One of Kansas City’s newest museums gives all attendees a chance to travel through exhibits of beloved children’s books and imagine themselves as a character in a story.
In early 2026, students from three Shawnee Mission School District schools stepped beyond the experience as readers to serve as exhibit designers. Nieman Elementary, Belinder Elementary, and Indian Hills Middle School were among 11 local schools participating in the “Beyond The Page Challenge” with The Rabbit Hole, Kansas City’s immersive “exploratorium” of children’s literature.
This Real World Learning opportunity gave students a chance to collaborate with museum professionals and potentially contribute to a new attraction in their city. The task: find a book, define the “spirit of the book,” and turn it into a scaled physical experience. While the premise sounds simple, the skills involved were complex.
“It really has that ‘real world’ aspect of, this is for a real place with real people who do these things as their job,” explained Shannon Ferreyra, an English Language Arts teacher at Indian Hills. “And [the students] get to interact with Rabbit Hole advisors all along the way. I think it really ties into all those Portrait of a Graduate skills that we’re trying to get to.”
Shawnee Mission’s Portrait of a Graduate serves as the vision for what it means for SMSD students to be truly ready after high school.
Here is a look at how, through this project, students strengthened these essential skills:
- Skilled Communicators- Students shared their opinions and ideas with their peers and prepared to explain their designs to a panel of judges
- Effective Collaborators- Students worked together, solved problems, and overcame challenges to finalize their project
- Innovative and Critical Thinkers- Students thought through their design ideas and came up with imaginative ways to make them a reality
- Civic and Global Contributors- Students engaged in a project outside of their school building and considered numerous factors about how their design might be experienced by their community
- Resilient Learners- Students worked through the challenges of design and collaborative work, as described by fourth grader Emerson Wilkes.
“I learned that sometimes it can be hard to choose [between] what you want and what’s best for your team,” Emerson shared. “Sometimes it’s easy, but sometimes it’s hard, and you just have to push through it.”
While Nieman and Belinder fourth graders debated story “essence” and author backgrounds, Indian Hills eighth graders discussed architectural requirements. “The entrance to the Taco Cave needs to be 5-feet tall,” one student noted, “so teenagers and parents can get in.” The goal was to be named the “winner” by a panel of judges. Competition was steep, with multiple groups per school vying for the top elementary and middle school spots. Regardless of the outcome, these students proved that on a “real world” stage, they don’t just perform—they lead.
Click here to learn more about Portrait of a Graduate in the Shawnee Mission School District.
Shawnee Mission School District is the third largest school district in Kansas. The district serves students in Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade in 34 elementary schools, five middle schools, five high schools, and several educational centers. It has been consistently ranked among the finest school districts nationwide for its high student performance. The district’s objective is that each student will have a personalized learning plan that will prepare them for college and careers, with the interpersonal skills they need for life success. The district serves a diverse student population from 14 cities within northeast Johnson County, Kansas, which is 10 miles from downtown Kansas City, Missouri. For more information, visit www.smsd.org.
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