Education

Education is Our Highest Priority

Education is the highest priority for the museum, whether it’s teaching school children or the general public. We strive to teach about:

 

• Thomas Edison’s life, emphasizing his years at Menlo Park
• Edison’s tremendous accomplishments, especially during the Menlo Park years
• The importance of Menlo Park as the world’s first organized research and development laboratory
• How Edison’s inventions changed our world, affecting so many aspects of modern technology
• The twentieth century efforts to honor and commemorate Edison’s accomplishments at Menlo Park

The Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park works closely with schools, scout troops, and other youth organizations to develop educational programming.

• Visits to the museum can be a means to fulfill the NJCCCS requirements for Social Studies and/or science.
• Coordination with high schools and universities on special projects upon request
• Providing teachers and troop leaders / counselors with recommendations for related reading material.
• Educational materials about Edison and Menlo Park can be found on the webpages of:
  • Thomas Edison National Historical Park
    • http://www.nps.gov/edis/forkids/index.htm
    • http://www.nps.gov/edis/forteachers/onlinegames.htm
    • http://www.nps.gov/edis/forteachers/curriculummaterials.htm
  • Thomas A. Edison Papers
    • http://edison.rutgers.edu/yearofinno.htm
    • http://edison.rutgers.edu/biogrphy.htm
    • http://edison.rutgers.edu/inventions.htm
    • http://edison.rutgers.edu/curriculum.htm
    • http://edison.rutgers.edu/learning-resources.htm
  • Smithsonian Institution
    • http://invention.si.edu/thomas-edisons-inventive-life
      
    • http://invention.si.edu/tags/electric-light-and-power
    • http://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/lighting-a-revolution
    • http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/thomas-edisons-house-wizardry-180952108