The Natural History Museum of Utah Launches New Afterschool Adventures Program

NHMU is bringing museum learning to students with Afterschool Adventures program 

SALT LAKE CITY, May 13, 2026 — The newest educational resource from the Natural History Museum of Utah has already hit a significant milestone. Afterschool Adventures, which was first developed and launched with a pilot in spring 2025, has already delivered more than 3,500 fun lessons in natural history to Utah students at afterschool providers around the Salt Lake Valley.  

Developed by NHMU educators drawing on the museum’s vast collections of fossils and other objects, the Afterschool Adventures program provides a new avenue for the museum to extend science learning to children outside of the classroom.  

The time between school and dinner can be challenging for students — that’s where afterschool programs can help. They’re an opportunity for students to pursue individual interests, build life skills, and forge friendships. Knowing this, Paul Whisman, NHMU’s Afterschool Adventures program coordinator, travels the Salt Lake Valley to visit afterschool providers and engage students with hands-on learning featuring incredible museum objects that present new and fun educational opportunities for kids, while inspiring them to explore the natural world.  

Whisman visits each participating afterschool program in person to guide an informal hands-on science lesson, then leaves the educators with an additional lesson and supplies for future exploration. Programs are also invited to bring their young learners to the museum on a free field trip to see up-close what they’ve explored after school. Each student takes home a pass to bring up to six people on a visit to NHMU, encouraging continued museum learning with their family and extending the program’s impact beyond the afterschool setting

“I see this program as a pathway for kids to step out of their comfort zone and get active learning in their communities,” Whisman said. “These dynamic and interactive experiences ignite curiosity in students, foster their creativity and encourage a lifelong passion for learning,” he added.  

NHMU envisioned the Afterschool Adventures program alongside the team at Sweet Candy Company. The company has supported educational initiatives for decades across the Salt Lake Valley and has a shared goal with the museum of making enriching programs and services available to a wide variety of communities.  

“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, vice president of corporate affairs at Sweet Candy Company. “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.”

The Afterschool Adventures program, made possible with the generous Founding Partner support of Sweet Candy Company, helps engage new audiences, fill a gap in the museum’s educational service, and meets a need in the community.

"The future of this program is bright, and we're just getting started. 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," Sweet said.

Afterschool Adventures is another high-value educator resource provided at no cost by NHMU. The museum also hosts field trip visits for more than 40,000 students each year, offers in-classroom resources like Teaching Toolboxes and Museum on the Move facilitated learning, plus online resources like the award-winning Research Quest. All bring valuable, expert-led learning in natural history to classrooms throughout Utah.

“So much learning and personal development happens outside of the structured school day, and in this first year of programming we’ve seen that Afterschool Adventures nurtures an interest in science and the natural history outside of classwork,” said Jason Cryan, Ph.D., the Sarah B. George Executive Director of NHMU. “We’re so pleased to bring it to our growing suite of science-based educator resources that aid teachers all across Utah and the country.”

Like other NHMU educator resources, Afterschool Adventures supports early student success and aims to foster curiosity and wonder in the natural world. Teachers and afterschool program facilitators can learn more about Afterschool Adventures at nhmu.utah.edu/afterschool.

About the Natural History Museum of Utah

The Natural History Museum of Utah is one of the leading scientific research and cultural institutions in the country. NHMU is Utah’s official state museum of natural history located at the University of Utah, and serves residents statewide through education programs, exhibitions, scientific research, and more. Established in 1963, the museum’s 10 permanent exhibitions are anchored by its state-of-the-art collections and research facilities containing more than 2 million objects. These collections are used in studies on geological, biological, and cultural diversity, and the history of living systems and human cultures within the Utah region. The museum hosts approximately 300,000 general visitors a year and provides one of the most spectacular private event settings in the Salt Lake City area. NHMU also broadens the reach of its mission through a variety of science-based outreach programs to communities and schools throughout Utah, reaching every school district in the state every other year.

About Sweet Candy Company

As one of the country’s oldest and most establish confectioners, Sweet Candy Company has been making candy since 1892. Based here in the Salt Lake Valley, Sweet is a fifth generation, family-owned and operated business. The third, fourth, and fifth generations of the family are actively involved in the daily operations of the business. Sweet distributes more than 250 quality candy items nationally and internationally — in bulk, bags, and boxes. Sweet is still known for its quality candy and world-class customer service.