In 2022, the GRPM Education department was approached by Bridge Street Ministries to collaborate with Resurgence, their after-school program. Resurgence is a place-based after-school program that focuses on “empowering youth to be restorers and leaders in their communities.” A shared tenet of the GRPM Education department is also place-based education, which utilizes historical artifacts and scientific specimens from our Collections, as well as Museum staff and volunteers, to provide a student-centered learning experience.
As the Resurgence program has grown, so have our after-school collaborations. Now with three Resurgence sites across Grand Rapids, the GRPM hosts one site per school quarter. Students visit the GRPM once a week and experience the Museum in a new way – investigating objects from the Collections, enjoying Planetarium shows, exploring exhibits, and going behind the scenes of our off-site archives.
In the last three years, the GRPM has served 140 students from Westwood Middle School, Riverside Middle School, Burton Middle School, and the Public Museum Middle School. Resurgence students have a unique opportunity to engage with the Museum; sessions last six to eight weeks and are designed with their specific interests in mind. Returning year after year with this program allows students to explore even more deeply what might have sparked their curiosity on a previous visit. The staff at Bridge Street Ministries has been amazing to collaborate with to create these meaningful experiences.
Having a partner like Bridge Street Ministries, which shares GRPM’s vision of being curious, hands-on learning and engaging multiple learning styles, makes for a valuable partnership. As Resurgence exists to empower youth to be leaders in their communities, the GRPM is proud to be part of their journey.