School Programs
Come to the Barnes, or we’ll come to you. Our programs will nourish your students’ imaginations and serve your curricular goals.
Professional Development
The Barnes offers many ways for teachers to expand their learning and integrate art into their classroom curriculum. Join our Teacher Advisory Board or take a class or workshop. Learn more below, and sign up for teacher emails to be notified of all future events.
Teacher Advisory Board
The Teacher Advisory Board (TAB) is a cohort of Philadelphia-area pre-K–12 educators who share our belief that art has the power to improve minds and transform lives.
The board meets with School Programs staff three or four times a year to discuss ideas for new programs and educational resources that align with curriculum standards and encourage students to make personal connections with art. TAB members receive complimentary Patron memberships, which include free admission and deep discounts for a full year.
Teacher Workshops
The Barnes is committed to our education community and meeting the needs of students and teachers by offering both in-person and virtual professional development opportunities.
Virtual Power Hours
Get closer to our artwork than ever before with our state-of-the-art virtual learning platform. Meet with Barnes educators online to discover how art can become a powerful teaching tool in your classroom. Earn 1 act 48 credit hour per session:
Monday, November 9, 4–5 pm
Working with Students with Disabilities
Explore best practices for using visual art to engage and educate students of all abilities and learning levels. Registration opens soon.
Monday, January 25, 2027, 4–5 pm
Social Emotional Learning
Discover how works of art can support your students’ holistic growth—building emotional intelligence through visual learning. Registration opens soon.
$10; $5 School District of Philadelphia and Delaware Valley Catholic school employees
Classes with Act 48 Credits
The Elements of Art; 75 credit hours
Fourteen 3-hour sessions will increase your understanding of art-related concepts, the ways you think critically about art, your ability to communicate about art, and your appreciation for cultures and histories outside your own. Offered online in fall 2026.
The Traditions of Art; 75 credit hours
Fourteen 3-hour sessions will focus on the developments in the painting and sculpture of Western Europe. Examining how all artists—including modernists working in the 19th and 20th centuries—learn and adapt earlier traditions. Offered on-site and online in fall 2026.
Additional Classes
The Barnes–de Mazia Adult Education Program builds on Dr. Albert Barnes’s groundbreaking approach to teaching visual literacy through art. When you take a class with our expert instructors, you’ll not only increase your understanding of art-related concepts but also sharpen your critical-thinking skills and gain a deeper appreciation of cultures and histories outside of your own. Classes take place on-site and online, using innovative technology that lets you to get up close to art in ways you haven’t before. No art background is needed; curiosity is the only requirement.
Scholarships are available. See all classes.
Summer Educator Institute
Summer 2027
This multiday, Act 48 credit–eligible institute features hands-on workshops with Barnes staff and special presenters, with exclusive access to the collection and special exhibitions. The institute includes art-making sessions and opportunities to create resources for classroom lessons, including lesson plans and ideas for integrating art across the curriculum into content areas such as English language arts, math, science, and social studies.
Sign up for teacher emails to stay informed.
Museum Education Graduate Program
Saint Joseph’s University’s new online graduate program, offered in partnership with the Barnes, is designed to prepare future museum educators for roles in public and private institutions. The program offers a Master of Arts in Museum Education and a Museum Education Certificate. Students learn how to share knowledge effectively and inclusively with the public, from K–12 school groups to everyday visitors. They also learn strategies for teaching about objects and collections and develop skills applicable to any type of museum, including art and natural history museums, science institutes, and historical sites.