Since 1993 the CR Smith Museum has offered a dynamic learning environment in which exhibitions and educational programs excite and engage visitors of all ages. Through hands-on, immersive experiences it helps to broaden the community’s understanding of commercial aviation, airline operations and the larger impact of flight and air transportation on our world. While the history and accomplishments
of American Airlines are the predominant ways in which these subjects are illustrated, the Museum also uses its collections, special exhibition, and educational programs to educate school children and teens, families, and life-long learners, about the science, technology and history of aviation in general and in the Dallas/Fort Worth region specifically. The Museum is committed to being a primary resource for education in North Texas and to this end paces science and social studies learning into an historical context by relating and illustrating the accomplishments of the airline industry in the region and human stories of creativity and technological advancement. Using exhibits to relay the current and historic accomplishments of the men and women involved in revolutionizing the aerospace industry with emphasis on the contributions of those associated with American Airlines, the Museum has created a platform illustrating the science that makes flight and space exploration possible; infuses science, technology, engineering and math (STEM subjects) education through entertainment throughout the galleries; and inspires the next generation of scientists, engineers, pilots, technical experts, and entrepreneurs. The Museum brings history to life and makes scientific concepts easily understood and is a wonderful example of why museums have become one of the most effective means of providing informal education, especially to pre-K through grade 12 students. It offers a powerful social environment for learning and support for schools and teachers as they strive to meet the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) curriculum. Through hands-on, activity-based exhibits and programs museums have been shown to spur creativity and innovation and improve empirical thinking, communication skills, and literacy. Museum experiences are enjoyable, lead to measurable increases in motivation among those who visit especially children, and introduce and encourage students’ interest in careers in the subjects of their collections – in this case, the air transportation industry.
