Education Each year, hundreds of school groups from kin- dergarten through grade 12 come to learn about The Huntington’s library, art, and botanical collections. More than 22,000 students visited this year, most of them through field trips ar- ranged by their schools. The Huntington is also engaging with chil- dren and young adults in new and innovative ways, helped in large part by a generous grant from The Capital Group Companies. One such approach is by collaborating with groups that have long and successful track records in serving young people in the community. Here are some highlights from the year:

COMMUNITY COLLABORATORS Writing can be a powerful medium for teens. A group of 75 girls, aged 13–19, came to The Huntington from WriteGirl, a Los Angeles– based creative writing and mentoring organi- zation. The girls spent the day at The Huntington using curriculum based on the works of prize- winning science fiction writer Octavia Butler, whose papers reside here. With them were 60 professional writers serving as mentors, guiding the girls as they learned about Butler’s personal history and literary style. Then the girls tried their hands at writing their own science fiction. Girls and young women, aged 10–17, from the Pasadena YWCA’s Girls Empowerment Summer Camp learned about botany as they toured The Huntington’s Ranch Garden; then they returned to the classrooms to prepare healthy meals using fresh produce. Another group from the Pasadena YMCA, aged 14–17, trained to be junior docents in a workshop called “Women in Art.” Over a span of five weeks, the girls spent hours in the Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art, choosing a particular artwork to study, making sketches,

Stunning mixed-media depictions of The Huntington were the result of “Harmony in the Gardens,” a collaborative initiative by middle school students from Eliot Arts Magnet and Mayfield Junior School.

13 Above, left to right: Children got a kick out of writing with a quill Blue Boy (ca. 1770) to introduce students to as well as plants used to make drugs in the 17th and ink during Civil War Living History Day. Students from two mural painting. Fifth graders from the school to 21st centuries. Pasadena middle schools pose in front of artwork they produced for “Harmony in the Gardens.” As part of a Shakespeare sum- created a reproduction of the masterpiece on Another science-related Huntington U of- mer institute, middle school and high school teachers gather the wall of their school and visited The Hun- fering, “Beautiful Science on Stage,” explored in the conservation lab to examine a work by Ben Jonson, a tington to see how close their reproduction came what Alan Lightman, author of Einstein’s contemporary of the Bard and fellow poet. Drama students from the East Los Angeles Performing Arts Academy at Esteban to the original. Dreams, called the “longstanding love affair E. Torres High School perform Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Now in its 10th year, the Langston Hughes between scientists and artists.” Instructor Ar- Night’s Dream, set to the music of the Beatles. Poetry Contest invited students from area high den Elizabeth Thomas, executive director of schools to submit poems honoring Langston Caltech’s MACH 33: The Festival of New Science- and conducting research on the artist. At the Hughes, American poet and leader of the Har- Driven Plays, began her class in The Hunting- workshop’s end, the girls’ family members en- lem Renaissance. Ron McCurdy, a professor of ton’s permanent exhibition “Beautiful Science.” joyed a tour of the galleries, accompanied by music at the USC Thornton School of Music, Shorter courses were also available, including the newly minted docents. read Hughes’ iconic poem “Ask Your Mama: “Fashion Forward: Dress and Style throughout The Huntington partnered with the Boys Twelve Moods for Jazz,” accompanied by a the Centuries,” a three-session classroom and and Girls Club of Pasadena to host the club’s musical score composed by McCurdy and per- gallery course. Arts educator Lilit Sadoyan guid- fourth annual photo competition and exhibition. formed by his jazz quintet. (McCurdy seemed ed students in understanding how artworks por- For inspiration, students took docent-led tours particularly energized by the new, acoustically trayed what people wore in Western Europe, of The Huntington, including the photography pristine Rothenberg Hall.) Then the poetry from ancient times to the era of Impressionism. exhibition “Bruce Davidson/Paul Caponigro: contest winners read their poems aloud, com- And for those who wanted to delve deeply Two American Photographers in Britain and municating touching messages of yearning, into just one object, “spotlight” courses offered Ireland.” Then they snapped photos in three identity, and rebirth, while McCurdy and his a 30-minute look at unique objects from the broad categories: Portraits, Surroundings, and jazz quintet played original compositions of collections. One course focused on Chaucer’s Culture and Tradition. music for each. This year’s participating schools Canterbury Tales with Vanessa Wilkie, The Another group from the Boys and Girls club included Alhambra High School, Carson High Huntington’s curator of British historical of Pasadena and Monrovia used the exhibition School, East Los Angeles Performing Arts Mag- manuscripts. Another course, led by Sara S. “Samuel F. B. Morse’s Gallery of the Louvre and net, Frederick Douglass High School, John Hodson, The Huntington’s curator of literary the Art of Invention,” featuring Morse’s master- Muir High School, and Santana High School. manuscripts, examined the charred remains of piece as the jumping-off point for a studio art Jack London’s manuscript of The Sea Wolf. class. After a presentation by The Huntington’s Virginia Steele Scott Chief Curator of American LIFELONG LEARNERS Art, Jessica Smith, the students learned about Now in its second year, Huntington U, a series VOLUNTEERS drawing and shading from professional artist of seminar-style courses for adults, delved into Without volunteers, The Huntington simply Marion Eisenmann. science with “Medicinal Plants.” Instructor could not function. This year, 1,129 volunteers Monrovia School District’s Wild Rose Ele- Debra B. Folsom led the class in investigating donated more than 50,000 hours of their time mentary School used Thomas Gainsborough’s ancient medicinal plant history and traditions, and expertise, a value of $1.1 million. Volunteers

14 middle school students took photographs at The teachers discovered in a series of workshops Huntington and then worked together to create that were part of The Huntington’s Shake- mixed-media works. Using the theme “Harmony speare summer institute. Teachers worked in in the Gardens,” the students selected photos, groups and individually, exploring scenes, text, refined their ideas, and developed the planner character, voice, movement, and improvisation. for all 500 of Eliot’s students. The original They also examined the Library’s Shakespeare mixed-media works went on exhibition in a holdings and attended live theater performances specially crafted display cabinet outside the to better understand how to infuse lessons Mapel Orientation Gallery. with drama. The result: the teachers recharged It was also a busy year for students from their batteries and returned to the classroom Torres High School. The East Los Angeles Per- better equipped to inspire a new generation of forming Arts Magnet students met with Hun- Shakespeare fans. tington musician-in-residence Cho-Liang Lin, For the second year, Pasadena schoolteachers who played his Stradivarius violin and led a attended workshops to boost skills in inquiry- discussion with students on the differences be- based learning, the sort of engaged teaching tween eastern and western musical traditions. style that gets students developing the analytic Torres students also worked with the Shakespeare skills they need for deep learning. The program Center of Los Angeles to produce a performance is part of a three-year partnership with Pasa- of A Midsummer Night’s Dream set to music dena Unified School District to train each K-12 led docent tours, guided school groups, helped by the Beatles. To prepare for the interpretation teacher in inquiry-based teaching methods us- with garden maintenance, and worked in offices, of the Bard, the students viewed Shakespeare’s ing objects from The Huntington’s collections. among other efforts. Volunteers also include Folio on display in the Library’s Main Hall This year, Huntington curators and educators interns, high school students, and members of and examined 19th-century theater posters. worked with schoolteachers in four areas: bo- the Boards of Overseers and Trustees. A group of 24 students from the Torres En- tanical science, literary manuscripts, historical The opening this year of the Steven S. Koblik gineering & Technology Academy studied what documents, and decorative arts. Teachers ex- Education and Visitor Center required a new it means to pursue a career in water conservation. plored primary source materials, developed les- corps of volunteers. Volunteers now staff the The first series of the six-month pilot project, son plans, and practiced inquiry-based skills new Frances and Sidney Brody California Gar- “H2O Flow,” gave students an understanding they can use in the classroom. The Boone den, which is studded with gorgeous, rugged of how to trace water systems, test water quality, Foundation and William H. Hurt Philanthropy plants accustomed to the hot, dry climate of and conduct water treatment. Students learned provided support for the workshops. Southern California. Other volunteers are ready about water conservation in sessions at The Urban agriculture is increasingly popular, to answer questions in the new Mapel Orienta- Huntington, the Metropolitan Water District especially in schools that are turning lawns into tion Gallery, which gives visitors an overview of Southern California, the Hyperion Water productive vegetable gardens. For the sixth year, of The Huntington and its activities, as well as Reclamation Plant, and the Los Angeles River educators came to The Huntington for a pro- its founders, Henry E. and Arabella Huntington. itself, with guidance from the non-profit group fessional development program called “Mas- Volunteers attended lectures and received writ- Friends of the Los Angeles River. tering Urban Agriculture.” This year, 20 new ten materials that brought them up to speed and Students from Rockdale Elementary, a Los participants joined 80 who returned from last then quickly moved on to the best instruction Angeles Unified School District arts magnet year. A manual and workbook supported new there is: on-the-job training. school, met with Peter Blodgett, The Hunting- content on propagation, pest control, and irri- ton’s H. Russell Smith Foundation Curator of gation, as well as hands-on activities, including PARTNER SCHOOLS Western Historical Manuscripts, to learn how the construction of on-site garden beds. “The Harmony Project,” a collaborative effort stories are recorded and stored in museums. The Dan Murphy Foundation, Edison In- with two partner schools, Pasadena’s Charles Then they experienced a retelling of Rossini’s ternational, and the J. W. and Ida M. Jameson W. Eliot Arts Magnet Academy and Mayfield The Barber of Seville in the form of LA Opera’s Foundation made generous grants to under- Junior School, created art that would illustrate performance of Figaro’s American Adventure. write the cost of bus transportation to bring day planners for Eliot students. Planners are The partnership with Rockdale is longstand- students to The Huntington. critical for helping busy middle-schoolers de- ing, dating from 2003. velop their organizational skills. Eliot admin- istrators knew their students would benefit by TEACHER TRAINING having them; Mayfield administrators knew a Bringing the drama of Shakespeare to life is collaborative art project for their students could easier when teachers receive guidance from be an enriching experience. And The Huntington scholars, educators, and theater professionals. served as subject and facilitator: more than 100 That’s what 24 middle school and high school

15