Dan Lyons is a gifted teacher and the metaphor museum director at Maplewood-Richmond Heights Elementary School. Last year, he played a lead role in the school receiving the Innovative Technology Education Fund’s (ITEF) 2024 Innovator Grant for their school’s metaphor museum.

A metaphor museum is a place where students create and curate exhibits based on what they are learning in class. At Maplewood-Richmond Heights Elementary School, the idea came about several years ago as the school started to look for ways to excite students about education and help them become decision-makers in their own learning process.

A metaphor museum is also an opportunity for teachers to work on multidisciplinary projects and engage students in their learning. “As a classroom teacher, I was able to reach students that I otherwise wouldn’t have connected with,” Mr. Lyons explained.

When schools returned to in-person classes after the pandemic, Mr. Lyons knew that education had experienced a paradigm shift. He spoke with other educators about how they could increase student engagement and implement new teaching methods. The Metaphor Museum, which had lost some momentum during the pandemic, was revisited and the process of writing the grant began.

Mr. Lyons worked alongside students and other educators to write the grant. When speaking about the project, he emphasized the importance of collaborating during the grant-writing process: “Collaborate with as many members of your community as you can because your idea becomes stronger and clearer as other people share their thoughts and get excited about it.”

The grant includes funding for new technology, such as a 3D printer and a mobile green screen, professional development to educate teachers on how to use the new resources, and revamping the library. Students were involved in every part of the process, from selecting new library furniture to leading tours of the Metaphor Museum for parents and other students. Apollo, a 5th grade student, had a great time on the furniture warehouse field trip: “We were allowed to share our thoughts and, as a group, decided what we liked and what we didn’t like. We got to look at and explore the furniture. We didn’t base our decision on just looks – we got to try it out.”

Last year, the Metaphor Museum opened its “Tails from the Trail” exhibition. Students in Mrs. Jeanette Kaye’s 5th grade history class applied what they learned about the Oregon Trail and creativity to bring this exhibition to life. Amongst the many exhibits, students created an interactive excavation activity, wrote journal entries of life on the trail that were displayed on screens, and used coding to create a moving prairie dog display.

Elliot, another 5th grade student, shared his experience: “The museum helps kids come together and work in a team. I find visual learning easy, and it helps me engage more with what we’re learning. It’s also a way to show others what we’re learning about. I liked showing my parents what I did, it was so fun. The museum also makes learning fun! Making animals move with the legos was my sister’s favorite part of the museum.”

Elliot also shared that the Metaphor Museum helps improve his learning process. “School is more fun and engaging. You learn more and it sticks with you longer. I’ve noticed kids get really engaged with what they’re doing and, at the same time, have fun and learn. We were coding cars and we were laughing, smiling, and having fun. But, at the same time, we’re learning how to code. It’s amazing what can happen if a school gets funds to take learning to the next step.”

When asked if they felt that the grant had impacted their school, both Apollo and Elliot said they saw a change in their school and the way students interacted with each other. “Since we got the grant, I felt an impact on our community,” Apollo said. “Our school has risen up, and our community is more welcoming than ever.”

Elliot agreed: “Grants help schools become what they want to be. Without it, you can still learn but students won’t be as engaged.”

As the school continues to incorporate the Metaphor Museum into student learning, Mr. Lyons is looking at what the future holds. He hopes to continue providing professional development so that teachers can learn to use and apply the Metaphor Museum tools and technology, as well as improve the museum based on previous exhibits.

We at ITEF are excited to see how Maplewood-Richmond Heights Elementary School continues to use the Innovator Grant to promote innovative learning in their classrooms and cannot wait to welcome a new cohort of recipients with our 2025 Innovator Grant.