Plan a School Group Visit

Six Weeks Before Your Visit

1. Choose the School Program that best meets your curricular needs and your students' interests.
2. Download the School Group Visit Package.
3. Complete the School Group Visit Reservation Form. Submit it using one of the following options:
   • emailing it to Group Reservations
   • or faxing it to Group Reservations at 650 810 1055
   • or mailing it to Group Reservations, Computer History Museum, 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View, CA 94043
4. If you would like to request financial assistance to support the cost of bus transportation for a docent-led gallery discussion or workshop, you must indicate this on your School Group Visit Reservation Form. Requests made after the form is submitted cannot be honored. Please note that transportation subsidies are not available for self-guided visits.

Four Weeks Before Your Visit

The Museum will send you an e-mail confirmation within two weeks of receiving your visit request. If you have applied for a transportation subsidy, the message will indicate the status of your application. Classes must receive e-mail confirmations to guarantee a time slot for their visit; if you do not receive a message within two weeks after submitting your request, contact Group Reservations to ensure that your reservation has been confirmed. The Museum reserves the right to turn away groups that do not have a confirmed reservation.

Two Weeks Before Your Visit

1. Review important documents in the School Group Visit Package
2. Consult "Guidelines for School Groups" for important logistical information.
3. Distribute "Guidelines for K-12 Chaperones" to all adults who will be accompanying K-12 classes to the Museum. The Museum requires two adult chaperones for every 15 students. This applies to self-guided groups as well as classes attending docent-led programs. The Museum reserves the right to turn away groups that do not have adequate adult supervision.

Ten Days Before Your Visit

1. Prepare students and review logistics and guidelines.
2. Get your students excited about computing history! Consult our suggested pre-visit activities (included in the School Group Visit Package) for creative ways to address commonly asked questions about computing history and the Museum. Activities are appropriate for all grade levels and for self-guided visits as well as docent-led programs.

Before You Arrive at the Museum

1. Organize students into groups of 15 or fewer.
2. Prepare name tags for all students and adults. These will identify your group and help docents facilitate discussion in the gallery.

Group Sizes and Chaperones

If you have not divided your class into small groups or prepared name tags for all students and adults, do these before meeting your docent (self-guided groups should do this before entering the exhibition). Remember that students must be divided into groups of 15 or fewer.

Assign chaperones to student groups. The Museum requires two adult chaperones for every 15 students.

Parking

Classes arriving by carpool are welcome to park in the visitor parking spaces at the front of the Museum. Buses may not park on the premises. Teachers or adult chaperones are responsible for coordinating student drop-off and pick-up times with bus drivers.

Students may be dropped off at the front of the Museum for entry, provided there is adequate adult supervision. Due to space restrictions, we ask that students wait outside the Museum until the teacher has checked in with Guest Services at the front desk.

Lunches, backpacks, and supplies

Backpacks and lunches are not permitted in the gallery. If necessary, they can be stored at the Coat Check area upon arrival at the Museum, but we highly recommend that students leave their backpacks and lunches on the bus if possible.

Follow up in the Classroom

What did your students see and learn? What new questions do they have? Visiting the Museum is just the beginning! Help students continue their exploration of computing history with activities designed to incorporate Revolutionary ideas and innovations into the classroom with our suggested Post-Visit Activities (included in the School Group Visit Package).

Return Your School Group Visit Evaluation

Teachers bringing classes for docent-led programs will receive a brief survey asking for feedback about their visit. Your feedback will be essential in helping the Museum design and improve our education programs. Teachers who did not receive a survey, who would like to replace a lost survey, or who wish to receive additional information are welcome to contact the Museum's Education Department.