operators, Levys’ Unique New York!’s Ultimate Guide to Brooklyn includes informative and engaging facts about the City’s most populous borough.
• Study guides offered by One World Observatory cover topics including science, the history of Lower Manhattan and surrounding boroughs, and careers in construction and technology.
• Top of the Rock offers online education materials for both teachers and students, as well as a virtual tour of New York City’s skyline as seen from the observation deck.
• Upcoming virtual programs from Turnstile Tours include A Brief History of NYC Street Vending and Bowne & Co.: Letterpress Printing in 19th-Century New York.

History

• 9/11 Memorial & Museum offers interactive lesson plans online that address the 9/11 attacks, their ongoing repercussions, and the history of the World Trade Center, for grades 3-12.
• Among New-York Historical Society’s education offerings are online learning tools, virtual museum field trips, and a downloadable Social Narrative for visitors on the autism spectrum.
• Museum of the City of New York offers interdisciplinary and social studies lesson plans covering a range of topics related to both the history and future of New York City.
• Museum at Eldridge Street’s Learning from Home platform includes storytimes, learning guides, and a virtual tour of the Eldridge Street Synagogue and the Henry Street Settlement for grades 4-8.
• National Museum of the American Indian’s Native Knowledge 360° classroom resources provide new perspectives on Native American history and cultures, through educational materials and online lessons.
• The Tenement Museum’s lesson plans for Upper Elementary and Middle School students tell the stories of immigrant families who called New York City home in the 1800-1900s.
• NYC’s historic house museums offer a varied range of virtual educational programming, including Alice Austen House, Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum, Historic Richmond Town, Merchant’s House Museum, Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden, and the Louis Armstrong House Museum.

Nature & Science

• American Museum of Natural History’s online curriculum collections include materials for educators and those who are interested in learning about science.
• Through September the Bronx Zoo is offering a Wildlife Camp Online catering to different age groups, which includes a behind-the-scenes look at the zoo’s animals and exhibits.
• Virtual Homeschool Programs from the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum offer children of all ages an opportunity to explore the topics of history, science, and innovation online with a museum curator.
• Through online guides National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey introduces families with children aged 10-14 to the conservation of our oceans and marine wildlife.
• As part of its online programs this summer, New York Botanical Garden is offering a three-day Summer Mini-Camp for grades 3-5, exploring plants, nature and cooking.
• Families can visit New York Hall of Science virtually through free at-home resources including Amazing Brains, NYSCI’s first-ever virtual exhibit.

 

Theater & Performing Arts

• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater offers an online guide for educators, with suggested classroom activities, discussion topics, resources, and more.
• Classic Broadway musicals including The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera and Wicked, as well as more recent debuts like Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen and Hamilton all have engaging education resources and study guides available online.
• CO/LAB Theater Group offers interactive mini-workshops by Teaching Artists via video, on topics including musical theater, physical theater, and improv.
• Carnegie Hall’s virtual offerings include resources for classrooms and professional development, as well as videos that spark musical learning.
• As part of Flushing Town Hall at Home, the organization is offering Virtual World Dance Camps through August, exploring dance forms of New York’s diverse communities.
• Individuals can learn about Off-Broadway shows such as Blue Man Group and STOMP through virtual resources including educational and study booklets.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy of NYC & Company

RELATED STORIES

Take a Virtual Field Trip from Your Living Room