Putnam IMMERSE!

Immerse educational program. Featuring multi-cultural children watching a chemistry demonstration in the Fab Lab at the Putnam museum.

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Hands-On Education Experience

We understand the importance of hands-on learning for school groups. That’s why we’re proud to offer Immerse, our immersive learning experience that has been a longtime favorite among educators and students alike. Immerse allows students to engage with exhibits in a unique and interactive way, enhancing their learning experience and making it more memorable.

Our dedicated staff works closely with educators to tailor the Immerse experience to the needs of each group, ensuring that every student gets the most out of their visit. We offer a variety of programs and activities that cover a wide range of subjects, from science and technology to history and culture. 

Hands-On Learning Makes an Impact

Imagine if you took a fifth grade classroom and literally “immersed” it into the Putnam for one week. The teacher and students would have access to all the tools, resources and exhibits the Putnam has to offer, supporting a unique lesson plan for the week.

Imagine no more, because that’s exactly what the Putnam Education Department did with IMMERSE!

IMMERSE is in the midst of its third full year, and is making a difference. For example, 95% of teachers report it increased the impact of their teaching.

Bridging the “Learning Gap”

Pie graph illustrating how low income students have a 6,000 hour learning gap. Hours lost, 220 hours Family Reading Time, 245 hours Weekend Day Trips, 1,395 hours Pre-School, 1,080 hours Summer Camp and 3,060 hours After-School Activities.

DID YOU KNOW: Children living in low-income settings receive 6,000 fewer enrichment hours than children from well-resourced households by the time they reach sixth grade. This puts young people at a disadvantage — leading to a lifetime of lost opportunities. 

A Drive to Achieve

IMMERSE provides mostly low-income students (at least 80% from Title I schools), as well as teachers, with unique, extended opportunities to delve deeply into their coursework with the Putnam’s resources infused into their regular curriculum as they attended school here for a week.

During IMMERSE’s 2017 pilot, five Davenport Community School District classrooms (Grade 5) and three East Moline School District classrooms (Grades 3 and 4) studied at the Putnam thanks to funds from The Hubbell-Waterman Foundation.

This year, IMMERSE is set to host 30 classes of students from the Davenport, East Moline and Rock Island-Milan school districts.

Sponsor An Immerse Class

You can sponsor an educational experience of a lifetime. Contact Cindy Diehl Yang at 563-336-7310 or cdiehlyang@putnam.org.

Interested In Participating?

Email mfranklin@putnam.org or call 563-336-7302.

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Upcoming Events

FunBundle Friday
February 7, 2025
All Day
Oceans: Our Blue Planet
February 7, 2025
11:00 am - 11:45 am
Drop-In Fab Lab
February 7, 2025
12:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Please Note: The Museum & Science Center will be closed for maintenance, cleaning, and updates January 8 -12.

We will resume normal hours on Saturday (1/13). Thank you for your patience, understanding and continued support!

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