Lifelong learning is museum's mission.

• Position: INSIGHT - Company overview

Byline: Robert Z. Nemeth

COLUMN: ROBERT Z. NEMETH

During a candidates' forum held at the Worcester Art Museum before the November elections, it was obvious that many people are unaware of the institution's full impact on the community. Some see the museum as a mere depository of precious objects assembled for the enjoyment of a select few. For others, the acclaimed art collection tends to overshadow the museum's all-important role in providing practical education.

"The museum was founded on the principle of education, and learning has been the guiding mission since 1896," James A. Welu, the director for more than two decades, said during an interview that also included Honee Hess, director of education, and Alexander Dunn, coordinator of the extensive outreach program.

"This has been a community museum from the get-go, reaching out to schoolchildren as a priority," Mr. Welu explained. "In the early 1900s, the museum worked with children on Sunday afternoons. Since 1919, there has been an increasingly close relationship with the public school system. The popular program that introduced the collection to sixth-graders began in the 1930s and served as a formative experience for thousands of children throughout the years."

The numbers tell an impressive story. Of the museum's annual budget of $7.5 million, $1.04 million is committed to education. Worcester has the largest museum-based scholarship program in the country, providing tuition-free education for about one third of the 1,200 children attending arts classes at the museum each year. For most of these kids scholarship means introduction to the arts. A Professional Development Partnership with the public school system ensures free enrollment for many Worcester schoolteachers in the museum's popular adult education program.

All youths, ages 17 and younger, are admitted to the museum free. Last year, nearly 6,000 students took guided instruction tours throughout the galleries. "I believe we have schoolchildren here just about every day," Ms. Hess noted.

The 21st Century Learning Centers Initiative allowed the museum to offer after-school services at eight public schools in the city. The program has been expanded to nine schools this year. Students of Elm Park Community School benefit from the "ART pARTnership" program that requires each student to visit the museum, and work on studio projects, at least four times a year, in conjunction with their social studies curriculum. Long-standing...