classes from the elementary and secondary schools of the 
region of which Pittsburgh is the center visit the museum. 
The Carnegie Museum was the first institution of its kind 
in America to establish “Prize Essay Contests.” The first of 
these was held in the year 1896. For a time the contest was 
discontinued but was revived in the year 1922, and is now 
held in conjunction with the Department of Fine Arts. The 
essays submitted in the last contest numbered over 2,000. 
Traveling collections of mounted specimens are lent to 
public and private schools. Advanced students reading for 
degrees in course or preparing theses for post-graduate degrees 
are granted the facilities of the museum and are permitted to 
carry on work in the laboratories. Students from institutions 
of higher learning from all over the continent and from for- 
eign lands have been welcome and have remained in resi- 
dence for shorter or longer periods. 
During the winter free lectures are given by noted scien- 
tists in the lecture hall of the museum on Thursday even- 
ings and Sunday afternoons. Illustrated talks are also given 
on Saturday afternoons exclusively for children.