MUSEUM EDUCATION CONSULTING
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Museum Program Design
Are you an understaffed Education Department in need of program conceptualizing or re-design? With this service, Jessica constructs interactive program strategies for adult, family, school or teen audiences. These programs are designed to educate visitors on the permanent collection, special exhibition or cross-collection themes. She will work closely with your staff to evaluate current programming, support the education mission and create engaging experiences that will develop long-terms interactions with your museum.
Docent/Educator Training
Do your docents or educators need a refresher training on inquiry-based teaching? Do you intend to make a shift from lecture-based programs to more interactive and exploratory? With this service, Jessica creates customized trainings for your educators/docents. These trainings are comprised of activities, group work and discussion practice. The goal of these trainings is to re-ignite the educators' own curiosity, expand their teaching "tool box" and deepen their love of teaching with objects.
Long Term Planning
Is your Education Department new and in need of a plan for program development and growth? Or does your well-established department require a new strategic plan for the next 3, 5 or 10 years? With this service, Jessica works closely with your staff to consider the key areas for growth as we look to the future. She develops a plan that maximizes efficiency, amplifies exisiting strengths, while also allowing for expansion into new areas of interpretation and partnerships.
Program Evaluation
Do you need a fresh eye on your programs or a specific program? Do you need a new approach or are you concerned about accessibility for a specific audience? With this service, Jessica observes programming and comes to a broad understanding from the perspective of the visitor as well as the museum staff. She offers suggestions and edits, while sharing an unbiased snapshot of strengths and weaknesses in the program. The goal is to work closely with staff to ensure that visitor needs are being met, while the museum's educational mission is in tact.
Arts Integration for Schools
Does your school have the desire or need to better integrate the arts into other subject areas? Are there opportunities to maximize object-based teaching in the classroom? With this service, Jessica works closely with teachers to identify opportunities to bring primary sources such as documents, historical objects, and art objects into the classroom to enhance learning. Jessica offers professional development for teachers on how to best incorporate objects into classroom lessons and how to invite students to research, explore and share their own ideas.
Curriculum Writing
Is your school in need of a fresh approach to lesson planning? With this service, Jessica develops object-based lessons for school teachers. The goal is to strengthen existing lessons with the addition of activities, objects and projects. With strong open-ended questions, stimulating objects and meaning-making activities, she designs curriculum that meets standards while at the same time empowering students to develop visual literacy and critical thinking skills.
Museum Liaison
Does your school maximize the resources of museums in your community and online? With this service, Jessica supports teachers in identifying museum resources that can support their teaching. Jessica assists in planning museum visits that will offer meaningful extensions to learning from the curriculum, pinpointing the most relevant museum programs and materials to supplement lessons in all subject areas.