Professional Development
Updated February 1, 2023
AAM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CALENDAR
Hosted by the American Alliance of Museums and other museum service organizations, this calendar lists opportunities for museum professionals.
OPEN CALL FOR CAC GRANT REVIEW PANELISTS – ROLLING DEADLINE
The California Arts Council seeks arts and cultural practitioners from disparate communities statewide to volunteer for our upcoming grant review panels. Panelists play a critical role in the grant application process as field representatives. They work both independently and virtually alongside staff Programs Specialists and other panelists to evaluate grant applications, ensuring an equitable, honest, and thorough review and ranking process. Invited panelists receive a $100 per day honorarium to subsidize them for their 3-day panel participation.
ONLINE COURSE: LEADERSHIP AND ADMINISTRATION FOR HISTORY ORGANIZATIONS – STARTS MARCH 20
During the eight weeks of this course, modules addressing governance and administrative structures, nonprofit status and the public trust, mission and vision, the relationship between board and staff, including their roles and responsibilities; strategic planning, human resource development and management, and leadership will be covered.
*NEW* REGISTER FOR AAM’S 2023 CONFERENCE IN DENVER – MAY 19-22
With over one hundred sessions, dozens of networking events from workshops to parties, and more, #AAM2023 will give attendees many insights and connections. This year’s Annual Meeting and Museum Expo takes place in Denver, CO from May 19–22.
RESOURCE: THE INCLUSIVE HISTORIAN'S HANDBOOK
This reference source supports inclusive and equity-focused historical work in public settings by sharing a knowledge base that invites more people to engage in history projects. This handbook provides concrete examples of how to make history work more relevant. It centers on equity, inclusivity, diversity, and public service while offering accessible windows into the many ways public historians work.
FREE DOWNLOAD: TRANSGENDER INCLUSION TOOLKIT FROM AAM LGBTQ ALLIANCE TASK FORCE
The AAM LGBTQ Alliance’s Task Force for Transgender Inclusion recently released the Gender Transition and Transgender Inclusion in the Museum Workplace: A Toolkit for Trans Individuals, Institutions, and Coworkers. This expansive set of guides approaches trans inclusion from various perspectives in an approachable and easy-to-understand format.
BECOME A PEER REVIEWER FOR THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS
Peer reviewers are museum professionals who volunteer their time to support AAM's Accreditation and Museum Assessment Programs (MAP). They review museum self-assessment materials, conduct site visits and facilitate the institutional planning process. Their service is the critical backbone to the success of both programs. Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis.
POLARIS MUSEUM MENTOR NETWORK
Serve as an online mentor or to reach out for support as a mentee during this time of physical distancing by joining POLARIS: The Museum Mentor Network (free to all museum professionals).
DOWNLOAD THE AAM RACIAL EQUITY AND INCLUSION PLAN PRIMER
Advancing racial and ethnic diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion on boards can be a daunting task for any institution. No matter where you are in the process of creating a racial equity and inclusion plan for your museum, learn more from this new resource, including questions to help guide you and links to additional resources.
CULTURE TRACK INTERACTIVE TOOL NOW LIVE
This interactive dashboard provides compiles data from over 120,000 respondents who completed the Culture & Community in a Time of Crisis survey this spring. The comparisons included in the tool currently highlight members or subscribers to any arts or culture organization. In the coming weeks, it will be further enhanced to include splits by genre of cultural attendance as well as race and ethnicity to further aid cultural organizations in planning and implementation towards increased relevance, equity and sustainability.
CHILDREN'S MUSEUM SURVEY – VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
Rockman et Al (REA) in collaboration with the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) recently shared the results of the report, What Do Parents Want Now? Children’s Virtual Programming During the Pandemic. The survey summarizes responses from nearly 1300 members and visitors from thirteen children’s museums across the country— including California-based museums: the Bay Area Discovery Museum (Sausalito), the Children's Creativity Museum (San Francisco), the Sacramento Children's Museum (Rancho Cordova), the Children's Museum of Sonoma County (Santa Rosa), Habitot (Berkeley), and KidZone (Truckee).
2021 MEMBERSHIP INSIGHTS
Cuseum released their first 2021 report: 100+ Membership Leaders Share Their Priorities For Digital Transformation in Museum Membership. With never-before-seen data and insights, this report breaks down five modes of virtual membership and why membership leaders at premier cultural institutions have made them a priority for 2021.
MUSEUMS FOR DIGITAL LEARNING
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is pleased to announce the launch of a new online resource center featuring dynamic digital museum content for K-12 educators searchable by subject and grade. Teachers across the country can now find resources that feature engaging activities from a growing number of museums all aligned with national education standards.
RECORDED WEBINAR: JUNETEENTH & CELEBRATING FREEDOM AT HISTORIC SITES
Continue learning about the history and significance of Juneteenth in this recorded webinar presented by The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH). Amber Mitchell, Director of Education at the Whitney Plantation, will discuss how your organization can join in the celebration in ways that are appropriate and respectful to the history of African Americans from slavery to modern interpretations, and elevating to the communities you are trying to reach all year-round.