New Museum Los Gatos invites educators and students to explore the enduring history, vibrant culture, and contemporary experiences of our region's Indigenous people: The Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Through guided gallery discussions and hands-on activities, students gain a richer, place-based understanding of the revitalization of the Muwekma Ohlone cultural traditions from past to present.
Available for a limited time from September through November 2026, NUMU is offering specialized, standards-aligned gallery tours of two complementary exhibitions:
Reawakening: Muwekma Ohlone Culture and Connection in Pursuit of Recognition
Reawakening: Reciprocity of Land, Sea, and the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe
What’s Included in Each 90-Minute Tour?
Guided Exhibition Tour: An engaging walkthrough designed by museum and education professionals, prompting close observation, critical thinking, and high-level questioning.
Exhibition Storytelling: Children’s book author and Muwekma tribal member, Bernadette Quiroz, reads her book “Kàanak Hašepekne Muwekma: I Made The People, By Me, Coyote,” featuring the Muwekma creation story and Chochenyo vocabulary. Only available on select days (9/25 and 10/9).
Hands-On Activity: Guided outdoor nature walk or indoor art-making activity, weather-dependent.
Educational toolkit: Digital resource focusing on exhibition themes and additional activity suggestions. Can be used for visit preparation or as a post-visit reflection.
Key Tour Themes
Traditional Environmental & Cultural Practices: Cultural burns, native plants, regalia, and the Chochenyo language
Sovereignty & Social Justice: The Muwekma Ohlone Tribe's ongoing journey toward federal recognition on the Trail of Truth.
Tour Details & Logistics
Booking: Book a 90–minute session, 9:30-11 AM or 12:30-2 PM
Availability: Fridays, September through November 2026
Please inquire about other time slots with education@numulosgatos.org
Cost:
$275 up to 30 participants
$350 up to 40 participants
$450 up to 50 participants
Recommended Grades: 3rd-5th Grade (can be adapted for grades 6-12, please inquire)
Standards Connections: Connects to 3rd-5th grade California History-Social Science Standards.
Tours must be booked at least two weeks in advance
Bookings are available first-come, first-served; Payment secures the preferred date and time. Payment is due in full via digital invoice prior to tour date.
Please let us know how many parent/teacher chaperones you are able to provide. We require a 1:8 chaperone-to-student ratio for our programs.
Teachers MUST be present during the full duration of the program and are responsible for assisting with student engagement.
Traveling by bus requires additional coordination for parking. Please let us know your travel details at booking.
We will do our best to accommodate your students. Please let us know any accessibility needs.
Once booked, no cancellations are allowed.
If you have any questions, email us education@numulosgatos.org.
Ready to bring your class to NUMU?
ABOUT THE EXHIBITIONS
FAQs
Can I book a school tour if I’m homeschooled?
Yes! Please reach out to education@numulosgatos.org with any special requests. We are happy to offer programs to all groups of youth outside of typical school groups.
What grades can I book a school tour for?
While the content of Reawakening aligns best with the 3rd-5th grade California History-Social Science Standards, tours are available for grades 6-12 as well and content will be adapted to be appropriate for the grade level.
Can I book a school tour for an exhibition other than Reawakening?
Please inquire about specific exhibitions with education@numulosgatos.org.
How many students can I book a tour for?
You can book a tour for up to 50 students at a time.
Can I book a tour at a time other than one showing up as available?
Please inquire about specific time slots with education@numulosgatos.org.
TESTIMONIALS
"We were so excited to have the NUMU come to us in our classroom! [They] facilitated a student-centered, inquiry-based presentation, along with an engaging hands-on activity. My fourth graders had opportunities to see artwork from a current exhibition and share their perspectives on artifacts from the past. I look forward to working with the NUMU again to provide meaningful experiences to enrich our students’ learning. Thank you NUMU!”
Fourth Grade Teacher
“This experience was great for my high school students. We were able to combine our unit of study (drawing ocean animals) to the exhibition that NUMU was presenting at the moment. The interaction with their program curator was meaningful and thoughtful. We will definitely come back to hear from other exhibits.”
High School Teacher
OUR TEAM
Constance Button is NUMU's Education Curator, presiding over the museum's repertoire of youth and exhibition programs. Over the last five years, Constance has worked with different organizations in the South Bay to develop and share arts and educational opportunities for both youth and adult audiences. Outside of her role as Education Curator, Constance is an artist, primarily working in photography and collage. Her work has been shown in a number of exhibitions around the Bay Area and beyond.
Sara Eberhart is NUMU’s Education Coordinator and a visual artist and art educator with over 20 years of experience facilitating art experiences for children and adults.
TEACHER RESOURCES
Dear teachers,
We welcome you to book a complementary teacher visit to NUMU to prepare for your Museum Explorer program!
Check out our Educational Toolkits that you can use in the classroom.
Peruse our blog for art activities you can use in the classroom.
Explore our Programs Archive for short videos of past programs that you can use in your classroom to accompany our Museum Explorer program.
See our current exhibitions listed below. Our Museum Explorer content relates to NUMU’s current exhibitions.
Have you booked a program with us before? Please take a few minutes to share feedback with us by clicking the button below. We appreciate your feedback as we continue to grow to meet the needs of teachers and students throughout Santa Clara County.
Inspired by NUMU’s exhibitions that explore land as a core concept, we invite you to reflect on your own relationship with the land.
In both its strength and fragility, land is a source of pleasure, beauty and bounty, inspiring artists from every era. We have built our lives on the land; it is our physical foundation, essential for the survival of all human life, wildlife, and Earth’s vegetation – it is literally the ground beneath our feet and the dust to which we return.
Visit NUMU’s lounge to participate in-person, or create at home!