catalina island casino avalon theater dc

Keene said the program will likely start with just a few students. Through the partnership with Chapman, the museum could document and share the island’s history with a much broader audience, she said. But the island also has a rich history, Perlin Lee said, for instance, spies from the Office of Strategic Services, a precursor to CIA, trained in the area during the 1940s. “Our museum is making a shift for the first time to an institution that embraces scholarship.”Īnd because the museum remains comparatively small, Chapman officials expect students will be able to take on a bigger role in shaping exhibits than they would at bigger institutions, Keene said.Ĭatalina Island has been a popular field trip spot for students in marine biology or oceanography. “Because of the museum’s size in the past, we weren’t able to play a role in education, which is a major focus and function of most institutions,” she said.

“You learn valuable skills that are completely transferable to multiple careers, and one of the ways you learn this is through those kinds of partnerships with those museums.”Īfter the museum relocated from a small display in the Catalina Casino to its new $9.2 million home in 2016, its staff began looking for a university to partner with, Executive Director Julie Perlin Lee said.

“We want to always send a message that it’s not impractical to major in arts, humanities and social sciences,” Jennifer Keene, the college’s dean, said. The Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences is partnering with the Catalina Island Museum in Avalon to create a program for its students to take classes on the island starting next school year and get real-life experience documenting the area’s rich history for exhibits and research.

Chapman University students have a new study abroad option: Catalina Island.

Catalina island casino avalon theater dc