The Everyone is Special (EIS) program is an extension of Amazement Square’s educational priorities to cultivate an engaged community of lifelong learners and ensure hands-on learning is accessible to all visitors. Through this program, Amazement Square is able to provide unique museum exploration experiences to children with diverse needs, their siblings, and caregivers. Additionally, this program provides STEAM-based and art experiential learning opportunities to adaptive learning classrooms and adult centers. 

 

LAUREL Amazing Explorers

Amazing Explorers is an innovative, school-wide program designed to engage and inspire students by offering interdisciplinary learning experiences tailored to each student’s unique strengths and needs. Through art, music, and STEAM learning experiences, Amazing Explorers promotes creativity, communication, and academic growth for students of all abilities. Each experiential program provides standards-based, hands-on, opportunities to students who would otherwise not have the opportunity to participate in elective classes. Amazing Explorers also provides field trip opportunities to students who would otherwise not have the resources or opportunity to visit Amazement Square.

School Programs

Amazement Square’s Everyone is Special initiative offers school programing created specifically for adaptive learning classrooms. Each multi-series program is tailored to the classroom’s needs and is facilitated at the host school. STEAM programming focuses on space, engineering, and coding, arts programming combines math components such as shapes and patterns with creativity, and literacy programming emphasizes setting and sequencing while introducing coding. Amazement Square has facilitated adaptive learning programs in Lynchburg City and Bedford County Public Schools classrooms and is eager to expand its reach. Additionally, Amazement Square offers customizable one-session programs created in collaboration with adaptive learning teachers. If you are interested in bringing Amazement Square programming to your school or classroom, please email our education team.

Children’s Holiday Festival

Everyone is Special Children’s Holiday Festival will be held Sunday, December 14th, 2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. and offers a sensory-friendly holiday festival experience. This year’s event features milk and cookies, the ever-popular sock skating rink, pictures with Santa, ornament making, and museum exploration. Registration is required and is limited to 200 attendees. Stay tuned for updates on when registration will open.

Enhancing the Museum Experience

In pursuit of enhancing the museum experience and building up our community, Amazement Square has created a Community Advisory Committee for the Everyone is Special program. With their insight and guidance, Amazement Square is able to receive valuable input on how to best provide resources for the Autism community of Virginia.

By collecting feedback from visitors, and with continued input from our Community Advisory Committee, Amazement Square is on a continual pursuit to enhance the museum experience for all. While working to provide multiple resources to our guests, we are also striving to continuously provide staff development for our team. Cultivating lifelong learners doesn't stop with our guests, and we encourage our staff to always follow our motto: Be kind, be safe, and be thinking!

1st Annual LOOP Run

Amazement Square’s debut LOOP Run, a run for individuals with disabilities, was a great success, and we are incredibly grateful for the support and dedication of our amazing volunteers!

Eta Sigma Gamma from Liberty University’s Public Health, University of Lynchburg’s College of Health Services School of Physical Therapy, University of Lynchburg’s Swim Team, the Arby’s Foundation, and Centra Autism Center

 

Everyone is Special is made possible in part by generous grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Centra Health, and the Al Stroobants Foundation.