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For Cultural Institutions

Join the Local Learning Network

Cultural institutions play a vital role in how communities learn, remember, and imagine. The LLN helps museums, historic sites, libraries, and other cultural organizations reach new audiences, including families, homeschoolers, microschools, and educators seeking meaningful, place-based experiences. LLN isn’t another advertising platform. It’s a curated educational network designed to make local learning visible, accessible, and valued. Participating institutions will appear in a searchable directory that connects learning goals with cultural opportunities, whether that means a day-long field trip, a single exhibit, a reflective stop on a cross-country journey, access to your classroom for sustained partnerships, or curriculum resources that can be used from home.

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Why Join?

Expand your audience
Reach families and educators who actively seek high-quality, experiential learning. LLN gives you visibility with a growing network of nontraditional learners whose schedules and flexibility make them ideal cultural visitors. And these groups tend to seek access during hours when museums are less busy.

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Diversify your funding story
Participation strengthens your case for grants and partnerships that prioritize community engagement, learning access, and educational innovation. A clear link to formal and informal learning outcomes demonstrates measurable public impact. Imagine the types of philanthropic opportunities you could explore in partnership with reliable and dedicated groups of learners and educators.

 

Build sustainable partnerships.
LLN facilitates collaboration between cultural institutions, tourism partners, and educational innovators—opening doors to joint programming, co-branded learning content, and shared audiences.

 

Generate new revenue streams.
New membership types, sponsored activities, educator professional development programs, and program collaborations are just a few ideas of what how you can create earned-income opportunities while maintaining mission alignment.

 

Be part of a national movement.
As learning continues to move beyond classrooms, LLN positions cultural institutions as leaders in the future of education, helping communities rediscover that learning happens everywhere. Homeschool and microschool populations are the fastest growing demographics in K-12 education - don't miss the opportunity to connect with groups who are hungry for the types of content you provide.

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What Appears in the Directory

 

Each state will have its own page with a list of participating institution, and information on each that includes:

  • A concise overview of the organization and its educational mission.

  • Key programs, exhibits, and learning experiences available to families or schools (including hyperlinks). This may include (but not limited to):

    • If an institution offers dedicated experiences for homeschool / microschool populations​

    • Availability of virtual field trips or live-streamed events

    • Field-based learning opportunities

    • Access to classroom space

    • Community Service or Project-Based Learning Connections

    • Professional Development for homeschool / microschool educators

    • Out-of-museum cultural kits (like "Museum in a Box") that can be reserved

    • Curriculum materials and resource libraries available online

    • Special family-oriented programs

    • Memberships for families or schools

    • Sponsors who are relevant for these populations

  • Accessibility and inclusion notes, ensuring all learners can engage fully.

  • A “Learning Reflection” prompt (which may be developed in partnership with HB3) to encourage reflection and connection during or after a visit.

 

Listings will be designed to be educator-friendly and family-accessible: informative without jargon, engaging without being promotional. The format is flexible, so additional information can be added, if appropriate.

Timeline and Launch Plan

First, the good news: 50 cultural institutions have the opportunity to join the LLN for ONE YEAR at NO CHARGE!

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I believe in the future of this project, and I am certain that cultural institutions and nontraditional schools are a natural partnership. So in its first year, LLN will launch with an initial focus on six states where community-based learning and microschools are already thriving::

- Arizona

- Florida

- Nevada

- Tennessee

- Texas

- Utah

These states were chosen for their active networks of innovative educators and their strong ecosystems of cultural institutions, museums, and community organizations. The goal for the first phase is to feature at least 50 cultural institutions in the public directory, each offering families new ways to connect learning to the world around them.

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Step 1: Intake Form Opens

I’ll begin accepting submissions from interested cultural institutions through the Intake Form, which collects key information including:

  • A short institutional profile, mission, and contact information

  • Educational themes and learning connections (STEM, history, art, etc.)

  • Accessibility or community outreach highlights

  • Whether the institution offers family memberships, school programs, digital learning options, etc.

Each submission will be personally reviewed and curated to ensure the directory remains high-quality, diverse, and genuinely useful to families and schools.

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Step 2: Early Access Launch

The first 50 institutions selected will receive free directory listings for the full launch year, gaining early visibility to family travelers, microschools, and educators seeking field-based learning opportunities.

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Step 3: Full National Rollout

Following the initial launch, the network will expand to all states in phases throughout 2026, for a minimal charge (right now, I anticipate no more than $200 to be listed, but this may change). Cultural institutions will be invited to apply for inclusion, with optional premium listings and featured partnerships available. Those who are part of Phase 1 will have the first opportunity to continue their involvement.

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LLN is about making connections between families, schools, and the cultural spaces that bring learning to life. This first phase isn’t just a pilot; it’s a foundation for a more connected national learning ecosystem.

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