The Field Ambassador program is a professional community through which Chicago-area educators receive on-going professional development on the Museum’s resources—our exhibitions, collections, educational programs, Harris Learning Collection materials—and best practices in using museums to support cultural competency and student learning. In return, Field Ambassadors serve as liaisons between the Museum and their school community by sharing our resources with colleagues and keeping us abreast of the changing needs of the educator audience.
Field Ambassadors participate in 30 hours of training on content relevant to the Field Museum's areas of study as well as best practices in culturally relevant and responsive science and social science learning. After completing year one, Field Ambassadors become members of the Academy. Academy members are invited to continue participating in professional development days, join the Museum for special learning opportunities and events, and develop school-wide initiatives designed to integrate Museum resources on a larger scale. Through the Field Ambassador program, educators:
- Dedicate themselves to lifelong learning in a collaborative professional learning community
- Improve their ability to teach and learn science and social sciences through collections and exhibits
- Deepen their capacity to build lessons based on inquiry
- Develop authentic project-based learning tasks
- Grow as leaders in their school communities, the Field Ambassador community, and at the Museum
We invite educators to apply for the 2025-2026 cohort. It is recommended but not required that you apply as a school team or partnership to facilitate collaboration and potential school visits. Solo applicants are also welcome to apply; if necessary solo applicants will be partnered with one another.
2025–2026 Meetings
This program meets twice in the fall semester and three times in the spring semester. The dates for the 2025-2026 school year are as follows:
- October 18, 2025 (Kick Off Event)
- December 6, 2025 (Full Cohort)
- January 24, 2026 (New Cohort Only)
- February 28, 2026 (Full Cohort)
- April 18, 2026 End of Program Celebration Dinner
Questions? Email fieldambassadors@fieldmuseum.org
Due to a generous grant, this program is free for all educators accepted into the program