The Museum of Neon Art (MONA) announced it will receive the superintendent’s award for Excellence in Museum Education for its multi-part K-12 program. The competition is the joint project of the sponsors, the California Association of Museums (CAM) and the California Dept. of Education (CDE). This award recognizes the innovative work MONA and its partner schools have been doing over the last four years to bring STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) education into the classroom.

The MONA School Engagement Program provides a comprehensive four-part educational initiative consisting of professional development for classroom teachers, school-based classroom workshops, an in-depth field trip experience at the Museum of Neon Art, followed by free family admission for participating students in order to extend the learning experience and involve a diverse group of families. 

The teachers receive an interactive tour of the museum and take an eight-hour neon bending and curriculum building workshop. Following this, MONA staff visits the teachers’ classrooms for a 90-minute session to facilitate an art making activity, introduce MONA and offer some creative research tasks to frame and contextualize the classroom’s future visit to the museum. On field trip day, classes are bussed to MONA and split into smaller groups (12-15 students) to cycle through a circuit of different activities. The groups can complete a hands-on sculpture activity, see a demonstration of neon bending and explore the museum galleries. After this, students are provided with tickets that grant admission for their families for over a year to the museum.

The Superintendent’s Award for Excellence in Museum Education competition recognizes the outstanding achievements in California museum programs that serve K-12 students and/or educators. Since 2012, the competition has recognized 66 programs, presented by a diverse range of institutions that demonstrate the vibrant contributions museums make to California’s K-12 educational system. The Museum of Neon Art is one of six institutions that received the Superintendent’s Award for 2024. The awards will be presented to recipients between Feb. 18-21, 2025 at the California Association of Museums conference in San Francisco. There will also be a moderated panel providing award winners with a platform to share more about their museum programs.