NEW YORK, NY.- The Musée du Louvre today announced the launch of new educational initiatives at the Museum, designed to engage a broader public and enhance its outreach programs for young visitors. With the support of a €1 million grant from the Annenberg Foundation, the Louvre’s new educational programs are part of a wider Museum initiative to reach a broader spectrum of audiences, with a focus on underserved youth. The grant was given to the Louvre through American Friends of the Louvre, a US-based not-for-profit which aims to strengthen ties between the Louvre and its American public.

The Louvre will draw upon the Annenberg Foundation’s grant to develop teaching kits, mobile study stations within the Museum, and multimedia teaching modules. These programs will provide younger visitors with a more hands-on educational experience. The Louvre is the first museum in France to implement educational programs of this kind, forming partnerships with schools across France.

The Louvre’s new programs coincide with national education reform in France, which this fall introduced the teaching of art history within the primary and secondary school curricula. With the launch of its new initiatives, the Louvre will contribute to teacher training across France and provide educators with new tools for use within the public school system.

New Educational Initiatives at the Musée du Louvre
The Louvre’s new learning programs build upon the Museum’s ongoing efforts to familiarize children ages 5 to 14 with concepts of art—before, during and after their visit to the Museum. These programs are designed to foster the role of the arts in education, especially for young people who do not have ready access to art museums.

Funding from the Annenberg Foundation will be used in the following initiatives:

Art Suitcase Program. The Louvre will produce and distribute several hundred “art suitcases”—or interactive teaching kits—for educators to use in their classrooms and during visits to the museum. The “art suitcases” will provide numerous interactive learning possibilities through material samples, games, videos, written materials, and object demonstrations. The kits do not require teacher training, are adapted to different learning levels, and will address art and the Louvre’s collections through five varying themes (e.g.: “My first visit to the Louvre”). The program will thus instigate the development of innovative tools to help prepare the public to self-guided visits in the museum.

Discovery Carts. The Louvre will design and produce “discovery carts.” These mobile study stations will contain a diversity of items—including material samples, reproductions of art works, objects designed to be handled by participants, and an interactive computer that can accommodate groups of up to 15 people. These cart activities will be held in the museum galleries for an international audience and will be specially conceived for families.

Multimedia Programs. To enhance its educational offerings, the Louvre will also develop multimedia programs to accompany the art suitcases and discovery, available on DVD and online. They will help provide young visitors with a playful means of exploring the works within the Louvre’s collection and their art historical context.