Program Overview

The International Council of Museums (ICOM) and the Office of Strategic Partnerships at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) have joined forces to develop a training workshop aimed at increasing institutional capacity to develop international partnerships and projects. The program, supported in part by ICOM-US, is intended for museum professionals based in the US and Africa, who are eligible according to the criteria below. The workshop will take place in Washington, D.C., from May 1 to 5, 2023.

The goal of the program is to promote the exchange of experiences and methodologies that facilitate intercultural dialogue, the identification of allies and resources, and the development of partnerships in international and local contexts. Trainers from various regions of the world will be part of this exchange of knowledge and professional practice, which will in turn strengthen the communication and collaborative work among the members of the networks of African, African American, and African diaspora museums.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Recognize the challenges and opportunities of international and local partnerships
• Put in practice tools and instruments to ensure fluid intercultural dialogue and participatory processes
• Propose and develop programs and projects with a high level of impact on the daily life and well-being of target communities
• Apply comprehensive methodologies for the definition and development of project proposals
• Identify and apply for international funds and resources for the development of social impact programs
• Identify what partnership really means in the context of international collaboration
• Put together a methodology on how to effectively do this work and establish a larger footprint for future impact

Workshop Dates

In-person Experience: May 1-5, 2023

The workshop will be held over the course of one-week. Participants should anticipate arriving in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, April 30,and departing the evening of Friday, May 5, or on Saturday, May 6.

Eligibility Criteria

The workshop is geared to mid-to-senior level museum professionals who are looking to begin or improve their organizations’ ability to engage in international partnerships and collaborative projects. The workshop will bring together museum professionals from both the United States and the African continent to build cross-cultural dialogue and share best practices.

• Eligibility requirements for participations are for mid-to-senior level management museum professionals from organizations that focus primarily on preserving the life, art, history, and/or culture of African Americans and/or the African diaspora.
• Students strictly enrolled in full-time academic programs, without any affiliated and/or current museum work are not eligible. Smithsonian employees, interns, and current contractors are also not eligible to apply.

For museum professionals coming from the US, the program will cover:

• participation costs;
• roundtrip economy-class airfare;
• hotel accommodations with breakfast;
• lunches and coffee breaks;
• 2-year paid membership to ICOM-US

Other expenses not explicitly stated above will be at the expense of the participants.

How to Apply

Completed applications must be received by 11:59pm, on Sunday, December 18, 2022.

Required materials (to be uploaded via the application link):

• Online application form
• Applicant resume or CV (2-page maximum)
• Letter of recommendation from immediate supervisor/director or board member if you are the director
• Statements of interest answering the following three questions (to be answered and uploaded within the application link):
  
  • How do your current responsibilities relate to the topic of the workshop? (1,500 characters maximum)
  • What kind of knowledge and skills do you expect to get from the program? (1,500 character maximum)
  • How will the training workshop strengthen the projects and activities your museum is currently developing or planning to develop? (1,500 character maximum)

Workshop Dates 
Online Sessions: May 9-11, 2022
In-person Experience: May 15-17, 2022

Program Overview
The Museum's Office of Strategic Partnerships is pleased to announce the official launch of a new professional development training focused on Urban Environmentalism. Using the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum's Urban Waterways project as a model, participants will explore how cultural organizations and museums can engage local communities in exploring and documenting the ongoing relationship of communities and their environment through the lens of waterways and other environmental resources to consider how these histories impact actions in the present and communities' visions of and movement toward equitable, sustainable futures.

Over the course of the training, participants will design an action plan for their own organization that will detail a community concern or need they see an opportunity to address, explore potential organizations and community members they would like to partner with, consider applicable forms of documentation needed as part of the process, and explore the anticipated results of their collaborations. Participants will present their action plans to their peers and invited Smithsonian guests as part of the concluding session in Washington, D.C.

About the Workshop
The training will be a hybrid model offered partially online. Over the course of the workshop, participants will engage in 18 hours of virtual learning sessions, engagement with guest speakers, peer-to-peer coaching, and development and refining of individual action plans delivered through the Smithsonian edX and Zoom platforms. In addition to the virtual learning environment, participants will also engage in approximately 12 hours of in-person engagement in the Washington, DC area, which will include a tour of the Anacostia River by boat as well as site visits to the Anacostia Community Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

 Eligibility Criteria
The training is geared towards museum professionals who are from community museums or cultural organizations committed to developing programming that engages community members and partner organizations in conversations about the connection of local history, community health, equity, and the environment.

• Eligibility requirements for participation are open to all museum professionals with at least 2 years of professional museum experience.
• Participants will need to have access to a device with Zoom capabilities and a reliable internet connection. We recommend that participants use a computer equipped with a microphone and webcam for full participation during virtual learning sessions. 
• SI requires that all workshop participants (staff, presenters, and cohort members) must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 with an FDA authorized (or, for international participants, a WHO-recommended) COVID-19 vaccine, or have an approved reasonable accommodation granting an exemption from vaccine requirements. Requirements regarding COVID-19 testing and face masks during the training will be determined prior to the start of the course.
• Smithsonian staff/current contractors are eligible to apply but preference will be given to staff from small to mid-sized museums and cultural centers, servicing underserved populations. Students strictly enrolled in full-time academic programs, without any affiliated and/or current museum work are not eligible.

Tuition
Due to the financial stress that some institutions may be experiencing as a result of COVID-19, NMAAHC's Office of Strategic Partnerships has decided to waive tuition fees ($1,000 value) for all selected participants in 2022. Tuition includes the training itself (virtual sessions and the in-person experience); workshop texts and course materials; admission and transportation to all offsite excursions in the Washington, DC area; breakfast and lunch during the in-person experience, as well as a group dinner on the first night in Washington, DC. 

How to Apply
Please note that all application materials must be combined into one PDF File and uploaded through the online application portal below. 

Completed applications are due by 11:59 Pm on Tuesday, April 12, 2022.

Required Materials:

• Online application form
• Applicant resume or CV (3-page maximum)
  
• Letter of recommendation from immediate supervisor/director
  
• Statement of interest: Please share your interest in attending the Urban Environmentalism Workshop and how you and your institution will benefit from your attendance at the workshop (i.e. any special project(s) and/or workplace challenges you are hoping to address through this opportunity).

Important Program Update
As the Smithsonian continues to respond to this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of the Omicron variant in recent weeks, we are putting safety first. NMAAHC's Office of Strategic Partnerships has therefore decided to postpone the Ethical Interpretation Workshop until the Spring of 2022. The application process has been extended and will remain open through Friday, March 25, 2022. If you have already applied for the 2022 Cohort, there is no need to resubmit your application materials. 

Workshop Dates (*Please note rescheduled dates)
Virtual Meet & Greet: May 22, 2022
Online Sessions: May 23-27, 2022
In-person Experience: June 8-11, 2022

The workshop will be held over the course of a three-week period, beginning with the Virtual Meet & Greet on Sunday, May 22, 2022 and culminating with the final day of the In-person Experience on Saturday, June 11, 2022 in Washington, DC.

Program Overview
The Museum's Office of Strategic Partnerships is pleased to announce the relaunch of its signature Ethical Interpretation Workshop. Continuing into its sixth year, the Ethical Interpretation Workshop provides technical training for museum professionals on interpretive theory and ethical practice. The program addresses histories of oppressed people whose experiences have been historically ignored and misrepresented and does so by recognizing their individuality, achievements, and challenges. Ethical Interpretation centers the critical importance of collaboration with the communities whose histories are being interpreted, and connects past, present, and future conditions for learners. Participants are equipped with tools and techniques to develop culturally responsive interpretation, and how to prepare themselves to engage in challenging discussions in a safe and sustainable way. Appropriate use of language and cultural frameworks, awareness of identity and self, and addressing audience responses are just some of the topics covered throughout the course. 

About the Workshop
Over the last year, the Ethical Interpretation Workshop has undergone a yearlong evaluation and redesign process to transition from a place-based training into a hybrid model that will now be offered partially online. Over the course of the workshop, participants will engage in 30 hours of virtual learning sessions, peer-to-peer coaching, and community-building activities delivered through the Smithsonian edX and Zoom platforms. In addition to the virtual learning environment, participants will also engage in approximately 18 hours of site visits to analyze the interpretation of African American history and culture utilized at a variety of cultural and historical sites in Washington, DC and Old Town Alexandria, including Gadsby's Tavern, Woodlawn Plantation, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, among others. 

Interested participants should be advised that the workshop is an immersive experience with prerequisite reading assignments, to be completed in advance of the workshop as well as study hours and homework, to be completed in the evening hours. A critical element of the Ethical Interpretation Workshop is building a community of practice and be able to see and interact with one another. Participants will therefore be asked to join virtual sessions by video conference. Participants will also be required to complete a capstone project that fully integrates interpretive theory and ethical practice into a new program or product designed for their individual sites. Project deliverables include a project outline and ten-minute presentation that participants will present on the final day of the in-person experience. 

Eligibility Criteria
The workshop is geared towards museum professionals who are engaged in historical and cultural interpretation or a closely related field, and committed to advancing the work and principles of ethical interpretation at their institutions and within the field at large.

• Eligibility requirements for participation are open to all museum professionals engaged in the field of interpretation or a related field, with at least 2 years of professional museum experience.
• Participants will need to have access to a device with Zoom capabilities and a reliable internet connection. We recommend that participants use a computer equipped with a microphone and webcam for full participation during virtual learning sessions. 
• SI requires that all workshop participants (staff, presenters, and cohort members) must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 with an FDA authorized (or, for international participants, a WHO-recommended) COVID-19 vaccine, or have an approved reasonable accommodation granting an exemption from vaccine requirements. Mandatory face coverings (even for those who are fully vaccinated) are required indoors, and social distancing will be maintained. 
• Students strictly enrolled in full-time academic programs, without any affiliated and/or current museum work are not eligible. NMAAHC employees, interns, and current contractors are also not eligible to apply.

Tuition (*Please note change in 2022 tuition) 
Due to the financial stress that some institutions may be experiencing as a result of COVID-19, NMAAHC's Office of Strategic Partnerships has decided to waive tuition fees ($1,500 value) for all selected workshop participants in 2022. Tuition includes the workshop itself (virtual sessions and the in-person experience); workshop texts and course materials; admission and transportation to all offsite excursions in Washington, DC and Northern Virginia; breakfast and lunch while in the DC area, as well as a group dinner on the first night in Washington, DC. 

Scholarship Opportunities
Thanks to the generosity of program sponsors—National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), Association of African American Museums (AAAM), and Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC), there are a number of scholarships available that would additionally cover travel and hotel accommodations. See eligibility requirements below under each opportunity.

• National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC): Need-based scholarship open to all applicants regardless of membership affiliation. Scholarship includes tuition assistance, hotel accommodations, and invitational travel to/from Washington, DC. Smithsonian Institution employees are not eligible.
• Association of African American Museums (AAAM): Scholarship open exclusively to AAAM individual and institutional members. Must have an active membership to apply. Scholarship includes tuition assistance, hotel accommodations, and invitational travel to/from Washington, DC. AAAM board officers, committee members, and members of their families are not eligible.
• Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC): Scholarship open exclusively to SEMC individual and institutional members. Must have an active membership to apply. Scholarship includes tuition assistance, hotel accommodations, and invitational travel to/from Washington, DC. SEMC board officers, committee members, and members of their families are not eligible.

How to Apply
The application process for the Class of 2022 has been extended through the end of March. Please note that all application materials (and additional scholarship request, if applicable) must be combined into one PDF File and uploaded through the online application portal below. Completed applications must be received by 11:59 PM on Friday, March 25, 2022.

Required Materials:

• Online application form
• Applicant resume or CV (3-page maximum)
  
• Letter of recommendation from immediate supervisor/director
  
• Statement of interest: Please share your interest in attending the interpretation workshop and how you and your institution will benefit from your attendance at the workshop (i.e. any special project(s) and/or workplace challenges you are hoping to address. 500-word maximum)
  
• Personal vision statement: Please share how you will apply newly acquired interpretation tools/skills at your institution and/or personal interpretation. (500-word maximum)
• Scholarship request (500-word maximum): Please include a scholarship request, detailing your estimated travel costs to attend the workshop if you wish to be considered for this additional support.  (*OPTIONAL)

The Museum's Center for the Digitization and Curation of African American History, funded by Robert F. Smith, was established to advance digital curation, community outreach, and internship initiatives at the Museum. As part of the Robert F. Smith Internship and Fellowship Program, the Museum supports paid internships at the Museum in Washington, DC as well as at select African American museums, art galleries and museums of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, cultural institutions and historic sites, or other related institutions with projects dedicated to the study and preservation of African American history and culture.

Applications for 2023 summer internships are due by 11:59 p.m. February 15, 2023. Please sign up for the e-mail list to be notified when opportunities are announced for organizations or fellows.

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