A natural connection

The Yale Peabody Museum and New Haven Public Schools have built a partnership that supports students, engages teachers, and enriches science learning.

One day during the 2025-2026 school year, Elizabeth McCann, a third- and fourth-grade science teacher at New Haven’s Benjamin Jepson Magnet School, welcomed Gina Impronto, lead educator for the Peabody Museum, and Charlie Catacalos, the Peabody’s interpretation manager for exhibitions, into her classroom. They carried bugs, fossils, rocks, and shells, arranging them so the students could scooch up close and even touch them. As the children eyed each specimen, they wrote down their observations as part of the lesson, “What explains similarities and differences between organisms.”

“Once my students saw that there were artifacts and objects they could pick up and observe, they were very excited,” says McCann. “They love anything hands-on, and they loved having an expert in the room to answer all their questions.”

It isn’t every day that the Peabody Museum enters New Haven Public School (NHPS) classrooms, but a mutually beneficial partnership that has developed since the museum’s reopening has resulted in free Peabody field trips and workshops for grades K-8. In addition, Impronto, working with museum professionals like collections managers, museum assistants, and exhibition staff, has created professional development sessions for science teachers. School group workshops are led by Yale Ph.D. student educators.

This connection began when NHPS adopted a science curriculum created by the Smithsonian. Peabody staff noticed that exhibits aligned closely with the newly implemented curriculum. Former Peabody education lead Andrea Motto and Aaliyah Shabazz, the Peabody’s lead educator for youth engagement, were integral in setting up the initial NHPS partnership meetings with Robert McCain, the current district science supervisor. The Peabody designed programming that supported what science teachers were already focused on in the classroom. Traditional field trips transformed into integrated learning experiences.

“What we also realized was that the museum could serve as a bridge between real Peabody research and K-12 education,” said Impronto.”Yale Ph.D. students could lead workshops for school groups while developing their science communication skills. I also organize professional development sessions for district teachers, bringing together graduate students and museum scientists to connect current scientific research directly to the curriculum teachers are already using in their classrooms.”

Curriculum connections

When the NHPS district adapted the Smithsonian science curriculum, it was a major shift from “stand and deliver” teaching to a three-dimensional, skills-based approach. Heather Toothaker knows this well as the district science coach, primarily supporting K-8 science education but also working across grade-levels as needed.

“Our goal,” Toothaker says, “is to make science accessible so every student becomes scientifically literate, not just those who want to be future scientists.”

At the Peabody, Impronto meets Toothaker, teachers, and students where they are, and vice versa — most often through lesson plans and museum collections. The partnership champions the Peabody’s educational outreach goals, reflected in Impronto’s work overseeing field trip workshops, supervising programming, and guiding graduate student educators.

“I can’t emphasize enough the importance of hands-on, collection-based learning experiences where the students and teachers have behind-the-scenes access to Peabody specimens,” says Impronto. “There are guided workshops and self-directed exploration, such as scavenger hunts and conversations with on-site volunteers.”

The museum’s hundreds of annual workshops aren’t only for students. Professional development sessions give teachers the chance to experience real-world science with working scientists and then bring it back to their classrooms. It’s not unusual for two science teachers in the same school, but at different grade levels, to plan joint creative projects, such as shared field trips or poster campaigns, so older and younger students can learn from one another while studying the same concepts.

“The teachers have been as excited, if not more excited, than the students,” adds Toothaker.

Spotlight on support

Part and parcel of the Peabody-NHPS partnership is the Science Spotlight Educator program, launched in May 2026, to highlight teachers in New Haven who use Smithsonian Science for the Classroom (K-5), STC-MS (6-8) with “fidelity and enthusiasm.” Kelly Ann Baker is one of nine inducted into the new initiative along with McCann.

“Teaching middle school science can sometimes be isolating, particularly in schools where only one teacher handles a specific subject,” says Baker, who leads seventh- and eighth-grade science at the Fair Haven School. “I really value the support of the Peabody’s professional development sessions because I’ve been able to collaborate with peers, share ideas, and feel part of a community.”

McCann credits the initiative with helping her “build confidence as a science teacher and develop a deeper enthusiasm for my subject.”

Impronto has seen this unfold throughout the school year. “It’s been really inspiring to see teachers at different grade levels sitting down together and building on each other’s knowledge,” she said. “These educators are very dedicated and go above and beyond.”

The program has also built on Impronto’s enthusiasm for the professional development work she does with Yale Ph.D student educators. “I love still being able to teach, and I do teach workshops frequently,” she adds. “I love curating training sessions based on their needs — classroom management, adapting instruction across grade levels, and supporting bilingual learners. It’s rewarding to implement what we’re learning directly into the workshop materials that we use every day, every week, over the months that school is in session.”