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Leah Hanson is the Director of Family, Youth, and School Programs at the Dallas Museum of Art, and oversees all DMA programming that serves children 0-18 and their families, teachers, and caregivers.
Her favorite place to be is sitting cross-legged on the gallery floor surrounded by three and four year olds intent on looking at a painting!
She has taught in the museum field for 20+ years, in various positions at the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center, the National Building Museum, the Washington National Cathedral, and Heritage Museums & Gardens.
She holds a BA in English Teaching from Brigham Young University and a MAT in Museum Education from The George Washington University.
Leah Hanson is speaking at the Museums, Games & Play Summit 2024 :
What happens when joy, choice, and wonder are combined in the galleries? The answer is a favorite four-letter word—PLAY! Inspired by Harvard University’s Project Zero “Pedagogy of Play,” DMA educators share a teaching approach and evaluation tool they have been piloting with early learners. This approach emphasizes purposeful play as a way to engage with art. They explore what play in an art museum looks and feels like, and how playful learning can foster a sense of belonging within the museum.