Rooted in Jewish tradition and American democratic ideals, the Roslyn and Abner Goldstine School Programs at the Skirball illuminate the inherent value of each human being. By interacting with objects, history, and each other—through the Jewish practice of asking questions—our programs engage members of our wide educational community to become catalysts for positive change, shaping a world that embraces justice and equality.
T h i s ye a r, we exc i t e d l y
e
m o re than 6000 students and teachers through our doors and served thousands of others through our innovative online curriculum. Beyond being a place for learning, we want every student that engages with the Skirball to feel valued and respected, and for every teacher to see us as a sustained, collaborative partner and an evolving, responsive resource.
With schools in our community experiencing lingering health concerns, teacher burnout, and a shor t age of buse s, we stepped in, d e e p e
relationships with students and teachers.
T h ro u g h
te acher workshops, and re sidencie s, we delivered a dynamic set of experiences with and for our audience, for this moment in time.
culture, and the world around us, creating moments of wonder that spark learning.
Jessie Kornberg president and ceo
Rachel Stark vice president, education and family programs
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“ We h a d b e e n watc h i n g the Ar t of Imagination videos and pre-lessons, so when Noah’s Ark bec ame a re ality, the expre ss i o n s o n t h e k i d s’ fa c e s we re of wonder and joy.”
Jane Fung, te acher, Belvedere Element ar y School
Bouncing Back and Reaching Out
Museums and cultural centers like the Skirball have been a vital resource to address educational gaps that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed. Through our deep, ongoing relationships with schools, we heard from educators that young learners needed opportunities to explore their identities, learn about history, and understand their role in their community. The world looks different than when students were last at the Skirball, and they needed developmentally appropriate experiences to deepen their understanding of cooperation and empathy.
Noah’s Ark—with its life-size giraffes made from terra cotta pots and boxing glove kiwis—has always inspired delight and wonder; inviting visitors to build, climb, and make-believe.
On a recent school tour, two first graders charged ahead of their class, scaling the ark and nearly reaching their way to the top. As they climbed a rope ladder to the rafters, the second hesitated, his fear holding him back. Sensing his apprehension, his classmate extended her hand and—with her encouragement—the boy mustered the courage to climb up.
In this moment, a simple act became a profound learning experience. Students need the space to practice caring for one another and asking for help; nurturing these vital skills to grow into compassionate individuals who understand the power and necessity of teamwork.
Served 88 schools across 15 school districts
90% of participating schools were Title I and participated free of charge
This small act of kindness encapsulated the spirit of the last few years, filled with possibilities, challenges, and moments when we’ve all needed a helping hand. We’re thrilled to be able to reach out and provide those opportunities once again.
A Space for Educators
While the Skirball has always supported educators with curriculum resources and professional development opportunities, this year we understood that social and emotional learning is just as valuable for educators as it is for their students. The pandemic placed unprecedented pressures on educators, the ripples of which continue to spread. By providing opportunities for teachers to express themselves, play, and share resources, we supported their well-being and promoted a stronger and more resilient educational community.
Provided resources to thousands of educators throughout the school year
Deepened partnerships with 10 classroom teachers in our Teacher Advisory Council
Colorful fabrics and threads adorned the tables and the room buzzed with excitement. Los Angeles Unified School District teachers who had spent the previous day learning together online now gathered in person for the first time.
After hearing from Pam Johnson, President of the African American Quilters of Los Angeles about the traditions and visual storytelling languages of quilts, they turned to practice.
Tamara Taylor, a Kindergarten teacher at Normandie Avenue Elementary School, diligently worked on her quilt square but couldn’t help feeling frustrated. The two loosely attached squares looked nothing like her envisioned masterpiece.
Tamara realized that her students face these same problem-solving challenges every day. She saw their experience being reflected back to her—how growth steadily emerges from navigating the process, not necessarily from finding the solution. Tamara walked away from the workshop with a new toolkit, filled with needles and thread, as well as a deeper understanding of her role as both a learner and a teacher.
“It is alway s
a s
afe
s p a c e t o l e a r n f r o m a n d work along with the S kirball Educ ation te am.”
tha Cer vante s, te acher, Suva Element ar y School
Mar
“ W e w a n t e d t h o s e i n t h e audience who have experienced s i m i l a r t h i n g s t o f e e l h e a r d . T h a t there are other s who also go through t h at f e e l i n g , of n o t b e i n g u n d e r s t o o d by parent s or even by peer s . ”
Winsor McNeel and Dania Harris, students, St. Mar y ’s Academy
S t u d e n t -Ac t i v a t e d
Le
a r n i n g
This year, our Residency Program returned, allowing us to bring the Skirball directly into Los Angeles area classrooms. Groups first part i c i p a t e d i n g u i d e d t o u r s o f o u r permanent collection, then worked w i t h S k i r b a l l e d u c a t o r s ove r s i x weeks to develop, research, write, refine, cast, and rehearse original scripts. They were inspired by Jewish history, stories from our collection, and fueled by their creativity and desire to share untold stories.
Waiting in the wings, high-schoolers from St. Mary’s Academy could hear the hum of other students and teachers filling the Magnin Auditorium. It was the first time many were on stage, and while some were nervous, the questions that Skirball educator Anna Lund had been asking them over the last few weeks motivated them to take a creative risk: “Whose stories get told? Who gets to hear those stories?” Today’s stories were theirs.
Conducted residencies at 3 schools benefitting more than 60 students
They had first visited the Skirball nearly two months prior and gathered around “Bubbe’s Kitchen,” the replica of a 1900s-era immigrant kitchen on display in the core exhibition, Visions and Values: Jewish Life from Antiquity to America They learned about Jewish immigrant life in the early 20th century, imagined the kinds of conversations that might have taken place around kitchen tables like the one on display, and wrote original dialogue.
Today was the day to have their voices heard on a large scale. Inspired by objects and stories in the Skirball’s collection, they reflected on the kinds of conversations they want to be a part of in their lives and presented them to their peers, sparking real-time discussion a ro u n d t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f s e l f- ex p re s s i o n , vulnerability, and family relationships.
The Year Ahead
Moving forward, we will continue to be responsive to the needs of students and teachers, focusing on deeper, intentional relationships that further our goal of building community.
We will meet students at the Skirball and at their schools with programs that are in high demand. In addition to our ongoing Noah’s Ark and Archaeology school tours, a new school tour will bring 4th and 5th grade students into our core exhibition, Visions and Values: Jewish Life from Antiquity to America, to learn about Jewish culture and immigration. We will also expand our programming opportunities for high schoolers, creating space for this vital group to explore identity and civil rights with their entire grade level.
Our teacher professional development model will continue to evolve. We will begin teaching cohorts of teachers at the Skirball and at their schools, giving them opportunities to deepen the relationships with the colleagues they work with on a daily basis.
In these ways, the Skirball fosters a community of learners—continuing to facilitate deep learning about the ways in which we strengthen connections across cultures.
The Roslyn and Abner Goldstine School
Programs at the Skirball Cultural Center are made possible by generous support from:
The Herb Alpert Foundation
Attias Family Foundation
The Capital Group Companies
Joan and Jerry Doren
Evelyn and Norman Feintech Family Foundation
The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation
The Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation
John and Marcia Goldman Foundation
Hellman Foundation
Myna and Uri Herscher Family Foundation
Dennis Holt
Mark Hughes Foundation
Marcia Israel Foundation
Kayne Family Foundation
Marlene Louchheim
Melanie and Richard Lundquist
Ralph M. Parsons Foundation
Resnick Foundation
Specialty Family Foundation
Steinmetz Foundation
Dwight Stuart Youth Fund
Flora L. Thornton Foundation
Philip and Alyce de Toledo Fund
Winnick Family Foundation
2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310) 440-4500
skirball.org
OUR MISSION
The Skirball Cultural Center is a place of meeting guided by the Jewish tradition of welcoming the stranger and inspired by the American democratic ideals of freedom and equality. We welcome people of all communities and generations to participate in cultural experiences that celebrate discovery and hope, foster human connections, and call upon us to help build a more just society.
