Educational Passport Program | Erie Arts & Culture

Erie Arts & Culture brings to your school a dynamic, experiential learning program to provide K–5 students with immersive arts and cultural experiences with six key cultural partner institutions across Erie County. Created in response to the growing need for accessible, in-person arts education following years of virtual learning, the program engages students through age-specific experiences reinforced by teaching artist residencies, classroom activities, take-home projects, and family tickets — ensuring meaningful, ongoing learning and connection.

Spark student curiosity through creative and enriching field trips and classroom experiences
Reduce barriers to arts access for all families in Erie
Strengthen community connections between schools, students, families, and cultural institutions
Provide a sustainable model for arts education that can be replicated across Erie Art’s & Culture’s six county region

In partnership with United Way Community Schools, the Educational Passport Program currently connects students at four local elementary schools with hands-on arts, cultural, and educational experiences throughout the community.

Elk Valley Elementary • Union City Elementary • Pfeiffer-Burleigh Elementary • McKinley Elementary

Kindergarten: expERIEnce Children’s Museum

On their field trip, the students get the museum to themselves, allowing them access to all the exhibits and free reign to play and experiment. Kids can try out everything from the Tinkering Tank to the smART Studio, the Outdoor Classroom (weather permitting), and the Construction Zone.

Kindergarten students will have fun learning through play, thanks to the expERIEnce Children’s Museum’s Mobile Museum. Museum educators will bring exhibits to the students at their schools. Among the exhibits: the magnet lab, the flight lab, dinosaur bones, and lifesize magnetic blocks.

First grade: philharmonic

Students will experience the magic of music through two school visits from the Erie Philharmonic. The first visit is an instrument petting zoo, where Philharmonic musicians bring cellos, violins, trombones, flutes, and other instruments for students to try out themselves. Each student will get hands-on time with each instrument, and be able to ask questions of the musicians and learn about each instrument. A second visit will allow the students to make music as a group, as the students will get to use maracas, bells, and other small instruments to perform a piece together.

second grade: playhouse

Theater will come alive for second graders, who will take a field trip to the Erie Playhouse to enjoy a Youtheatre show, performed entirely by kids. In addition, teachers from the Playhouse will visit the schools to teach the students about musical theater, with a lively song and dance lesson.

third grade: hagen history Center

Third graders will take a field trip to the Hagen History Center, where they will learn about Erie history, getting a guided tour of the exhibits in the museum, as well as participating in a scavenger hunt in the historic Watson-Curtze Mansion.

In addition, schools will get two visits, Adam Macrino, the Director of Programming and Visitor Experience at the Hagen History Center, and one from Robert Lewis, a storyteller from the Cherokee Nation.

fourth grade: art museum

Students will experience a field trip to the Erie Art Museum, where they will take a guided tour of the current and permanent exhibits, as well as participating in art activities based on those exhibits.

Students will also get a classroom visit from art museum educators, who will talk about what a museum is, how exhibits are chosen, and bring some pieces for students to see and ask questions about.

fifth grade: lettie G. howard

Fifth graders will learn about Erie’s rich maritime history when they take a field trip to the Bayfront Maritime Center. They will learn to tie different kinds of knots, learn about Erie’s shipbuilding history and role in the War of 1812, and finally, take a ride on the Lettie G. Howard, an historic tall ship.

Students will prepare for the field trip with an in-school visit from Kelly Armor, who will teach the students about life aboard a ship, and lead them in singing traditional sea shanties.