We know you have questions – we have answers. If the questions below do not address your specific questions, please email us and we will try and answer them.
Administrative
How should we handle payment?
As soon as your program is booked, we will send you an invoice with the price. For a field trip, the price is an estimate based on the number of students. We will make adjustments based on the final attendance.
We ask that you do not pay during the program – our staff are busy providing the experience for your students and might misplace a check. The invoice can be paid via credit card via the link provided or you can mail a check.
We understand that many schools must have the invoice paid by the district, which causes some delays. Please keep us informed about how we might receive the payment.
Are your employees background checked?
Our staff are badged through the Escambia County school district with a Level II background check. We can provide images of our badges.
Because we want to insure that our programs happen whether or not a specific staff member is suddenly unavailable, we can not guarantee who will be delivering the program. However, it will be one of the employees that is in the set of badge images we provide.
Are there discounts available?
We work hard to find grants that might allow us to provide programs at no cost to schools. However, these are very limited. We realize that schools have limited funds, but we only can offer discounts when we receive special grants.
We have documents we need you to fill out as part of our funding mechanism. Where should we send them?
Please email them to us at groups@pensacolamesshall.org. We have filled out many forms previously, so don’t be surprised if we send you the examples from previous programs. We do reserve the right to charge an additional administrative fee for excessive documentation.
Field Trips
What time are the field trips?
Because of the busing schedule, we find that field trips work best from 10-11:30 AM. We can be somewhat flexible if you need to arrive earlier and leave earlier. Unfortunately, we do need field trips to leave by 11:30 AM so we can get ready for opening for the general public. If this time window doesn’t work for you, we can discuss some alternatives.
What do the students do during the field trip?
Typical field trips begin with a welcome outdoors (weather permitting) where we assemble the groups to enter the building. Students will gather for a short presentation on a scientific topic to start them thinking about the activities. After the presentation, the students will rotate, with their groups through six stations. Occasionally, with particularly large groups, we will add a seventh station but then students have less time at each station. After they finish the stations, students will again assemble and the MESS Hall staff will prompt them on things they learned at the stations.
Will you divide students into groups?
We recommend that teachers divide students into groups before they arrive.
Do we need chaperones? What is the fee for the chaperones?
Your chaperones are essential for a great experience. While the MESS Hall staff can give some assistance with the stations, we do not have enough for each station. The chaperones rotate with the students and are expected to engage all students in the group in staying on task and thinking about the activities. There is no additional fee for these chaperones. We do not set a limit for the number of chaperones. However, we recommend no more than one chaperone per 3 students in grades K-2 and no more than one chaperone to 5 students in upper grades.
Where do students unload from the bus? Where does the bus park?
Students unload directly in front of the MESS Hall building on Wright St. We recommend having the bus park in that location, too. If you will be bringing 2 buses, please let us know so that we can put cones in an on-street parking place so both buses can fit.
Can the students eat lunch onsite after the trip?
We have 4 picnic tables that can each seat 8 students in the rear of the building. If you do plan to stay for lunch, please let us know so we can ensure that the tables are set up.
Can kindergartners visit the MESS Hall for a field trip?
We ask that you wait until the spring to have your kindergarten classes visit. We know you are busy in the fall getting them used to classroom rules!
Is there a gift shop?
Yes, the MESS Hall has a small gift shop with math and science related activities that students can buy. Please let us know when you arrive so we can allocate time for the students to shop. We ask that students be accompanied by teachers or chaperones when in the gift shop. And remind the students about taxes beforehand!
How should we handle payment?
As soon as your field trip is booked, we will send you an invoice with the price based on the estimated number of students. You can pay the day of the field trip onsite. Otherwise, we will collect the final number of students from the teachers and then update the invoice. We understand that many schools must have the invoice paid by the district, which causes some delays. Please keep us informed about how we might receive the payment.
Outreach Programs during the School Day
How long are the shows?
Schools can choose between Assembly Shows and our more involved “Show and Stations”. For the Assembly Shows, plan on having the students assembled in the cafeteria or other performance space for approximately one hour. That will cover the 45 minute show plus the time it takes to gather the students.
For the Show and Stations, the introductory show is about 20-30 minutes long.
How many students can attend the show?
The shows are limited by your available space. However, because these are interactive shows, an audience of about 100-150 students is ideal.
How do the stations work?
When the MESS Hall staff arrives, we will need access to an area that can handle tables for 6 hands-on stations, accommodating about 50 students. We prefer one large activity space but can also handle being in two classrooms (with the ability to rearrange tables) that are near each other.
All students who will participate in the stations will attend the intro show. Then the students will visit the stations in groups of fifty (or fewer) while the other students return to their classrooms to await their turn. The stations will take approximately 1 hour per group. We will provide you with a suggested itinerary. Before we arrive, we ask that the teachers all know which timeslot their students will attend. Typically, it is is two classrooms at a time. If you have an odd number of classrooms, we ask that the 3 smallest be grouped together.
Can you do a show on a theme that we are studying at that time?
While the MESS Hall has a number of different themes we can present, we always have a featured one each school year. If a school books more than one program, there is a possibility of a different theme. However, we typically can not accommodate different themes during the school year.
Do you have any classroom programs?
Yes. We do offer classroom programs for K-2nd. Please contact us for details and pricing. We also have a multi-visit program for grades 3-6. During the 2025-2026 school year we have grant funding for this program.
Family Science Nights and Family Math Nights
Do you have a printable list of stations with descriptions that I can give to the volunteers ahead of the event?
Yes, we will send that once the program is booked. Of course, we can also share during the planning phase.
Do you have any marketing materials that we can use for social media or flyers?
Yes, we will share those with you once the program is booked. If you develop some materials, we’d love if you’d share what worked so we can let other schools know.
How many volunteers do we need?
Volunteers are critical for a successful night. There needs to be at least one volunteer at each station, though some do better with 2 which is why we recommend 12. Additionally, some folks might only want to volunteer for a limited amount of time, so it is helpful to have extra helpers scheduled for a second shift.
Can volunteers be students in middle or high school or from clubs like Scouts?
The best volunteers are teachers, of course. Some schools have luck with high school ROTC students. Middle school students rarely have the maturity to facilitate stations. If you are having trouble recruiting volunteers, check with your Partners in Education or local Rotary or similar service groups. They often are excited to participate. We also have organizations that contact us about volunteering that we might be able to recruit. However, they typically do not travel far.
How should the space be set up?
Our staff will arrive about 1.5 hours before the event to set up. We ask that the space be empty (no afterschool programs) with at least 10 tables. We will confirm the number of tables before the program. We also will need access to an electrical outlet.
Do you need help setting up and breaking down?
We are prepared to set up on our own, but we appreciate any help! We also realize that your staff will be eager to go home after the event, so we provide volunteers with information about packing up their stations. Help getting the boxes to the van is great, too. Many hands make light work.
