Learn | EMS Museum & Art Gallery

The Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery is one of the primary platforms for outreach and K-12 education within the College. Every year, we host dozens of K-12 visits from regional school districts and work closely with educators to engage students in the Earth and Mineral sciences. If you would like to arrange a class or group visit, please contact museum@ems.psu.edu.

We also facilitate outreach efforts of the student-led Museum Advisory Network for Learning Engagement (MANTLE). This active group of engaged students comes from a variety of disciplines to organize and implement outreach and professional development events.

Every semester, we host student interns in our collections. Intern projects are tailored to the skills and knowledge that a student hopes to gain over the course of a semester.

Gallery Exhibits

The gallery of the Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum is one of the primary venues for communicating EMS science to the public. Exhibits reflect current research across the College's five departments as well as the history of Earth and Mineral Sciences at Penn State. Exhibits feature objects from the museum collections and the Steidle Collection of Industrial Art.

Gallery programs

Thousands of K-12 students visit the EMS Museum & Art Gallery every year. Currently, the EMS Museum & Art Gallery has a variety of programs that can be requested that address Pennsylvania Science standards. Please contact museum staff to arrange for a program. Although the museum is open and free of charge during the week, we request that groups provide us with some details before your visit. Please email museum@ems.psu.edu.

Engaged Scholarship

Museum internships provide hands-on experiential learning opportunities to Penn State students. Whether you are interested in science, art, or history--internships often reflect student interests and learning goals. Internships typically last a semester and result in a deliverable such as a small exhibit or research report.

The museum also supports MANTLE, a student-led advisory group. To see MANTLE-sponsored events and activities, visit their website.

For Educators

Planning a visit to the Penn State Museums? Curious about available programming that may meet Pennsylvania state standards? We are here to help! Here is a list of on and off-site resources that the Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery provides to Pennsylvania educators.

Volunteer with us!

We are always looking for student volunteers to help at the museum. Tasks could include assisting with outreach, helping with events, proofreading text, participating in or leading focus groups, installing exhibits, moving specimens, or even learning about collections care.

Please email Patti Wood Finkle at pwf5120@psu.edu for more information.