The HMNS Scouting Program offers badge classes for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, as well as enrichment field trips and events at HMNS facilities in Hermann Park, Sugar Land and Brazos Bend State Park, home of the George Observatory. Classes take place on Saturdays during the school year and in week-long day camps during the summer.

This isn’t your average summer camp. Against the backdrop of real dinosaur fossils, chemistry in action and a world-class institution, kids can experience a summer of education and adventure. Geared for kids ages 6-12, Summer Camps at HMNS use fun, hands-on learning and distinguished teachers to inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists. A wide range of topics from physics and coding to paleontology and forensic science are explored.

You are invited to attend our FREE Shell Educators’ Preview on October 1, 2024 from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. This fall’s Preview will feature Death by Natural Causes, with an additional FREE invite to our 6:30 Lecture, Celebrating Cultural Diversity.

Death by Natural Causes will introduce you to the range of “animal, vegetable and mineral” dangers that lurk in our everyday lives. Through a collection of specimens, text and interactives, visitors can see what can cause a death, either directly or indirectly, from the natural world.

Educators will also have the option of earning one additional hour of CPE credit by attending the Lecture – $2sday: Celebrating Cultural Diversity presented by Dr. Dirk Van Tuerenhout. Dr. Van Tuerenhout will discuss celebrating the diversity of cultures and people that enrich our world, appreciating the collective heritage and mosaic of identities that define humanity’s rich tapestry.

The evening will include Outreach demonstrations in the Moran Lecture Hall with the opportunity to speak with our Education Programs Staff.

Death by Natural Causes is organized by the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Support is provided by the John P. McGovern Foundation and the Harriet and Truett Latimer Endowment Fund.

Got brain food? HMNS brings you from the world’s foremost experts like Kara Cooney, Zahi Hawass and Kathy Reichs along with HMNS curators and scientists. Our lecture partners include The Leakey Foundation, Rice University, University of Houston Law Center, The Nature Conservancy in Texas, Houston Archaeological Society and Fort Bend Archaeological Society and Rothko Chapel.

Aramco iExplore Biodiversity is a program that utilizes Museum resources to educate fifth grade students about biodiversity and related TEKS objectives. All participants will receive two hours of CTE credit and free access to digital classroom materials developed by HMNS.

Through the generosity of the Cockrell Foundation, the Houston Museum of Natural Science is proud to offer the Evelyn S. Frensley Outstanding Student Award in Science or Mathematics and the Wilhelmina C. Robertson Teaching Excellence Award in Science or Mathematics. Recipients are awarded $2,000.