Museum Learning Initiative (MLI)  was established to strengthen and expand the educational use of museum resources in the schools of the Upper Hudson Region.  MLI has multi-year funding from the GE Fund, the National Leadership Grant of the Museum and Library Services (a Federal agency), the Lucille A. Herold Charitable Trust, and the New York State Council on the Arts.

The goals of MLI are:

Determine how museum resources (field trips near and far, on-line and videoconference distance learning, published curriculum materials, etc.) are currently being used by schools in the Upper Hudson Region

Define the resources currently provided by museums and similar “primary source” organizations in the Upper Hudson Region

Design professional development opportunities for schools in the Upper Hudson Region that are collaborative efforts of regional museums and cultural organizations

Identify the best strategies for building effective museums/schools collaborations

Promote research that will study the impact of museum learning on students’ overall achievement in school