Hello friends!
I’m a little late to the party, but wanted to share what we do here in Minnesota.
We do a 2 day in-person workshop at the beginning of the cohort, with day one focused on MHC’s community engagement capacity building approach and day two focused on how they might apply that approach during their hosting as well as orienting
them to the different aspects of the program: timeline, resources available to them, partners for support, etc.
We now do four virtual meetings: building relationships for collaboration around programming and exhibit content, environmental justice (our work is currently all an offshoot of our Water/Ways hosting, so we emphasize that particular focus
area), marketing and communications, and evaluation.
We do a second 2 day in-person workshop when the exhibit is about to kick off where hosts get hands on experience with the exhibit, we train in some story sharing methodologies, and we provide a docent and educator training. We also usually
try to provide some sort of public engagement experience for the hosts that can serve as a model/inspiration for community-engaged programming.
I’m happy to share materials with anyone who’s interested!
Jennifer Tonko | Humanities Officer | she/her/hers
Minnesota Humanities Center |
987 Ivy Avenue East | Saint Paul, Minnesota 55106
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www.mnhum.org | PH 651-772-4264
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Right now, I’m primarily working from home. The best way to reach me (besides email) is by phone:
612-209-1300.
From: Museum on Main Street <[log in to unmask]>
On Behalf Of Megan Van Frank
Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2022 9:27 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Virtual Capacity Support Models
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Hi again all,
Thanks to friends in NY, MA, AL, and WV for getting back to me about ways you've changed up your trainings to take advantage of virtual opportunities. We do intensive capacity development work
here in Utah and managed that even during covid. But thinking about how to balance pre- and post-pandemic practices has been a trick, so I appreciate the hive mind!
Thanks again and happy almost weekend!
Best, Megan
Megan van Frank | Director, Center for Community Heritage | Utah Humanities
202 W 300 N, Salt Lake City, UT 84103 | www.utahhumanities.org | [log in to unmask]
I am working remotely -- the best way to reach me is via email. Thank you!
From: Museum on Main Street <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Kyle Warmack <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2022 11:25 AM
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Virtual Capacity Support Models
|
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IRONSCALES couldn't recognize this email as this is the first time you received an email from this sender Warmack
@
WVHUMANITIES.ORG |
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Enjoy Crossroads, Megan! Our WV tour was from September 2021-July 2022, so our capacity training in winter/spring 2021 was pretty heavily influenced by COVID restrictions.
I used a Google Forms survey to get feedback from all sites on topics they wanted covered most, then set up five training workshops. Three were virtual. Two were held in-person because they were
more expansive topics that also required some hands-on activities. The installation workshop was held in-person, and I agree with some of our colleagues that it should definitely be done that way. Many of our site directors later expressed gratitude that they'd
had experience assembling the exhibit together before it arrived at their site, which saved them a lot of headaches.
My site directors naturally formed intercommunication channels, so I did not formalize monthly virtual meetings. I can see us pursuing that route with future MoMS tours.
Good luck!
Kyle
P.S. Like Jen in Massachusetts, I'd been to all the sites prior to the tour—an in-person walkthrough of their location with me was actually a requirement during the application process. I'm sure
that only works for those of from smaller states.
Kyle Warmack
Program Officer
West Virginia Humanities Council
304.346.8500
1310 Kanawha Blvd E.
Charleston, WV 25301
From: Museum on Main Street <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Laura Anderson <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2022 12:39 PM
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Virtual Capacity Support Models
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Good morning!
Our capacity-building sounds quite similar to that undertaken by Mass Humanities and we first implemented this approach with advice and encouragement from Mississippi Humanities in 2020.
Attached is an agenda for the first virtual meeting held for all sites together, which includes a schedule of meetings/topics to take place throughout the coming year. I visited each location earlier this year
as well. And we'll get together in person for a set-up workshop after our year of monthly Zoom meetings.
Note based on experience already this fall: While I don't believe a 2.5-day get together at the beginning of the MoMS cycle is necessary in the age of virtual meetings, I do believe that with our next exhibit I'll
do a one-day gathering in person at the beginning, followed by a year of monthly virtual sessions and capped by in-person exhibit set up training.
Hope this helps!
Laura in Alabama
Laura Caldwell Anderson
Director of Partnerships and Outcomes
205.558.3992 | [log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]
From: Museum on Main Street <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Jennifer Atwood <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2022 8:11 AM
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Virtual Capacity Support Models
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Hi Megan,
Mass Humanities did mostly virtual meetings and trainings for Moms: Crossroads leading up to the Installation Workshop, which we did in-person. I am so glad
we were able to do that in-person! I can’t imagine trying to do the installation workshop virtually, especially as a first time MoMs program officer.
I’ve attached a list of our trainings and meeting topics. We did meet at least once a month as a group. I had some particular topics I wanted to cover, but
I also spoke one-on-one with everyone a few times to learn about topics the sites wanted to cover as a group.
I also met with each site at least once in-person pretty early on so I could see their spaces (Massachusetts is geographically small enough to do this easily).
The response has been very positive with the monthly virtual meetings and with the exhibit now touring the sites still want to check-in with each other virtually
once a month to hear how things are going and learn from the sites ahead of them in the tour. They are a great group and its been rewarding watching them bounce ideas off of each other and share their excitement for the program together.
I hope that helps,
Jen Atwood
Program Officer
Mass Humanities
From: Museum on Main Street <[log in to unmask]>
On Behalf Of Megan Van Frank
Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2022 12:32 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Virtual Capacity Support Models
External Email - Exercise Caution
Hi MoMS friends,
As we prepare to launch our Crossroads cohort in Utah, I am looking for models of capacity support that involve in person and virtual pre-exhibition meetings. I have heard rumors
from the mothership that some states are doing monthly virtual meetings and I am wondering how you are pairing that with in-person offerings, how you're breaking out content, and what you're doing in those meetings. I do have ideas but hearing from you all
always makes this work even better. If you'd be willing to share how you've been managing this, I'd be grateful.
Thanks all!
Best, Megan
Megan van Frank | Director, Center for Community Heritage | Utah Humanities
202 W 300 N, Salt Lake City, UT 84103 | www.utahhumanities.org | [log in to unmask]
I am working remotely -- the best way to reach me is via email. Thank you!