Welcome! We are so glad you’re here. School and teacher programs at The CJM aim to cultivate cultural sensitivity and awareness, center students' diverse voices and identities, provide enriching creative arts experiences, and share multifaceted Jewish stories
Teaching about Jewish life and creating connections to Jewish stories, people, and culture are vital to preventing antisemitism. Each of The CJM’s school programs teaches students about Jewish life in age-appropriate ways while integrating seamlessly with general classroom curriculum, and supporting teachers in creating culturally welcoming classroom environments for all students.
The CJM’s elementary tours and resources for grades K–5 incorporate Jewish author biographies, community immigration stories, and Jewish culture and celebrations, while including space for conversation and centering intercultural connection. This approach helps dispel assumptions of otherness that can lead to biases and harmful stereotypes. Our programs for teachers and students grades 6–12 include a focus on contemporary Jewish culture in addition to discussions on antisemitism, including but not limited to Holocaust education and programming.
All of our tours meet grade-specific California state standards, and are customized to meet the needs of each classroom. The CJM also offers extensive resources and lesson plans across all grade levels that are available online for download.
We invite you to explore the resources below, or to reach out to arrange a half-hour advisory session with our education team. We welcome the opportunity to connect with administrators, teachers, and parents to best meet the needs of your class/school/district.
For questions, more information, or to schedule an advisory session, email schools@thecjm.org to get in touch.
The CJM offers interactive in-person and virtual school tours that highlight art and exhibition content, as well as the architecture and history of The CJM’s building and surrounding neighborhood. All tours center connections to Jewish stories as a lens for exploring our diverse community and teaching inclusion through the arts.
All school tours are interactive and feature hands-on art activities. Virtual school tours are offered Monday–Wednesday. In-person school tours are available on Thursdays, Fridays, and some Sundays. The Holocaust, Art, and Resistance Day of Learning is available on Mondays and Tuesdays.
All CJM school tours are free of charge for Bay Area schools; availability is limited, and advance reservation is required.
Tour offerings for the 2023–2024 school year include:
The CJM is proud to be a recipient of the 2022 Superintendent's Award for Excellence in Museum Education, awarded jointly by the California Association of Museums and the California Department of Education, for our virtual school tour The Stories and Art of Ezra Jack Keats.
Teacher programs at The CJM are grounded in themes of uplifting diverse voices, promoting student and teacher wellbeing, and fostering positive identity formation through the arts. Explore arts-based lesson plans for your classroom aligned to California state standards in our teacher resources, and check out our teacher programs page for upcoming opportunities to connect with fellow educators and professional development workshops at The Museum.
The TAC Internship brings together high school students from diverse backgrounds for a year-round paid internship. Teens work and learn together in a world-class arts environment to experience art and artists, explore identity and culture, produce and lead meaningful public events and programs, and develop professional skills.
The TAC Anti-bias Leaders Fellowship is a year-long program that seeks to empower teens with the training and tools to become leaders in anti-bias activism in their schools and communities. Fellows meet every month and work alongside artists, leaders, and changemakers to build their leadership skills and develop anti-bias projects.
Teacher resource guides connect students to current and past CJM exhibitions, and provide insight into art, history, and culture for various ages and learning modalities. These resources always include connections to art, are suitable for utilizing with or without a visit to The Museum, and follow California curricular standards.
Prepare your class for field trips at The CJM with this step-by-step guide.
Major support for K-12 School and Teacher Programs is generously provided by the California Arts Council; California Bank & Trust; William Randolph Hearst Foundation; Barbara and Ronald Kaufman; The Bernard Osher Foundation; Pacific Gas and Electric Company; The Ullendorff Memorial Foundation; and Yerba Buena Community Benefit Fund.