USC Pacific Asia museum is closed for a seismic retrofit between July 2016 and Fall 2017. We will start 2017-2018 school tour registration in September 2017.
Please check our Closure page for updates.
Specially trained docents guide the students in interactive explorations of the museum’s treasures that promote learning, understanding, creativity, and critical thinking. Art workshops are led by professional teaching artists and enhance the experience by providing students an opportunity to create art while learning more about Pacific Asia.
Field trips are comprised of a 1-hour guided tour and a 1-hour art workshop, unless otherwise requested. Groups of 29 students or fewer take the tour followed by the art workshop.
For Group of 30-60 students, we ask that you divide your group in half in advance. Half of your students will go on a tour, while the other half participates in the workshop. The two groups will then switch to give students both experiences.
California Standards Addressed
CA Visual and Performing Arts Standards
1.0 Artistic Perception
3.0 Historical and Cultural Context
4.0 Aesthetic Valuing
CA Department of Education Visual Arts Standards
2.0 Creative Expression: Creating, performing, and participating in the arts
History-Social Science Content Standards for California Public Schools
World History and Geography: Ancient Civilizations:
6.5 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious and social structures of the early
civilizations of India
6.6 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious and social structures of the early
civilizations of China
Common Core Standards Accessed
Our docent-led tours and hands-on art workshops are in alignment with common core principles.
Guidelines
General
- USC PAM provides FREE guided tours for grades 3-12 from schools of all types, Wednesday through Friday from 10:00 am until 12:00 pm.
- NO self-guided school tours or home school programs are offered at this time.
Group Size
- We can accommodate up to 60 students at one time.
- We require one adult chaperon for every 10 students. The adults must accompany the students throughout the visit and assist the teacher and/or museum docents in facilitating the tour. Additional adult chaperones are welcome and will be admitted at no cost.
- Only students enrolled in the program will be allowed on the tour. Please don’t bring siblings or additional family members.
Getting Ready
- Please allow sufficient travel time to USC PAM. Arrive 15 minutes in advance for a bathroom break. If you are traveling in private cars, please coordinate your arrival time with the drivers. We encourage carpooling because parking in the museum lot is limited. The museum is also a half-mile walk away from the Metro Gold Line, Memorial Park Station.
- Buses may unload students in the loading zone directly in front of the museum on Los Robles Avenue.
- All backpacks, paper, pens, pencils, food and water must be left on the bus or in cars.
Family Passes
- USC PAM provides family passes for each participating student in school groups except for after-school/youth/summer programs. Teachers can pick up the passes from Front Desk after the trip.
Changes, Cancellations and Feedback
- If you find that the number of students change by more than five, email tours@pam.usc.edu immediately.
- Cancellations must be emailed to tours@pam.usc.edu ONE WEEK prior to your visit.
Workshops
Art workshops are led by professional teaching artists and provide hands-on , interactive experience. They are FREE to all public school groups that visit during regular school hours within a school year (August to June). They are optional for groups of 29 students or fewer, but required for groups of 30-60 students. View workshop descriptions.
- Calligraphy Workshop
- Sumi-e Workshop
- Pagodas Workshop
- Animals of Asia Workshop
- Dragon Workshop
- Fan Workshop
- Folktale Workshop
- Haiku Workshop
A fee will apply for independent schools and after-school/youth/summer programs:
- $150 for a 1-hour workshop
- $200 for two 1-hour workshops
Transportation
All schools are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the museum. The museum offers limited bus scholarships for Title 1 public schools, available by lottery system. We start taking requests on August 1 each year, and hold the lottery on the 15th of every month as bus funding lasts. All schools will be notified of the results within one week. Awarded schools are required to register with the USC vendor system and invoice the museum for bus cost reimbursement.
How to Schedule
USC Pacific Asia museum is closed for a seismic retrofit between July 2016 and May Fall 2017. We will start winter/spring 2017-2018 school tours registrations in September 2017. Please check this page for updates. For questions and special requests, please contact Valentina Quezada, Youth and Family Programs Specialist, via tours@pam.usc.edu