Afterschool Adventures Brings Museum Magic to Your Neighborhood

By Olivia Barney 

Afterschool programs provide vital resources for families within the community, ensuring that students have access to safe, enriching environments while parents balance their work and family responsibilities. These programs teach essential life skills, allow students to explore their interests, and support social and emotional development. 

Providers of these afterschool programs face significant resource-based challenges, like balancing quality with affordability. It costs time and money to hire and train staff, maintain facilities, and provide lesson or activity materials. In short, these programs require sustained efforts to run. 

The Natural History Museum of Utah seeks to enhance these important programs, and support program providers, by sharing our rich collections and educational activities. This desire, along with the generous support of Founding Partner Sweet Candy Company, led to the development of a new NHMU community resource, Afterschool Adventures. 

A student holds a skull, assisted by Afterschool Adventures educator. Photo by Jack Rodgers/NHMU

Afterschool Adventures is not a traditional afterschool program, rather, it’s a resource that supports afterschool programs within the community. It provides staff and students with four engaging touchpoints: 

1. Site Visit: A Museum educator visits the afterschool program site and brings Museum-quality objects to engage the students in hands-on, exploratory learning. 
2. Extension Activity: After the site visit, the Museum educator leaves additional materials with the program staff, allowing them to continue exploring at their own pace. 
3. Field Trip to NHMU: The afterschool program students and providers are invited to NHMU for a Self-Guided Field Trip, allowing students to explore what interests them most. When transportation assistance is required, Afterschool Adventures covers their travel costs. This is possible because of the generosity of Sweet Candy Company. 
4. Bounce Backs: Finally, each student is provided with a pass that can be redeemed for up to six free tickets, allowing them to return to NHMU with other members of the community, including family or friends. 

"Sweet Candy has been part of Salt Lake City for over 125 years, and giving back to the community is at the heart of everything we do," said Rachel Sweet, Sweet Candy Company's Vice President of Corporate Affairs. "Partnering with the Natural History Museum of Utah to bring science and natural history to kids in afterschool programs was an easy decision. We love that these kids are getting multiple touchpoints with this material, and that we’re helping create moments where families can explore science together."

Serving West Side Providers

Currently, NHMU’s Afterschool Adventures is focused on serving providers within the West Side, an area which encompasses the following localities.

Zip Codes included within these localities: 84044, 84104, 84106, 84115, 84116, 84118, 84119, 84120, 84122, 84123, 84128, 84129, 84165 

The Program in Action

In the spring of 2025, NHMU tested the program and saw tremendous success. Across ten sites, Afterschool Adventures provided 1,310 student experiences — a number which doesn’t include individual “bounce back” ticket redemptions. This year, they’re expanding their efforts. 

Afterschool Adventures students inspect fossils. Photo by Jack Rodgers/NHMU

As of the time of this article’s publication, Afterschool Adventures has provided 2,207 student experiences across 26 sites in the 2025-2026 school year. They’ve seen a huge uptick in “bounce back” ticket redemptions and have begun receiving requests to expand beyond the West Side. Though NHMU’s program needs to grow a bit more before considering a geographic expansion, these requests are a testament to how impactful the program has been (and how quickly word is spreading)!

“It’s incredibly rewarding to hear from afterschool staff how excited their students are for these visits and to see that excitement in person,” said Katie Worthen, NHMU’s community programs manager. “When students return with their families, it shows we’re building lasting relationships with communities, extending curiosity and connection beyond the school day.” 

Looking to the Future 

Though this program is still in its infancy, its stakeholders are already looking to the future. NHMU’s Afterschool Engagement Coordinator, Paul Whisman, is enthusiastic about the idea of expanding the Afterschool Adventures program. His hope is to hire additional team members, allowing them to expand their efforts — perhaps even beyond the West Side. 

Afterschool Adventures student holds a jaw bone. Photo by Jack Rodgers/NHMU

The program’s Founding Partner, Sweet Candy Company, is also feeling optimistic. 

"The future of this program is bright, and we're just getting started," said Sweet. "Afterschool Adventures is a cornerstone of our One Percent for the Valley initiative, and we're committed to growing this partnership so every child in our community has access to experiences like this." 

If the current success of Afterschool Adventures is any indication, the future promises even more support for these vital community resources. You can learn more about this new program by visiting the Afterschool Adventures program page. Interested afterschool providers can request additional information by contacting Paul Whisman.