Since 2001, Dia has worked closely with the Beacon City School District to develop an in-depth and extensive Arts Education Program (AEP) for the students of the Beacon City schools.

Elementary Program

The education program outlined for elementary schools targets second grade students from elementary schools of Beacon (J.V. Forrestal, Glenham, Sargent, and South Avenue), for the duration of six weeks. A visiting artist partners with second grade classroom and art teachers to teach a series of lesson plans based on Dia’s collection. The students visit the museum twice as a part of this program.

In order to provide a basic framework for teachers and students to use when exploring Dia’s collection, it is suggested that all lesson plans focus on a simple and fundamental question: "Is this artwork a ‘mirror’ or a ‘window’?" In using this model teachers are able to easily incorporate Dia’s collection with their standard lesson plans so that they can begin exploring this theme as an endless resource of artistic creation and daily activity.

The students in the elementary school program engage in discussions about the artworks and question whether the works of art open 'windows' into a world beyond or whether they act as 'mirrors,' reflecting the people or objects around them. Artists working in these fields serve as facilitators and assist the teachers in developing original lesson plans about the artworks and artistic themes.