Alpaca partners with Kiewit Luminarium to invest in educators

Our area is gaining something big - really big - for educators. 

Next week, hundreds of teachers will gather at Kiewit Luminarium to get a glimpse of what we think is the most exciting thing to happen for educators in Nebraska in a while. At Alpaca, we are so proud to be collaborating with Kiewit Luminarium to invest in educators in new ways.

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This spring, Kiewit Luminarium opened with a vision that follows in the footsteps of the Exploratorium in San Francisco, a museum that has become a force for professional development opportunities for teachers across the country. They even call the museum itself a “learning laboratory.” The Exploratorium’s Global Collaborations team designed the 100+ exhibits inside Kiewit Luminarium.

To hear that a museum with its own big goals for educator engagement and support was coming to Omaha made me so excited for my own kids, for their classroom teachers, and for every educator who has a chance to grow and learn and connect. 

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When we started Alpaca, a partnership with the Luminarium was at the top of my wishlist. And when I sat down with the Luminarium’s new CEO Silva Raker (brilliant!), ideas flew in a million directions - about how to support teachers, how community orgs and businesses can come together to elevate the profession, how our museums can be living classrooms, and how exploration and curiosity could be at the heart of it all.

For Alpaca, this is what we always hoped for in the solution we are building - that our teacher support packs would go beyond a gift of supplies and create opportunities for connection, inspiration, and pride in this important profession. To do that, we knew that collaboration with community partners who are doing awesome things (like the Luminarium!) would be key.

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This spring, I am so so proud to see Alpaca and the Luminarium come together in an awesome collaboration that I hope will be the first of many. Together, we designed a beautiful pack dedicated to curiosity, exploration and wonder. It includes supplies, of course, but also ideas for STEM projects for elementary classrooms, as well as a really special invitation. 

Next week, Kiewit Luminarium is graciously opening up the museum for every Alpaca educator for an Educator Night. It’s an opportunity for teachers to hang out with other teachers while discovering the museum. It’s going to be awesome to see hundreds of teachers gathered this way, and we’re so happy to be a part of it.

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This museum will be such an important learning space - a place to explore and experiment and experience so much wonder. I believe that the Luminarium creates a way for educators to keep growing in their profession, while creating a living classroom for our community – a place for parents, kids, and teachers to connect. 

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This is Omaha leveling up.

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