September 2006 21st Century Museum Professionals Grant Announcement

California  |  District of Columbia  |  Michigan  |  New York  |  Virginia 

California

California Exhibition Resources Alliance - Oakland, CA
Award Amount: $90,620
Match Amount: $98,186

Contact: Ms. Lisa Eriksen
Executive Director
(510)336-7062; ceraexhibits@earthlink.net

Project Title: "Sing Me Your Story Community Connections Project"
The California Exhibition Resources Alliance (CERA) will provide a professional training program that supports the development of ongoing partnerships between small museums and the communities they serve. Staff members of small museums will be engaged in community involvement training based on the installation of a special exhibition, “Sing Me Your Story, Dance Me Home: Art & Poetry from Native California.” Participants will learn how to engage community leaders in planning for exhibits and related programming, with a specific emphasis on nurturing meaningful relationships with local Native communities. Funding will support the presentation of community involvement workshops and follow-up consultations. Outcomes-based evaluation tools will assess the impact of the training programs on the host museum staff, as well as the short- and long-term impact on community connections. CERA will produce a “how-to” guide on its Web site to disseminate the project techniques to a wider audience.

District of Columbia

Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Art Works
Award Amount: $204,258
Match Amount: $241,058

Contact: Dr. Eric Pourchot
Professional Development Director
(202)452-4545x12; epourchot@aic-faic.org

Project Title: "Training for Museum Emergency Responders "
The Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works (FAIC) will create a team of “rapid responders” that can be mobilized to provide emergency assistance to museums in the wake of hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural and man-made disasters. The project will potentially benefit hundreds of museums and save countless irreplaceable objects from needless damage and loss. FAIC will select 60 museum professionals to participate in high level training that will include emergency response procedures, damage assessment methods, salvage techniques, and the organization and management of a recovery operation. A nationwide taskforce of specialists will be available to work together on short notice to respond to emergency situations. Funded activities include the creation of the training course, preparation of print materials for training, presentation of workshops, and creation of a kit of basic response supplies.

National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers - Washington, DC
Award Amount: $401,365
Match Amount: $427,600

Contact: Ms. Bambi Kraus
Executive Director
(202)454-5664; bambi@nathpo.org

Project Title: "National Native Museum Training Program"
The National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (NATHPO) will create and present the National Native Museum Training Program to benefit tribal museums. Tribally operated museums are primarily developed with the mission to preserve, perpetuate, and revitalize the cultural and historic heritage of native peoples. Most of these organizations are staffed by local tribal members who have not had the opportunity to participate in formal training in museum operations. Funding will support workshops in the areas of interpretation, education, collections care, and conservation. NATHPO will also coordinate a convening of tribal museum directors to share insights on community engagement and funding sustainability. Funding will also support 20 paid internships for existing and future tribal museum personnel who will enhance their skills through hands-on experiences in established museums throughout the nation.

Michigan

Michigan Museums Association - Lansing, MI
Award Amount: $51,225
Match Amount: $64,123

Contact: Ms. Teresa Goforth
Director
(517)482-4055; gofortht@michiganmuseums.org

Project Title: "MasterMinds Capacity-Building Workshops for Museums and Arts Organizations"
The Michigan Museums Association (MMA), in partnership with the Michigan Association of Community Arts Agencies (MACAA), will plan and present 12 capacity building workshops throughout the state that will strengthen the operations of museums and arts and cultural organizations. National and statewide impact studies have demonstrated that museums and arts organizations contribute to economic development by attracting tourists and helping businesses recruit new employees. This project will bring museums and other cultural organizations together to build stronger partnerships and improve their individual operations. Funding will support professional training workshops and counseling support in financial management, community visibility and marketing, strategic planning, governance, and community cultural planning. Through these training programs, staff members of regional and local organizations will learn skills to strengthen their organizations and increase their abilities to contribute to the improvement of the economies and quality of life in their communities.

New York

Historic Cherry Hill - Albany, NY
Award Amount: $17,593
Match Amount: $18,974

Contact: Ms. Erin Crissman
Curator
(518)434-4791; erin@historiccherryhill.org

Project Title: "Infestation Prevention, Identification & Abatement Training"
Historic Cherry Hill (HCH), in partnership with the Upstate History Alliance (UHA), will share knowledge and expertise with small history museums and historic sites in the region to help them protect and preserve their collections. HCH will present a series of six workshops on techniques and procedures that can be used to protect valuable and fragile collection objects from damage caused by insect pests and other vermin. Special emphasis will be placed on procedures that are feasible for small institutions. UHA will assist with promoting the workshops and identifying both paid and volunteer staff at regional institutions to participate in the program. The project will also include the creation of a comprehensive teaching aid on CD that will be widely accessible to the staffs of small institutions that are caring for the rich heritage of the region with limited resources.

Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx Zoo - Bronx, NY
Award Amount: $340,620
Match Amount: $340,620

Contact: Mr. Don Lisowy
Curator
(718)220-5131; dlisowy@wcs.org

Project Title: "SPARKS ACROSS AMERICA"
The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo will partner with Miami’s Metrozoo, Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo, and Tucson’s Reid Park Zoo to disseminate a successful educational program to other institutions throughout the nation. SPARKS—Supporting Parents in Advocacy, Reform and Knowledge in Science—has proven to be highly effective in helping museums redefine their relationships with parents and assume a more central role in meeting the educational needs of working families. Funding will support the establishment of SPARKS at 28 other zoos, museums, and science centers, where parents can engage their children in hands-on science learning. The project will provide museum professionals with the skills to train parents in effective teaching strategies. Funding will also support Family Science Fairs at host institutions to enable parents to share the experience of shared learning with the broader community. The project will also include a technical assistance program and a hotline that will foster a long-term peer support network for museum professionals.

Lower Hudson Conference of Historical Agencies - Elmsford, NY
Award Amount: $110,111
Match Amount: $113,086

Contact: Mrs. Tema Harnik
Executive Director
(914)693-6423; lowerhudson@msn.com

Project Title: "Practicum for Museum Professionals in 21st Century Historic House Museums "
The Lower Hudson Conference of Historical Agencies (LHC) will create and present a professional training program targeted to museum professionals from over 165 historic house museums in the Hudson Valley and the New York metropolitan region. National and regional studies have demonstrated an urgent need for staff training in conservation and preservation techniques at historic house museums, many of which are staffed solely by volunteers. LHC will present a three-year “Practicum for Museum Professionals in 21st Century House Museums.” Funding will support highly accessible, close-to-home workshops, lectures, and hands-on learning opportunities at various sites throughout the Hudson Valley. Both paid staff and volunteers will enhance their knowledge and skills in the management and care of historic house properties and surrounding landscapes and the preservation and interpretation of furnishings and other objects. The LHC Web site will be enhanced with new resources for historic house personnel.

New York Hall of Science - Queens, NY
Award Amount: $416,091
Match Amount: $538,868

Contact: Ms. Preeti Gupta
Vice President, Education
(718)699-0005x349; pgupta@nyscience.org

Project Title: "Science Career Ladder Dissemination"
The New York Hall of Science (NYHOS) will share its highly successful Science Career Ladder Program (SCL) with other museums in an effort to increase access to science and science education careers for underrepresented youth. With more than 20 years of experience, the SCL Program has proven itself successful in involving minority high school and college youths as “explainers” in the NYHOS exhibit halls, providing interpretation, demonstrations, and workshops for visitors. Over 60 percent of these students have continued to pursue science, education, or technology-related careers. The SCL has also served to significantly increase the number of ethnically and economically diverse visitors to NYHOS. Grant funding will allow NYHOS to provide museum professionals in 16 other museums with the knowledge and skills to implement the SCL in their own communities. Funding will support the recruitment of new institutions to the program, staff training, and associated training materials.

Virginia

Virginia Association of Museums - Richmond, VA
Award Amount: $39,274
Match Amount: $45,420

Contact: Ms. Jennifer Weiskotten
Program Coordinator
(804)788-5823; jweiskotten@vamuseums.org

Project Title: "Serving the Community: Training Museum Educators to Meet Teacher Needs"
The Virginia Association of Museums (VAM) will work with an Advisory Council of educators and museum professionals to create educational programming in museums that more strongly meet the instructional needs of teachers. Museums offer experiential learning opportunities that cannot be duplicated in the classroom. VAM will create training tools to assist museum educators in creating, improving, or updating their educational programming in support of Virginia’s Standards of Learning (SOLs). These tools will be disseminated to all Virginia museums. Grant funds will also enable VAM to upgrade its Web site so teachers can more easily find educational programs that support the SOLs in museums throughout the state. Funding will also support the presentation of workshops and podcasts to familiarize museums with the new resources.