Seventy students from Ilima Intermediate School recently spent a night at the museum.
The overnight outing at Bishop Museum was part of the school's Project Lead the Way STEM program, led by Sarah Milianta-Laffin (7th grade) and Suzanne K. Yamamoto (8th grade). In her own words, Milianta-Laffin reflects on the experience.
"During their night at the museum, students saw the planetarium show, 'Eyes on Island Earth,' and did SOS (Science on Sphere) to learn about earth systems.
Then they had a snack and did a scavenger hunt in the Hawaiian Hall. It's great because unlike a field trip during the day where chaperones have to worry about students bothering other visitors, the kids can experience everything without interference.
After the scavenger hunt, the kids were awed by the new Rapa Nui (Easter Island) exhibit and took tons of photos. Next, we explored the Science Adventure Center, where students ultimately slept. In the center, we saw a show about volcanos that the kids loved, and played with the models.
Girls slept in the treehouse and boys slept around the volcano. The museum had these great sleeping mats (and even fluffier ones for chaperones!). We had two museum docents with us, and the chaperones took turns walking the building throughout the night.
Lights out happened at 10:45 p.m., but most students stayed on devices for quite a bit longer. If you want to be the 'super teacher,' bring the power strips, like we did. Kids will love you!
The wake-up call was at 6:30 a.m. Kids washed faces and brushed teeth in the larger bathroom in the science building and had a camp-style breakfast. By 8 a.m., we were on the way back to school.
This is our second year doing this trip, and the kids love it. Do call and reserve early though, because the dates fill up, and it can only be done on Friday and Saturday nights. The cost varies based on your number of students and school status. As we are a Title 1 school, we got a discount, and also fundraised to try to keep the cost low for students."
Click here for more information on Bishop Museum's Sleepovers/Museum After Dark experience.
Check out @STEMwithMili and @IlimaSchool on Twitter to see more of Ilima's adventures.
Photos courtesy Ilima Intermediate Vice Principal Oscar Ramiscal.