Nights at the Museum: A Unique Learning Experience for Local Teachers

The National Museum of the Marine Corps (NMMC) is offering a professional development opportunity for local teachers through its Nights at the Museum program. This innovative series, led by the Museum’s Teachers in Residence, Katie Malec of Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) and Christine Russ of Stafford County Public Schools (SCPS), aims to deepen educators’ understanding of the United States Marine Corps history and its role in shaping America.

Malec said these quarterly evening events “provide a rewarding experience that brings history to life.” Malec is in her second year as a Teacher in Residence after 17 years of teaching 7th-grade U.S. history. Russ has over 23 years of teaching preschool through sixth grade and this is her first year as Teacher in Residence. Malec said the two work as a team to “empower educators with tools and primary sources that make history relevant and engaging for their students.” The program’s goal is to “promote United States Marine Corps history and its contributions in creating, developing, and defending our country.”

The Nights at the Museum program supports the Museum’s mission: “Preserving the past, influencing the present, and inspiring the future.” Each session, free to educators, includes a private experience in the Museum after hours, complete with refreshments, presentations by NMMC staff and docents, and hands-on materials.  Many of the docents are veterans, who provide personal insights and stories to complement the historical exhibits. 

Teachers can earn five professional development points while gaining ideas to incorporate Marine Corps history into their Standards of Learning (SOL)-based lessons.

In the program, the Teachers in Residence partner with various Museum experts to enhance content knowledge and improve classroom practices for local K-12 public school teachers. Malec said, “We cover the SOL content taught in schools in a way that brings the content to life for teachers with primary sources. Which in turn, the teachers can bring back to their classrooms to share with their students.“ 

Participants also gain access to behind-the-scenes areas and exclusive insights into the exhibits, offering a depth of understanding beyond a regular museum visit. “We tailor each evening to cover specific historical events involving the Marine Corps, while also demonstrating how teachers can incorporate this knowledge into their classrooms,” said Russ.

The series currently welcomes about 30 educators per session from PWCS and SCPS but is open to teachers from surrounding school districts. In addition to the evening events, the program opens doors for educators to learn about trunk programs to be brought into classrooms and customized field trips for students.

The next Night at the Museum is December 5, followed by February 20 and April 3, 2025. Educators can contact the program directors online.