Hundreds of local teachers flocked to OMSI one evening in October—not as a field trip with their students, but as a learning experience of their own. At OMSI’s annual Teacher Open House, the amazing teachers in our community are invited to become students again for this special night. The free event teaches local educators about the incredible resources OMSI offers to enrich classroom curriculum and to make learning more fun and impactful.
This year included the featured exhibit “Christopher Marley’s Exquisite Creatures,” a delightful display showing the connections between art and science. The Open House is also an excellent opportunity to thank teachers for everything they do to make our community stronger. As the Presenting Sponsor, OnPoint proudly supported this event connecting teachers with OMSI educators and their peers. Founded by schoolteachers, supporting education continues to be at the core of OnPoint’s mission and we honor our commitment by supporting events that benefit educators.
OMSI shares our deep commitment to supporting our local educators. Since the Open House program began in 2007, OMSI has welcomed in-service, pre-service and homeschooling teachers, regardless of whether they’ve participated in any prior OMSI programming. OMSI consistently receives excellent feedback from attendees, who say touring the exhibits helps inspire their upcoming field trip plans. For those who missed this year’s Open House, OMSI’s website is also a great resource for learning more about its educational opportunities throughout the year.
Founded in 1944, OMSI is one of the nation’s leading science museums with an international reputation in science education. The museum’s mission is to inspire curiosity by creating engaging science learning experiences for students of all ages and backgrounds. They foster experimentation and the exchange of ideas, and they help our community make smart, informed choices. The organization offers hands-on, high-quality learning experiences in the museum, at resident camps, and as part of the most extensive statewide science education program in the country.
While at the Teacher Open House, OnPoint shared information about the importance of financial education in the classroom. This included resources to empower and recognize teachers, including our financial education platform Enrich and our partnership with Financial Beginnings. We also shared information about our cornerstone program, the OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education. Through this annual award, we recognize educators throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington for their exceptional work to inspire students and positively impact their schools and communities. This year, we celebrated our 10th year of the campaign, and we’ve awarded more than $365,000 in prizes to over 275 local educators and schools.
Here at OnPoint, we are thankful for the opportunity to sponsor this event, and to continue supporting the educators who strengthen the communities we call home. Learn more about the many resources OnPoint offers educators.
