44 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: PARTNERSHIPS AND PROGRAMS SCMA WELCOMES AND WORKS WITH LOCAL school groups, providing students of all ages with opportunities for memorable, meaningful museum experiences. Each visit is customized to connect with the curriculum and meet the needs of students as well as state education standards. Open communication and close collaboration are the foundation of creative and inspiring programs that keep groups coming back to the museum again and again. Our Student Museum Educators (SMEs) are a key part of our popular school and community efforts. This paid gallery teacher training program is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors from various depart- ments with a shared interest in the arts or education. We provide a thoughtful and thorough instructional overview and ongoing guidance; however, SMEs receive much of their training in real time, working with students as young as toddlers to provide experiential tours at the museum. This year’s SMEs were dedicated ambassadors who cared deeply about promoting creative thinking, visual literacy and—ideally—a lifelong interest in art and museums. For our youngest visitors from Smith’s Fort Hill Center for Early Childhood Education, this is often their first time at the museum and we work with teachers to connect the experience with something the children are learning or are passionate about at school, such as construction or nature. Toddlers explored the lines and COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PARTNERSHIPS AND PROGRAMS: WORKING WITH SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES ABOVE: Museum educator Gina Hall working with a school group in the third-floor galleries (featuring Art after 1800) OPPOSITE: (left) Melanie Sayarath ’17, Student Museum Educator, with a school group; (right) Education post-baccalaureate fellow, Russel Altamirano, with a school group