Education and Public Programming

Catalog description

Educational programming has become an increasingly important part of the missions of public history institutions. Whether through formal programming or informal interactions, providing quality experiences for all visitors to engage with the objects, stories, and experiences of an institution is paramount, and the role of education has risen in both prominence and responsibility. This course will explore questions that educators ask themselves? Who is coming to our institution and how can we help them to engage with what we have? How can we provide different entrance points for different learners? How can we make our collections and stories relevant? Students will be introduced to research on the types of individuals who visit public history institutions and their motivations for doing so. Practical projects and connections with educators in local public organizations will enable students to see how research and theories are incorporated into public programming.