Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology

Education

Learning Resources, Events, and Programs.

Education

Learning Resources, Events, and Programs.

Celebrating Cultural Differences. Embracing Human Similarities.

Education is fundamental to the Haffenreffer Museum’s mission and to the mission of Brown University. As a teaching museum, accessibility, accountability, and advocacy are integral to our gallery teaching, PreK-12 outreach, public programs, and community engagement initiatives.  

Please Note

HMA's CultureLab, guided group tours, individual student research projects, and other types of curricular support will be on hiatus through the end of 2026 due to the demands of packing and moving our museum. We apologize and appreciate your understanding. The gallery at Manning Hall is now permanently closed. Visit https://hma.brown.edu/connect/support-museum to learn more and donate to our move effort.

  • We aim to engage a multitude of communities, on campus and beyond, by offering interdisciplinary, object-based, and people-centered educational opportunities that foster curiosity about and respect for all people. 
  • We support a reciprocal model of scholarly exchange by welcoming a diversity of perspectives and inviting a broad range of knowledge keepers. 
  • As much as possible, we offer no-cost educational opportunities—in the gallery, via outreach, and virtually—to diminish the physical, socio-economic, and cultural barriers to accessing the Haffenreffer Museum. 
  • We strive for excellence in the development of educational opportunities through extensive content research, best practices in pedagogy and learning theory, and consultation with stakeholder communities. 
  • We’re taking active steps towards centering first-person perspectives and community-led collaboration in developing educational opportunities. 
  • We honor our existing partnerships, as well as seek new partnerships and ways to share resources with communities and organizations.  
  • We are committed to moving towards sustainable practices, guided by the University’s and the Museum’s environmental sustainability goals, out of respect for the earth and all its inhabitants.
  • We recognize and work to dismantle the systematic racism inherent in museums, universities, and the field of education by developing educational opportunities rooted in principles of anti-bias, inclusivity, equity, and social justice. 
  • We provide employment opportunities, professional development, and mentorship for the next generation of museum professionals. 
  • We hold ourselves accountable to this work by setting measurable goals and objectives for Haffenreffer Museum’s educational initiatives, as supported by the University’s Pathways to Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan.