Facilitator Explainers
Who Are the Facilitator Explainers?
The Facilitators are a group of experienced educators who love working with kids. The crew is diverse in their academic, professional, and life experiences. While they are at the Exploratorium, they work hard to develop their skills as educators through extensive training and reflective practice.
What Do They Do?
They are here to support, inspire, and empower visitors.
Orient School Groups
Every school group is greeted by a Facilitator, who gives them an introduction to the Exploratorium, a logistical overview of the day, and a connection to a real person. The Facilitators bring each group into the museum to explore one exhibit during the orientation. The Facilitator models the process of using Exploratorium exhibits and allows the students to try things out and get started. Each orientation is different, depending on the Facilitator, the age of the group, and the specific needs of the group.
Interact with Visitors at the Exhibits
You’ll find Facilitators roaming among the exhibits in all areas of the Exploratorium. They entice visitors to engage with exhibits by playfully engaging with the exhibits themselves, and they help teachers and students investigate their questions on a deeper level.
Facilitate Learning Experiences at Explainer Stations
Facilitators are stationed throughout the Exploratorium doing structured and open-ended demonstrations. For example, Facilitators dissect cow eyes, perform magic tricks, explore marine life, and engage visitors in philosophical discussions.
How Do They Learn to Be Great Facilitators?
Always Evolving [PDF] is a short book that describes Explainer professional development through the Field Trip program.
We Have Different Groups of Explainers
In addition to the Facilitator Explainers, we have High School Explainers. If you are a high school teacher, you might want to let your students know about the High School Explainer Program.
