Bring the MFA to your classroom or home school with live, interactive programs
The MFA offers two ways to connect classrooms digitally with its global collection of art. Reserve an individual classroom videoconference program or join free livestreamed programs offered throughout the school year.
These live interactive programs connect students with an MFA educator to engage in discussion and activities that encourage a deeper understanding of the work of an art museum and how art connects us to the human experience, both past and present. All programs are taught live from the MFA galleries, giving students the opportunity to see original works of art while also digging deeper through additional digital content.
Individual Classroom Videoconference Programs
Reserve as an independent program or pair with an MFA Field Trip
Classrooms connect with an MFA educator for a private session. Programs can accommodate your learning environment (in-classroom, remote, or hybrid) and individual class schedules. Maximum of one classroom (up to 30 students) per session; see further details below.
Program Offerings
Art in Community and Place (Grades 1–5; 30 minutes)
Artists from around the world find inspiration in the communities in which they live and work. Looking at international and Boston-based artists, students explore artistic depictions of neighborhoods as well as public artworks with local connections.
Recommended for Grades 1–5
Art of the American Revolution (Grades 3–8; 45 minutes)
Delving into the art of colonial Boston, students look at objects made during this pivotal time in American history and learn how these historic artworks tell multiple stories about race, identity, and power during the time of the American Revolution. Aligns with Massachusetts standards for History and Social Science/Investigating History.
Recommended for Grades 3–8
Art of Ancient Egypt (Grades 3–8; 45 minutes)
Dig into the beliefs, values, and everyday lives of ancient Egyptians by looking closely at artworks in the MFA’s galleries. Students examine funerary objects from a Middle Kingdom tomb to learn how ancient beliefs about the afterlife are represented in painting, sculpture, and hieroglyphic writing. Aligns with Massachusetts standards for History and Social Science/Investigating History.
Recommended for Grades 3–8
Art of Ancient Greece (Grades 4–12; 45 minutes)
Examine ancient works of art depicting activities of work and play to see what these objects reveal about daily life in ancient Greece. Students look closely and make inferences about the everyday activities these artworks portray, many of which are still familiar today. Aligns with Massachusetts standards for History and Social Science/Investigating History.
Recommended for Grades 4–12
African American Art: Black Artists, African Roots (Grades 6–12; 45 minutes)
Looking at 20th- and 21st-century American art, students learn how three Boston-connected African American artists—Allan Rohan Crite, Loïs Mailou Jones, and Stephen Hamilton—traced their roots to Africa as a way to reclaim their ancestral legacies and elevate African arts, traditions, and histories.
Recommended for Grades 6–12
Availability
Programs are offered September 30, 2024–June 13, 2025. No programming during Winter Recess (December 23–January 2), February Recess (February 17–21), April Recess (April 18–25) and Summer Recess.
Available Mondays–Fridays 9 am–4 pm ET.
Pricing
$175 per individual classroom (up to 30 students)
Available Discounts
- $150 per classroom when scheduling the same program topic for three or more classrooms
- Free for Title 1 Schools and 50% discount for all other schools when paired with an MFA Field Trip. Field trip order number required to receive discount.
- Free for Boston Public Schools
- Free to schools in Maine through the Lunder Maine Student Membership generously funded by The Lunder Foundation
- Free to schools and those who are home schooled in New Hampshire through the McLane Family New Hampshire Student Membership Program
How to Book
To request an Individual Classroom Videoconference Program, submit a request form at least 3 weeks prior to your preferred program date. Your program will be confirmed within 3–5 business days. Questions? Contact distancelearning@mfa.org.
Free Livestreamed Programs
Students connect with an MFA educator for 30-minute live interactive programs.
Art of Renaissance Italy
11:10 am–11:40 am
Recommended for Grades 6–12
OnlineArt of Ancient Egypt
12:10 pm–12:40 pm
Recommended for Grades 6–12
OnlineArt of Ancient Nubia
1:10 pm–1:40 pm
Recommended for Grades 6–12
OnlineAmerican Revolution: People and Place in the Art of Colonial Boston
11:10 am–11:40 am
Recommended for Grades 3–8
OnlineBlack America Made Visible: Art of John Wilson
1:10 pm–1:40 pm
Recommended for Grades 6–12 and College/University students
OnlineBlack America Made Visible: Art of John Wilson
4:00 pm–4:30 pm
Recommended for Grades 6–12 and College/University students
OnlineArt of Ancient Greece and Rome: Gods and Goddesses
1:10 pm–1:40 pm
Recommended for Grades 5–12
OnlineArt of the Ancient Maya
12:10 pm–12:40 pm
Recommended for Grades 4–9
OnlineBlack America Made Visible: Art of John Wilson
11:10 am–11:40 am
Recommended for Grades 6–12 and College/University students
OnlineExploring Impressionism: The Art of Claude Monet
12:10 pm–12:40 pm
Recommended for Grades 1–5
Online