Co-Creating with Texas Third Graders

For this blog I decided to do research on co-creating with third graders. Once I started, I realized that I needed to narrow down my concentration. Being a student from Texas and someone who had previously interned at a museum I had some idea on what museums needed to do to co-create with third graders. Especially using the Texas Education Agency code of Character Trait Education.

Development of Third Graders

Age range: 8-9

• Complain about fairness issues
• Love vocabulary and language play
• State things as negatives: “I hate it,” and “I can’t”
• Be a concrete learner, but increasingly will be able to deal with multiple variables

An eight-year-old can/will:

• Work quickly with a limited attention span
• Need physical release of energy
• Be highly social
• Create friendships
• Cooperate and work well in groups
• Overestimate abilities and bite off more than they can chew
• Exhibit resiliency and bounce back quickly from mistakes
• Listen attentively but will be so full of ideas that they will not always be able to recall what has been said
• Enjoy explaining ideas in detail
• Begin to master basic academic skills and feel a sense of competence with cognitive skills

A nine-year-old can/will:

• Be industrious and impatient
• Be more coordinated 
• Push themself to physical limits
• Be aloof
• Create exclusive friendships
• Be competitive
• Want to choose work partners
• Be discouraged easily

Learning Theories

Below are some learning theories that I studied to determine where third graders are mentally. This should be used by museum educators to have a sense of the age group they are co-creating for.

Cognitive Growth -Jean Piaget

Concrete operational stage: Generalizing from concrete formal instruction and informal experiences 

Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Theory 

• Competence
• Industry vs. Inferiority 
• Can I make it in the world of people and things? 
• Skills & social acceptance

Discovery Learning -Bruner

• Symbolic Stage
• Thinking and talking in abstract term; knowledge in the form of words, symbols, music and language

STAAR: State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness

“STAAR is the state’s testing program and is based on state curriculum standards in core subjects including reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies. STAAR tests are designed to measure what students are learning in each grade and whether or not they are ready for the next grade. The goal is to ensure that all students receive what they need to be academically successful. Meeting these individual student needs depends greatly on schools, parents, and community members working together.“

The STAAR test is not introduced to Texas students until they are in third grade. This gives museum educators some insight into where Texas third graders should be intellectually.

What is positive character trait education?

“Character education introduces students to character traits and personal skills that empower them to be good citizens who are trustworthy, responsible, and caring. The character traits and personal skills reflect positive beliefs, attitudes, and mindsets; provide opportunities for self-reflection; and permit students to apply effective strategies to make decisions, solve problems, and behave responsibly.” -Texas Education Agency

“The Texas Education Code (TEC) §29.906 states that the State Board of Education (SBOE) shall integrate positive character traits and personal skills into the essential knowledge and skills adopted for kindergarten through grade 12, as appropriate.” -Texas Education Agency

• Did your school district incorporate something similar? 
• Do you think this would be beneficial to include in your home state? Why or why not?
• Any critiques?

There actually has been some backlash from parents on this new education code. according to Kimberly Reeves, a reporter from Spectrum News 1-Austin, Texas. In her article she talks about how parents are against the new law on character education in schools and that parents say it is their job to teach character traits. Not the job of schools. To learn more, click here: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/south-texas-el-paso/news/2022/04/18/conservative-parents-protest-character-education-in-texas-schools

How to Co-Create

• They are curious 
• Create an inviting space
• Third graders are not little kids, they’re not quite upper elementary students, and they’re far from middle schoolers. That means they still love their teachers and school and aren’t afraid to show it

“Modeling and practice for sure,” says third grade teacher Cathy T. Third graders are increasingly developing their independence, but they still need modeling (and lots of it)! Plan to model, and model again during the whole group, then be ready to step in with more modeling during centers or small-group work.

“Games with rules help children think in multiple steps,” says Ellen Frede, co-director of the National Institute for Early Education Research in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and an associate professor at the College of New Jersey. “Discussing and negotiating rules also teaches them about give and take, and how to live in a democracy.” 

Should museums in Texas incorporate positive character trait education? Museums in general? Are they already?

• Informal learning environment
• Relieves stress off teachers
  • Helping them fulfill requirements
• For the common good of the classroom and community
• Place for students to thrive behaviorally and academically

What museums are doing the work?

In this section I will introduce three museums (from best to least) that are incorporating character trait education. Some are intentionally incorporating it while others are not as noticeable.

Holocaust Museum Houston

Mission: Holocaust Museum Houston is dedicated to educating people about the Holocaust, remembering the 6 million Jews and other innocent victims and honoring the survivors’ legacy. Using the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides, we teach the dangers of hatred, prejudice and apathy.

This museum has a program called the Educator in Motion program (EIM). This program is FREE and sends museum educators to school and community groups to provide educational programming on the Holocaust, human rights, and active citizenship.

One of their programs, Building Upstanders, “provides readings and guided discussion, students examine the powerful impact kindness, empathy, and inclusion can have and the importance of using our voices to stand up for others. This program includes an art project in which students brainstorm actions they can take to become an Upstander. This program is best suited for grades Pre-K-3.“

The Witte Museum

Mission: The Witte Museum adheres to its Mission to inspire people to shape the future of Texas through transformative and relevant experiences in nature, science and culture. The Witte’s Vision is to be the preeminent center for relevant content and engaging experiences in environmental science, STEAM, and cultural stories to shape the future of Texas by empowering all people to create an extraordinary life.

Provided below are two programs from the Witte that mention character traits in their program descriptions. This is why this is the second-best museum example.

Programs:

• Dignity of Work: South Texans at Work

• Taking Care of Texas

The DoSeum

Mission: Through joyful learning and discovery, The DoSeum Experience grows curious minds, connects families, and transforms communities.

It was hard to find programs from this museum that strongly spoke of character traits. Nor is it specific to third graders.

Below is a description of one of their programs called Artists Workshop:

Artsy smartsy! Join us every Sunday from 3-4 pm for our Artist workshop, designed for learners ages 6 years and older. During these workshops, DoSeum educators will lead Guests through artistic projects that may include known artistic techniques, art in STEAM, and self-expression. Your artist will learn great studio habits, such as caring for their artistic tools, embracing challenges, talking about their work, and exploring new materials. 

Resources

Museum Links:

• https://www.wittemuseum.org/programs/?grade=3
• https://hmh.org/education/programs-and-curriculum/educator-in-motion/
• https://www.thedoseum.org/daily-programming

Texas Education Links:

• https://tea.texas.gov/academics/learning-support-and-programs/positive-character-traits-education#:~:text=The%20law%20further%20states%20that%20the%20following%20positive,patience%2C%20generosity%2C%20charity%2C%20and%20interpersonal%20skills%20More%20items

Co-Creating with the LGBTQ community: A Community Intersectional and Fragmented

The LGBTQIA+ community (an acronym meaning lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual/aromantic, plus) is one that is not often thought of when creating museum exhibits and programming. When they are thought of, it is when the exhibit is explicitly queer in theme or nature, as the topic, not as the participant group. However, there are an estimated 20 Million people who fall under the LGBTQ umbrella in the US alone, and likely many more, considering how many could be possibly hiding. So how can we, as museum professionals, co-create with the queer community? Simply, by approaching it like any other participant group: with empathy, rigor, and most importantly, an intersectional mindset. As with many identities, LGBTQ people are multifaceted. They can also be bipoc people, who can also be part of a religious group, who could have disabilities, who could– you get the drift! The LGTBQ community is not a monolith in any way– but they do have specific needs and concerns. So here are a couple important things to keep in mind as you work with the LGBTQ community, and a couple examples of them done well.

Vulnerability Being openly queer has become more and more safe in recent years, but that has not always been the case, and is not the case everywhere. Anti-LGBTQ crimes are not uncommon, especially in conservative communities, and many young LGBTQ folks are often left without support systems after their families disown them. Even without threats that severe, there are many slurs for LGBTQ people, and very few have faded. Some have been reclaimed, such as ‘queer’ which I use often in place of LGBTQ, but most are offensive and threatening.  In short, queer people never know how safe they are around anyone else, or how close they are to violence, slurs, or abandonment. As such, LGBTQ people have to make themselves vulnerable to express their identities. Some choose to not express them at all, or to very few people. Some aggressively assert them, making space for themselves and pushing back against scorn that may not come. One way or another, it requires empathy to create spaces for LGBTQ people to engage. Easier said than done, as museums are a public space, but keep these things in mind and you’ll have success. 

• Create LGBTQ only, or majority, spaces to create, talk, and develop.

• Convene panels for queer history, talk about LGBTQ terminology, reevaluate your museum’s approach to queer people. 

• Do LGBTQ centered programs, feature LGBTQ scholars and artists. 

This may seem exclusive to non-LGBTQ people, but this allows for safety to be established in the museum. This will allow LGBTQ participants to feel comfortable going to other programs and raising their voice, knowing that the museum is dedicated to listening.  

Staying Gold  Staying Gold is a program put on by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tucson, Arizona. A program focused on queer artists and the LGBTQ community coming together through art, it is revolutionary in how it responded the vulnerabilities of the queer community as well as the stressor of the Covid-19 pandemic. The goal of Staying Gold was to engage the whole community in art of any type, using any kind of medium. Initially, this took the form of workshops and multi-session classes, but as time went on, it ended up as a program about response and sharing feelings and experiences. LGBTQ artists would, digitally now that Covid-19 was in swing, post a prompt, a piece, a challenge, something to get people creating, and then it would be open for others to respond. The responses would then be shared among the Staying Gold group, and would even be displayed in the museum as it reopened. By centering the program on LGBTQ people, artists, and their creations, it created a community of safety and shared experience.

 Intersectionality  As previously mentioned, LGBTQ identities overlap with many others. Being a gender, sexual, and/or romantic identity, those who are LGBTQ also belong to different religious, cultural, ethnic, and other groups. The LGBTQ community, then, is a community that intersects with any and all other participant groups, and thus all co-creation will take into consideration other identities outside of their gender/sexuality/ etc. Keep these things in mind when co-creating!

• Intersection between someone’s spirituality and their identity?

• How do they work together, how do they contrast? Are there culturally specific gender identities? How are they experienced? 

• What are the individual backgrounds of the participants? What could their experiences be?

• The community of elder LGBTQ people has gone through years of tragedy, fear, and revolution. How can you effectively listen to their voices and present them? 

• How do you bring together parts of the community separated by differences in their identities? 

Thinking of these things as you collaborate with the lgbtq community and create your programs will allow you to have a broader spectrum of experience taken into account, and the program can serve all of those in the community as opposed to excluding particular subsets. 

School of Drag  Once again at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tucson, Arizona, the School of Drag is an intergenerational LGBTQ program focusing on the art of Drag. Drag is a performance art with a long history in the LGBTQ community, focusing on expressive makeup and costuming, questioning of gender and gender norms, music, dance, performance, and general entertainment. Originally, it was passed down through closed schools, but with the rise of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, Drag has become more popularized and accessible as an art form that anyone can practice. As it broadens, the old traditions and art forms are being lost, not being passed down to the next generation. This is not due to exclusivity specifically, but due to isolation of the elderly LGBTQ community from the younger. Often without family and relying on a community of friends, LGBTQ elders have trouble connecting to younger communities, who have a lot of their community online.  The School of Drag seeks to rectify this by making a program that invites Drag professionals (both kings (performing masculinity) and queens (performing femininity)) to teach a younger generation of drag performers, sharing experiences and techniques and also learning from their younger students. This culminated in group performances, group workshops, group practices, group creation– a community of support created around the art of Drag. This specifically encouraged multi-generational programming and left the doors open for a variety of backgrounds and cultures to create something amazing together.

 In short–  The LGBTQ community is one that needs empathy, safety, and intersectional considerations in order to be created with. Regardless of the subject matter of the exhibit, it has likely touched the life of an LGBTQ person in one way or another, and as we create learning opportunities, we need to keep this in mind. Always keep an open mind, and remember that queer identity can be presented in many different ways– never assume you are working with a solely cisgendered (identifying with the gender assigned to them by their doctor at birth based on sexual characteristics), heterosexual participant group!

For More Information, Please See:

Eli Burke (2020) Intuition and Vulnerability: A Queer Approach to Museum Education, Journal of Museum Education, 45:4, 403-413, DOI: 10.1080/10598650.2020.1812286

https://www.aam-us.org/2021/01/28/the-benefits-and-challenges-of-producing-creative-aging-programs-for-the-lgbtqia-community/

https://www.aam-us.org/2020/07/20/digital-gold-queering-flat-spaces/

Co-Creating with College Undergraduates

Undergraduate Students’ Greatest Needs

When college students enter their new campus for the first time, for many their first independent living situation as well, they carry the overwhelming weight of countless social and academic expectations. As young adults are met with such obstacles, both cognitive and non-cognitive needs are pressing. Some non-cognitive needs include faculty feedback, student engagement, family involvement, positive environments, and a professional mentor. When it comes to cognitive needs, students need personal belief, goal orientation, and a “college-ready mindset” (Source 5).

A college-ready mindset is a growth mindset: knowing that talents and abilities are things that can be developed through effort, practice, and instruction. This effort can be physical, social, and cognitive.

U.S. College Student Demographics

In the United States, college classrooms are becoming more ethnically and racially diverse in the past several years (Source 2). This leads to a variety of social, familial, and cultural expectations linked with their goals in college. Having mentors at school and in partnering museums will lead to crucial advisement catered to the individual’s needs.

“Of just the current undergraduate college student population, 52.9 percent are non-Hispanic white, 20.9 percent are Hispanic, 15.1 percent are black, and 7.6 percent are Asian…and 54.9% women”

Campus-based Museums

A trend for on-campus museums is a mission centered on supplementing in-class liberal arts education. Artnet News published an Op-Ed that included some helpful hints on how museums can enhance college education, and is summarized and supplemented with additional research below:

People First, Objects Second:

1. Priority for broad accessibility to museum resources and a push for more equitable opportunities to authority.
   • Free access to the museum for students
   • Select collections on loan for students
   • Incorporated student governing boards
2. Education is the focus rather than the collecting, preserving, and exhibiting of objects and artwork.

Give the Public a Stake

Museums are “stakeholder economies” where all members and participants are seen as having an interest in, as well as contributions to, the overall success of the institution.

• Voting system for the general public to participate in
• Changed perspective: Visitors –> Collaborators 
• Public digital surveys to reach those unable to vote in person

Challenge the Canon

“With no fiduciary boards to influence collecting, many campus museums have long served as a shelter from the bald discrimination and misogyny of both the traditional canon and market forces.”

1. Advocating for formally or currently discriminated against peoples, underknown artists, and disregarded or yet unrecovered histories.
   • Historically Black Colleges & Universities’ examples
2. How can all universities represent diverse peoples and backgrounds through student representation?

Go Local

1. Introduce local artists, historians, community members, and native peoples to your content
2. Merge canon-making with academia through student interactions, tours, live events, museum visits. 

Show Your Work, Even When it’s Flawed

1. Transparency about how your museum got where it is today, and where your school institution is embedded with racism, exclusion, or discrimination.
2. Present to the public the museum’s awareness and its active plans to make change.

Non-University Museums

1. Artnet News recommends non-university museums include community members and various students on their governing boards in order to better co-create with college students (Source 1).
2. Another way to include college students in decision-making is actively forming partnerships with local organizations, colleges and universities.

“Partnerships are formed to pool resources and expertise, reduce duplication of services, and expand the reach of programs.” (Source 3)

3. When it comes to field trips through a larger education institution to an outside museum, common concerns include financial cost, opportunity cost, as well as uncertainty about the value and quality of the experience in the college course. Although, some professors argue that carefully chosen museum field trips add important self-directed inquiry, real-life realizations, and content-rich supplementary learning. (Source 4)

Program Design

To best co-create a museum experience for college students, a 3-stage learning process should occur including the preparation for and evaluation of the museum experience as it connects with the college course. Professor Gregory Rohlf from the University of the Pacific explains how a pre-trip, the trip itself, and a post-trip contributes to the critical learning of college students and the ability to make direct connections to areas of fieldwork and therefore assist them in career wayfinding. 

“Thirty percent reported returning to the Asian Art Museum…and 40% visited another museum, [both] largely or partially because of the field trip” (Source 4)

Along with growing trust with college students, museums can also provide mentors for them. Incorporating docents, educators, or even guest speakers can effectively build each student’s professional wheelhouse and expand their network pool. A balance between structured learning activities and unstructured individual discovery is key. For example, an interactive activity such as a scavenger hunt with their colleagues or Q&A with the mentor, supplemented by an individual journal prompt or assignment that allows for creativity and introspection. 

Conclusion

The undergraduate college student years are essential to the growth, discovery, and career trajectory of each individual. The type of experiences which undergraduate students have in college has a direct influence on some of the most important decisions they make for their future. Whatever these decisions may be will then have a direct impact on our future economic, governmental and educational sectors both nationally and globally. It is important to realize the responsibility which museums have, in the first place, to build and maintain a college-ready mindset, then to further curiosity and development, and lastly to refine decision-making skills post-graduation.

Resources

1. “Museums Need to Be Braver: Here’s How College and University Art Galleries Can Offer the Sector at Large a Roadmap for Reinvention”, Artnet News, July 18 2022, https://news.artnet.com/opinion/college-and-university-art-galleries…
2. “More Than 76 M Students Enrolled in US Schools”, US Census Bureau, release last revised on Oct. 28, 2021, www.census.gov/….
3. “Nonprofit Partnerships: Why They’re Important and How to Find Them”, CauseVox, article written by Tina Jepson, 2022, https://www.causevox.com/blog/nonprofit-partnerships/
4. “How to Make Field Trips Fun, Educational, and Memorable: Balancing Self-directed Inquiry with Structured Learning”, EBSCO, Gregory Rohlf, University of the Pacific, https://web-s-ebscohost-com…
5. “Academic and Social Expectations of Incoming College Students”, JCOTR, Vol. 27 and No. 1, written by Ryan Korstange, Thomas M. Brinthaupt, and Autumn Martin, https://pubs.lib.umn.edu/index.php/jcotr/article/view/2334

Co-creating with Social Studies Students

What is Social Studies?

The National Council for Social Studies Standards defines social studies as the integrated study of social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence.

The social studies curriculum also grows students’ abilities by:

• incorporates the study of history, geography, civics, and economics
• prepares students to become informed, responsible, participatory citizens
• helps students develop better analysis, collaboration, decision-making, and problem solving skills
• develops students knowledge of their community, nation, and the world

What is the Purpose of Social Studies?

To help young people make informed decisions for the public good of a culturally diverse society of our interdependent world.

---

An Introduction to the National Council for Social Studies Standards

There are 10 themes distributed throughout all social studies classes:

• Culture
• Time, Continuity, & Change
• People, Places, & Enviroments
• Individual Development & Identity
• Individuals, Groups, & Institutions
• Power, Authority, & Governance
• Productions, Distributions, and Consumptions
• Science, Technology, & Society
• Global Connections
• Civic Ideals & Practices

The Standards provide a framework as a way to organize knowledge of the human experience.

Many State Curriculum Standards acknowledge The National Standards and use them to developed their own.

---

Some Strategies & Skills Students Can Learn from Social Studies

Literacy Skills

Critical Thinking Skills

Learning Strategies

Research Based Literacy Strategies

Personal Interactions & Civic Engagement Strategies – P.I.C.E.S

The Importance of P.I.C.E.S

This strategy will enable young people to become competent and responsible citizens.

Students will be better able to participate in civic engagement once they can understand community issues, converse with others who may have a differing perspective, and exhibit morals for the concern of concerns and rights of others. They will also understand social responsibility, respect, and the belief that they can make a difference.

---

Co-creating with Social Studies Students

Social studies draws upon many subjects.

This includes economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, sociology, humanities, and natural sciences.

It can also parallel with many other subjects.

Examples of Social Studies Connections in the DMV

Smithsonian Hirshorn Museum – an impact on society, how they can impact society, events that can inspire the art, highlighting social justice

Smithsonian National Zoo – anthropology, biology, conservation of resources, becoming a more sustainable society

National Museum of the Native American Indian – cultural development (individually and groups), identity, loss of culture, advocacy

Office of Historic Alexandria – the founding of America, founding ideas, development of founding ideas, improvement of ideas

Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology – how to use primary resources, analyzing documents and objects, making resources more accessible and user friendly

Smithsonian Office Under the Secretary for Education – becoming more sensitive of educator’s needs, resources they may need to access

Smithsonian National Museum of American History – American society, identity, culture

George Washington’s Mount Vernon – Virginia Social Studies relation, using primary sources, founding of America, STEAM aspects

---

References Used

Fauquier County Public Schools (2022). History and Social Science: Academic Information. fcps1.org. https://www.fcps1.org/Page/153.

National Council for the Social Studies (2010). National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies: A Framework for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment. Silver Spring, MD.

National Council for the Social Studies (2022). National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies: A Framework for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment. socialstudies.org. https://www.socialstudies.org/standards/national-curriculum-standards-social-studies.

Virginia Department of Education (2022). History & Social Science. doe.virginia.gov. https://doe.virginia.gov/instruction/history/.

Virginia Department of Education (2022). Review and Revision of History and Social Science Standards of Learning. doe.virginia.gov. https://doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/history_socialscience/2022/.

Co-Creating with Neurodivergent Youth

The neurotypical perception is not the neurodivergent reality.

What is neurodivergence?

Neurodivergence is a term used to describe the differences in how people’s brains work. There is no right or wrong way to perceive and function in the world, and all differences should be acknowledged and celebrated. The term encompasses many neurological differences, including, but not limited to, autism spectrum condition, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and PTSD. Neurodivergent individuals will exhibit their conditions differently based on aspects of their lives, such as sex or culture. They will also experience the world in different ways from each other. Some individuals will also experience more than one condition. Intersectionality always has a role to play; this is important to remember to keep an open mind for awareness, accessibility, and inclusivity efforts.

Although neurodivergent individuals face many challenges in their lives, it is important to remember that traits of neurodivergence individuals include creativity, intelligence, innovation, resilience, and so many more. Museums have a unique position to foster these traits and must put in the work to co-create with neurodivergent individuals for a better, more comfortable museum experience.

Important terms to know:

Neurodivergent: an individual with less typical cognitive variables.

Neurodiversity: a recognition that not all brains think or feel the same way and that these differences are natural variations in the human genome.

Neurotypical: an individual with typical cognitive functioning and development.

Some statistics:

15-20% of the world’s population exhibit some form of neurodivergence.

1 in 44 children identified with an autism spectrum condition.

9.8% of children aged 3-17 are diagnosed with ADHD.

These numbers are expected to be higher due to a lack of diagnosis and “masking,” a learned behavior to appear neurotypical in any context.

Intentional language

When talking about neurodivergent individuals, avoiding ableist language and using positive language is important. Using “neurodiverse” to describe an individual with a neurotype that differs from the majority is grammatically incorrect. In turn, we recreate the “us and them” boundary that the term was meant to combat. Moreover, the term “disorder” implies a lack of order or an intelligible pattern, which carries negative contexts and can be a harmful term to some individuals. Of course, everyone will identify how they prefer, so make sure you are always using appropriate language.

Barriers to Cultural Institutions

Neurodivergent youth face many barriers in cultural institutions. Museums and other similar sites can be extremely challenging environments to adapt to. The light intensity changing throughout exhibits, unexpected audio, and crowded or confusing environments can all lead to emotional and physical discomfort that deter neurodivergent youth and their families from museums. Museum spaces can be extremely loud and overwhelming. Once overcoming the ability to adapt to the environment, understanding the information presented is an additional hurdle.

Crowds at the Metropolitan Museum in New York

Co-Creating with Neurodivergent Youth Participants*

Whom should we co-create with?

There are no better people to talk to than neurodivergent youth themselves – they will know firsthand what works best for them in a museum space. Other great people to talk to include guardians of neurodivergent youth, neurodivergent adults, and educators who work closely with neurodivergent youth in the classroom. These participants may know ways to help expand opportunities for neurodivergent youth that you may not have thought of before.

What should we do to plan a program?

Get to know your participants: What are their interests? What is their age group? What are they looking to get out of a program in a museum space?

Understand how the environment will impact the program: What adjustments are needed for a successful program? What additional accessibility needs need to be met to ensure comfort for neurodivergent youth participants?

Have a trial run: Introduce participants to the space before the program, so they can become familiar with the space, know where amenities are, and any adjustments needed can be made before the programming.

Additional materials and suggestions:

Neurodivergent youth experience the world in different ways and, therefore, will have preferences on what kinds of materials or suggestions for the program will benefit them. Discuss what materials will work best for your participants, and be open to suggestions. These can include, but are not limited to:

• Checklists. Checklists can encourage highlights of important information and encourage independent activities.
• Sensory backpacks. Backpacks can provide sensory toys, such as fidget devices, magnifying glasses, flashlights, etc., as well as headphones and weighted lap pads.
• Audio guides. These guides support learning for those with visual impairments and those with learning differences.
• Instructional materials. It is important to make clear distinctions between areas, such as what is off-limits, what can or cannot be touched, and where amenities are located. Take the time to create a sensory map that indicates where lighting, audio, smell, crowd size, and other changes occur to prevent surprises and help navigate the museum in a sensory-friendly way. Providing arrows on the floor or with signs for directions through exhibits can help with confusing environments.
• Quiet rooms and sensory spaces. Be able to provide dedicated quiet spaces or sensory rooms to allow for a break from overstimulating environments. This allows for an inviting learning area for anyone needing a break. If the museum is smaller and lacks space, consider creating a sensory-friendly outdoor space with shade and other sensory-friendly materials.

• 

  A sensory support backpack created by The Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn

• 

  Massillion Museum’s Sensory Room

• 

  A sensory map by the Museum of London

It is important that all museum participants feel accommodated, engaged, and seen in any cultural institution. By taking the extra steps to plan with neurodivergent youth, museums can become more inclusive and celebrate and support the strength and vibrance of neurodivergent individuals.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022) Data and statistics about ADHD. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved November 21, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022) Data & statistics on autism spectrum disorder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved November 21, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html

Fletcher-Watson S. (2020) Neurodiverse or neurodivergent? it’s more than just grammar. DART – Development Autism Research Technology. Retrieved November 21, 2022, from https://dart.ed.ac.uk/neurodiverse-or-neurodivergent/

Hutson, P. and Hutson, J. (2022) Neurodivergence and Inclusivity in Cultural Institutions: A Review of Theories and Best Practices. Creative Education, 13, 3069-3080. doi: 10.4236/ce.2022.139193.

*Although this blog post is focused on neurodivergent youth, the recommendations and material discussed can also be used to co-create with neurodivergent adults. Neurodivergence has no age; it’s vital to avoid infantilizing neurodivergent individuals.

Co-Creating with Teens in an Empathetic Museum

Who are teenagers? (A quick overview)

For this project, I looked at teens ages 15-18. These participants are members of Generation Z and are referred to as “digital natives” meaning they have grown up with technology, computers, internet, etc.

Teens are in an awkward battle of self obsession and self consciousness. They are trying on different personalities, trying different interests, and trying to figure out who they are. This has been described by Erik Erikson’s stage of Identity vs. Role Confusion.

How can I fit in, yet how can I stand out?

Teens also highly value their social relationships which is very important to keep in mind moving forward.

Photo by kat wilcox on Pexels.com

Do teens even come to museums?

Yes! However, teens are the least studied age group in museums. Teens will visit museums for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to field trips, family trips, volunteering, and programs. For this project I have focused on field trips and programs.

What’s up with Empathy?

“… individuals must have a clear sense of their own identities in order to perceive and respond effectively to the experience of others…”

This quote from the Empathetic Museum page supports the idea that participants need to understand themselves to understand others. With that in mind, is it fair to expect empathy from teens when they are still learning who they are? To figure that out we need to look at how teens develop empathy. From the sources I looked at, no one is 100% sure how teens develop empathy. Some sources say that teens develop empathy as they mature, and that women start to develop it earlier than men due to hormones. Others say the brain isn’t fully developed until the age of 25, therefore empathy is not fully developed until that age. Other sources say that teens already have a developed sense of empathy and how they use/show it is a result of their upbringing. Either way, most agree that teens do not use empathy the way adults do. So how can we design programs with teens that teach the values of empathy, but don’t rely on empathy itself?

If not Empathy, then what?

There are a lot of ways to reach teens. A big point is to let them guide their own learning. In this program we often say the Learner controls the Learning, and that is the most true for this age group. Many teens crave some independence and as educators we can use this to our advantage! By letting teen participants guide their own museum experiences we can help them explore their independent learning process and let them come to their own ideas and conclusions (with our help of course!). This can take the form of critical thinking exercises (thinking routines), real life decision making, and small group activities (remember the importance of social relationships to teens!) The goal is to create an experience that’s different from the formal learning classroom where participants have very little choice/control over what they are learning.

Another thing we need to remember is that teenagers have had a wide variety of experiences and “baggage” that they are bringing in. 15, 16 years is a lot of life to live and teen participants may have experienced any number of tragedies, losses, and hardships so our empathy towards them is very important. We need to work to establish the museum has a safe place for teen participants to share their experiences and allow them to relate to the facilitation. Finding ways for them to personally relate to history, art, and/or science will help lay the foundation for empathy and understanding.

How can we increase teens participants in museums?

There are a lot of fun ways we can engage teens and other young adults in museum spaces. Honestly, teens just like to feel involved! Having junior boards, volunteer programs, and internships can be great ways to let teens take ownership and responsibility in the museum and other community spaces. We should also try to have more programs and events aimed at this age group. These can be trivia nights (work with local teachers to make these AP prep nights); college events where teens can get help and advice on applications; career explorations events, and fun social activities like bike rides and yoga! 

Photo by Alexander Grey on Pexels.com

In conclusion: We need to meet teens where they are at. As teens are developing a sense of who they are, they are also trying to figure out what it means to be empathetic. We need to work with them to create opportunities that they may not get in traditional classroom settings and give them some independence to think and come to their own opinions. We need to create programs that meet the needs of teens in our communities and let them get involved in volunteer and leadership roles.

• http://empatheticmuseum.weebly.com/
• https://www.museumnext.com/article/teen-centered-intensive-programming-in-art-museums/
• https://www.aam-us.org/2022/09/02/5-ways-museums-can-engage-generation-z/
• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/museum-programs-affect-teens-for-a-lifetime-180958638/

Unsheltered Crisis: A Museum or Social Crisis?

“The poor understand poverty, and only the most morbid amongst the rich will find it entertaining.” – Sullivan’s Travels (1941)

By: Laura Hernandez

On any given night, about 200,000 individuals sleep outside, in cars, bus stops, or other places not meant for human habitation. It is also important to note that this  number does not include the number of sheltered homeless in the United States. Contrary to popular belief (especially for politicians), the current housing crisis is a human crisis. In 2019, more than 560,000 individuals were unsheltered in the United States. While there are several factors an individual encounters homlessness, the biggest community factor is the rise of housing costs and the lack of affordable housing. This is a common factor across all state lines and communities, even though the west coast has higher rates of unsheltered individuals. The rates for states such as California, Hawaii, and Oregon were more than 3.5 times higher than the national average, which is 6.3 persons per 10,000 people. Individuals experiencing chronic homelessness, unaccompanied youths, and veterans were more likely to be unsheltered than people experiencing homelessness in families with childrens. This can be attributed to the additional funding available for domestic violence and family shelters. While the average person experiencing unsheltered homelessness is an older white man, Black people are severely overrepresented among people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. To put it into perspective, Black people represent 27% of the unsheltered population while they consist of 13% of the population in the United States. 

Museums in Action:

Seattle Museums in Partnership with Seattle Housing Authority

With the access of their Seattle Public Library card, individuals can enter several Seattle museums free of charge. While admission costs are deferred for clients of the Seattle Housing Authority, obtaining a library card might prove difficulties for families. 

Frye Art Museum and Path with Art: The Seattle Project: Public Belongings 

With this partnership, former homeless individuals were given the space to heal through art. They were able to share their story through art, photography, videos and poems. 

Malika Whitley’s Ted Talk dives into the power of Art Therapy for homeless youths. Through her nonprofit, ChopArt, she shares the powerful testimony of her own experiences as an unsheltered child and the change she is making in her community.

National Building Museum: Evicted and A Better Way Home: The Housing Breakthrough Challenge 

Over the years, the National Building Museum has proven to be an ally and advocate for the rising cost of housing in the United States. Through their most recent exhibit, A Better Way Home, they’ve tackled six bold solutions to challenge housing affordability and display thought-provoking ideas for visitors. 

MLK Library: Invisible Words

This summer, The MLK Library displayed a collection of cardboard signs from local homeless individuals. Its main purpose is to bring awareness and empathy to the homeless community and individuals living in poverty. 

Museums and Inaction

One thing all of these examples have in common is the goal of bringing awareness to the community without abusing individuals’ bodily autonomy and adding an entertainment factor to its exhibits. Each exhibit spotlighted homelessness and eviction as the national crisis that it is. 

While these recent exhibits in museums humanized unsheltered individuals, there have been museums that unfortunately missed the mark over the years. Back in the early 1990’s, The Smithsonian Institution’s Experimental Gallery: Etiquette of the Undercaste, allowed the visitor to “walk in the shoe” of a homeless person. It started off with the guest being placed in a morgue, to depict the ending of their life, and being reborn into a new life: the life of a homeless person. Through mazes, a roulette wheel of choices, the visitor walked through the “life of a drug-addicted mother to a drunken dream on a park bench.” While the intention of the Smithsonian Institution was to shed light on the unsheltered community, the negative connotation towards the community. It perpetuates the stigma that unsheltered individuals are drug addicts and drunks who choose to live on the streets, rather than to shed the light on the real factors families end up losing their home, the rise of housing costs in the United States. 

Program Development

Empathy and Checking Our Biases

As obvious as this may sound, showing empathy and checking our own biases is one of the key factors a successful museum educator should hold. Even in 2022, there are many stereotypes and misconceptions about unsheltered individuals. Identifying your biases and working to overcome them will allow for a safe space for mutual co-creating with the unsheltered community.

Money

As we know, money makes the world go round. As a museum educator, we need to recognize the financial burden we are putting on the individual during the co-creating phases. Transportation is one of the biggest challenges they must overcome. Think about where you are meeting. Is it accessible by public transportation, and are you able to cover the costs? Are you able to provide light snacks or even a meal during your meetings? Overall, admission fees are an additional burden for families who would like to experience a museum. Are there opportunities to waive the cost of admission?

Inclusion of Stories and Programming

The reason why the Frye Art Museum exhibit was so successful was due to the inclusion of stories and programming. They worked with Path with Art to provide art therapy and an opportunity to showcase their art on their own terms. 

Advocacy/Partnerships

We have to recognize that museums are not experts in the social services field. Therefore, a successful museum educator will look for partners who are already successful in homeless services. Is your museum near a local shelter? An encampment? Are there ways you can look to the experts to best facilitate a co-creating program?

Continue Your Education 

Last but not least, a museum educator must be flexible and willing to continue to learn. There is a current shift in homeless services and government policies and programs are changing and being added. A successful educator looks for new ways to stay informed with best practices and methods to engage. 

References

https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/designed-change-experimental-gallery-1991-1994

https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/ROA-Times/issues/1992/rt9202/920215/02150174.htm

https://www.dcnewsnow.com/news/local-news/washington-dc/invisible-worlds-art-exhibit-coming-to-dc/

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045221

https://dev.fryemuseum.org/exhibition/3518/

Evicted

A Better Way Home: The Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge

Click to access unsheltered-homelessness.pdf

Click to access 2020-AHAR-Part-2.pdf

Teachers are Learners, Too!

 Co-Creating with Teachers by Maddie Sisson

“Most of the opportunities I’ve had, as an educator, to do deep soul-searching work as well as odd and fantastic activities have been through museum professional development programs. I’ve been able to draw students into history in ways I’d never been able to imagine” –CherylAnne Amendola, New Jersey History Teacher

(Cooper, et al., 2022, p. 17)

Why do teachers come to museums?

On a more regular basis, most teachers will experience the museum learning environment through field trips with their students or as personal recreation. However, as this article will discuss, if done properly, museums can provide unparalleled professional development opportunities for teachers, regardless of grade or of subject. Teachers may choose to attend for a variety of reasons.

Certifications: Professional development opportunities allow teachers to receive certifications that keep their teaching licenses current.

New Teaching Tactics: Learning from museum educators can help teachers bring informal and hands-on learning tactics into their classroom, enhance their teaching of a specific subject, and develop confidence and strategies for teaching difficult topics. For example, in the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation’s Teacher Institute, educational staff discuss at length how the American Revolution affected Indigenous, free black, and enslaved Virginians and how those stories an be brought to the classroom.

Furthermore, museums can help teachers explore new ways to meet their state education standards. Museums can be key partners in helping teachers with the monumental task of preparing these students in a way that is engaging and impactful.

Networking: This goes for both the teachers and the museum educators. Teachers are not only learning from museum staff, but they are able to meet and learn from other teachers in a program’s participant group. Museum educators can learn exactly what teachers need from their institutions, better understand the students they serve, and create connections in the community.

Figure 1. Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Staff and Teachers at the 2022 Teacher Institute

How do I properly build a professional development program?

Step One: Identify why teachers are coming to your museums.

Usually, teachers who come to professional development programs at museums are coming to solve a professional problem or to better themselves in a certain area.

Ask yourself: What do they hope to learn from your program? 

Step Two: Plan for your participants and for your museum.

First, your participants are adult learners. However, given the nature of these professional development programs, you can have teachers in their early twenties, teachers in their early seventies, and everything in between. They are at totally different points in their lives, but you need to foster a learning environment that will benefit all of them. Remember that they are there not just to learn from you and your institution, but from each other as well. Finally, remember teachers are learners with a proficiency that most of your visitors will not have. This needs to factor into your planning.

Your program should focus on specific strategies and content your museum can assist teachers with. This can include hands on activities, objects to take back to their classroom, and a deep content dive into a specific subject. For example, George Washington’s Mount Vernon’s Teacher Institute covers different topics, including “Martha Washington and the Women of the 18th Century” and “Slavery in George Washington’s World.”

Please note the importance of cost in a teacher’s decision to attend. Is it free? Is there a way to alleviate some of the costs—grants? Scholarships? Cost will greatly affect your applicant pool.

Ask yourself: Why should teachers come to your museums and not others? As you’ll see with the case study, a lot of museums cover similar subjects, so why should they come to your museum and not others? What can they learn from your institution? What do they want to learn?

Step Three: Institute teacher-based learning.

Remember that the learner controls the learning! This is why it is crucial to understand teachers as learners and understand where they’re coming from (intellectually, emotionally, professionally, and geographically). See if there is a way to send out a pre-session survey once you have accepted your applicants.

Ask yourself: What do they want to learn? (Yes, keep asking yourself this!)

Step Four: Use your institution.

As we’ve already discussed, teachers are coming to your professional development because they want to spend time exploring your institutions and resources. Let them! Do tours; bring in experts that work in your museum; find ways to use your institution as much as possible.

Ask yourself: What makes your institution special? How can that be adapted for teacher programming? What can you offer them that they cannot get at another institution?

Step Five: Reflect.

Make sure you, your staff, and the teachers involved reflect after your professional development program. This is crucial to better the program. See if you can send out an evaluation to the participating teachers.

Ask yourself: What would you keep? What would you change? How can you make it better for next time?

Conclusions:

Museum educators and teachers should be a team. Ultimately, we want the same things for our participants.

Museum educators have a lot to teach teachers; teachers have a lot to teach museum educators.

Teachers can bring participants to a museum year after year.

Museum educators can fill in gaps in a teacher’s training and strengthen their confidence in teaching difficult subjects.

When you are co-creating with teachers, you are co-creating with their students current and future.  

References:

Anderson, David & Kisiel, James & Storksdieck, Martin. (2010). Understanding Teachers’ Perspectives on Field Trips: Discovering Common Ground in Three Countries. Curator: The Museum Journal, 49, 365 – 386.

Bingmann, Melissa. (2017). Professional Development for Teachers. In Anna Johnson, Kimberly A. Huber, Nancy Cutler, Melissa Bingmann, & Tim Grove, The Museum Educator’s Manual (pp. 101-118). Rowman & Littlefield.

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. (2022). The Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute of Colonial Williamsburg. https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/learn/on-site-opportunities/teacher-institute/.

Cooper, Lora, Grim, Linnea, & Sandling, Gary (Eds.). (2022). Bringing Teachers into the History Museum: A Guide to Facilitating Teacher Professional Development. Rowman & Littlefield.

Ferries, Laura & Johnson, Anna (2017). Museums—An Educational Resource for Schools. In Anna Johnson, Kimberly A. Huber, Nancy Cutler, Melissa Bingmann, & Tim Grove, The Museum Educator’s Manual (pp. 119-137). Rowman & Littlefield.

George Washington’s Mount Vernon. (2022). Professional Development Opportunities. https://www.mountvernon.org/education/for-teachers/teaching-institutes-professional-development/.

Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. (2022). Summer Teacher Institute for Virginia Teachers. https://jyfmuseums.org/learn/teacher-programs/teacher-institute/.

King, Brad & Lord, Barry (Eds.). (2015). The Manual of Museum Learning. Rowman & Littlefield.

Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. (2022). Monticello Teacher Institute. https://www.monticello.org/research-education/for-educators/monticello-teacher-institute/.

Co-Creating with High Schoolers

Who are contemporary high schoolers? What is important to them? What has shaped them?

GenZ: High schoolers are definition genZ. Generation Z was born between 1997 to 2012, putting high schoolers right in the smack dab middle being born as early as 2003 up to 2007/2008.

Technology: Technology plays a really important role in the lives of teens today—it has been a part of almost, if not all, their entire lives (definitely at least all of their conscious lives). They are among the first generations of iPad babies. A JAMA pediatrics study done during the height of the current covid19 pandemic suggests that teens’ screen time averages at 7.7 hours a day. This number is in addition to any online schooling high schoolers were participating in. Before the pandemic, teens’ screen time averaged at 3.8 hours a day.

Covid: Being online for upwards of two years has had tangible negative effects on almost every adult. The same is true for teenagers who are in their formative years, trying to figure out who they are, who their friends are, what they want in life, etc. Being in front of a computer screen at home all day may have seemed ideal at the beginning of the pandemic, but has overall lead to a variety of mental health issues including social isolation and an increase in stress and anxiety. I’m sure none of these feelings are foreign to any of us, but imagine dealing with them at what is already such an uncomfortable age.

Now that we understand what is at the core of contemporary high schoolers, what are their thought on museums? Is an interest in museums at their core?

After polling younger siblings, cousins, and their friends, I ended up asking about 50 different teenagers from three different countries (the US, Japan, and Brazil) what their thoughts are about museums. I very simply asked what three words came to their mind when they thought about museums. I then went through all of their words and boiled them down to two words that sum up my teenage siblings’ vocabulary: cool and boring.

67% of participants though museums were cool! They used words like interesting, inspiring, refreshing, and entertaining. Meanwhile, 31% of participants said that museums were boring; they were simply not interested in museum content. The missing 2% of participants used emojis and words that a millennial like myself could not translate.

Competition of Instagramable Pop-Ups

It’s important to mention Instagramable pop-ups when thinking about teens’ interactions with museums. While this is not a discussion about whether the Museum of Ice Cream or the Color Factory are really museums or not, they do compete with museums for the free-time of teenagers, especially in this day in age of technology. While museums’ are designed for reflection and education, pop-ups are designed for photos. With the continued rise of social media comes a culture of ”pictures or it didn’t happen.” When presented with the option of paying $20 to be reflective or quiet or to be able to post on Instagram, Snapchat, or Tik Tok with their friends, which would the high schoolers you know choose? Why pay for a ticket to a museum where you might not even be allowed to take photos or have a hands-on interaction with the exhibition?

I think it’s important to remember that teenagers, though advanced in their thinking, are still kids. They crave for their opinion to be valued but also for tactile experiences where there is little energy left to think about anything else. This is where pop-ups have succeeded in gaining the attention of high schoolers.

All of this said, how do we create meaningful museum learning opportunities for high schoolers?

First, it’s really important to even get high schoolers through the door and education outreach programs can be really instrumental in that. My thought for this is a program called Art After Dark. It doesn’t just have to take place at an art museum, but we might have to think of a catchier name that science or dinosaurs or history after dark. The idea is to keep the museum open after hours with free admission—high schoolers are often in school for a majority of museum hours and have limited disposable funds. The nigh can be complete with live museum, if the museum has room, free food or appetizers, and gallery activities with prizes such as enamel pins or stickers for water bottles, laptops, skateboards, etc. The museum would become a space, for a night, where you are satisfying the need to not be reflective or educated with the intent that the museum becomes less intimidating in the daylight.

Another idea for a high schooler-oriented education program is an App Assisted Program. This type of program wouldn’t entirely remove the facilitator from the equation, rather it would offer a place where teens could anonymously answer questions—perhaps the facilitator has an iPad where they can see the answers, in kahoot fashion. Or, maybe the facilitator offers time at the end of each piece for additional exploration—scanning a QR code that leads to a green screen of the piece for photos or a Snapchat filter.

A program like this would obviously requires additional materials and may even create new hurdles to jump—the museum would perhaps need a technology specific education role, what happens when high school participants don’t want to participate and spend the facilitation time texting, how do we decide which exhibitions using technology in is appropriate? While the program wouldn’t be perfect, I think restricting teens too much in a place where they may already feel restricted will just turn them away all together. Technology in a sacred place like a museum makes me uncomfortable honestly. However, I think that’s because my formative years didn’t include technology—I see it as a hinderance to thought, rather than the ability to explore things further. I believe contemporary high schoolers see it as the latter, and in order to include them in education programs, museums should appropriately embrace technology.

Co-Creating with Families with Autism

Take a few seconds, close your eyes, and think about the last time you were in a museum. Try and recall the physical features of the space. Was the space easy to navigate? Were the exhibits well lit? Was it too bright? Could you easily find the exits and the bathrooms? Did any part of the museum overwhelm you?

What is autism?

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodivergent condition that can impact the way a visitor experiences a museum. According to the CDC, this can affect a person’s social, communication, relationships, and self-regulation. There is no cure or single cause of ASD. It is a lifelong condition that can be present in any race, gender, or socioeconomic group.

Characteristics of people with ASD can be:

• Nonverbal or delayed speech
• Repetition of language or movement
• Distressed by changes
• Structured play
• Interested in one specific topic or item
• High levels of anxiety or depression

According to the CDC:

By the Numbers

• 1 in 44 children are diagnosed with ASD
• Boys are 4 times more likely to be diagnosed
• 1 in 116 girls, 1 in 27 boys
• 40% of children with autism are nonverbal

Appropriate Language

Now, it is important to recognize that there is specific language when addressing those with autism. In my research I found there are two main appropriate ways the community would like to be described:

Person First/Identity First: describes what the person has, not what the person is. This separates the disability from the person.

____ is autistic.: emphasizes that autism is a part of what makes the individual who they are.

So, what do say? What do they prefer? The simple answer: ASK!

What can make the museum experience difficult?

Recall in the beginning when you were asked to think about your museum experiences. For someone with sensory sensitivities, museums can be especially overstimulating, overwhelming, and overall less enjoyable.

The museum environment can have many factors that contribute to having a difficult time. Lights in the exhibit space can be bright or too dim. Sounds can be disruptive and distracting- from within the exhibit space to the other visitors and families. Unexpected factors like changes in routine or interactive displays that play automatically can be also be a challenge. Discomfort in not knowing the routes to the restrooms and exits, navigating the spaces and travelling exhibits no long being available can confuse routine. Lastly, the lack of quiet spaces! Quiet spaces do not have to be designated rooms for children with autism, but can be a bench, a garden, or even a quiet exhibit.

Exceptional Examples

In Washington, DC, the Smithsonian Institution offers Morning at the Museum on specific Saturday and Sunday mornings before opening to the general public. By rotating host museums within the Smithsonian, families are exposed to various events and programs at each institution. Families receive pre-visit materials, with visual schedules, tip sheets and sensory maps to anticipate what they might see on their visit. Welcoming autistic visitors to Morning at the Museum gives them the opportunity to practice and prepare for another visit.

World of Wonder Children’s Museum (WOW) in Lafayette, Colorado opens its doors for Sensory Friendly Playtime for just $1 a person. The event reduces the number of families (to reduce crowds) and turns down sounds and lights for the morning. Headphones, weighted vests, and occupational and physical therapists are available as needed. WOW provides a sensory menu, that details what a visitor can expect and where they can go for certain experiences. It describes which areas of the museum may be overstimulating but also provides ways to explore their senses. A social narrative can be found on the museum’s website as a pre-visit resource to set expectations even before entering the museum. This detailed twenty-five-page booklet introduces the museum with pictures of the exhibits and expected behaviors written from a child’s perspective.

To take our journey global, in London, the Science Museum offers many programs for autistic visitors of all ages. Before visitation, the museum’s collection can be found online. Visitors can also take a 360 Virtual Tour, whereas most museums offer a visual narrative. Promotional videos for their Early Birds program can be found in British Sign Language to accommodate their nonverbal attendees. Night Owls sensory friendly evening is one of the few offered for ages 16 and up. Sensory Astronauts is an opportunity for families to sleepover at the museum paired with activities, a movie, and breakfast the following morning.

How can every museum strive to be inclusive for autistic visitors?

• Programs for all ages & all interests
  • When researching museums with programming or events for families with autism, the majority of institutions were science or children’s museums. How other institutions such as: historical houses, natural history museums or even zoos and aquariums create programming for the autistic community? Very few of researched museums offered programming for visitors over the age of 16. What are some ways institutions can co-create with adult visitors?
• Programs all year round
  • If a museum offers programming, they need to ensure that it is being offered year-round, not just certain times like Autism Awareness Month. Institutions can provide longer events and programs such as camps during Summer and Winter breaks to establish a routine, build confidence and develop skills, but also socialize with others.
• Pre-Visit Materials
  • For museums that do not have the resources or funding to provide events or specific times for sensory play, there are other ways for autistic individuals to have a meaningful experience. One of the most beneficial resources are pre-visit materials posted online year-round. Families can download social narratives, sensory maps, and schedules of attractions within the museum before leaving their house.
  • Other valuable information such as times of low visitor attendance, bathroom and exit locations, and quiet spaces are useful. An Access Survey taken by Euan’s Guide in 2017 found that 95% of visitors with disabilities tried to find access information before visiting an establishment for the first time. Guest services can have sensory bags with headphones, weighted vests, and visual vocabulary sheets on hand for daily visitors.
• Bring in the Autism community and families as a resource
  • When designing an autism friendly environment, why not create partnerships with those with autism? Focus groups can provide insight on what the community wants to see and how it should be done. What feedback and expectations do parents have when visiting a museum?
  • Museums can offer volunteer or career opportunities in any department. Statistics from the National Autistic Society found that only 16% of autistic adults work full time despite the fact that 77% want to work. How can museums strive to be diverse AND inclusive?
• Training
  • Lastly, TRAINING. Yes, this goes way beyond just the educational staff. Trained guest services, other museum staff, and even security guards can be better equipped to provide help when they know what to recognize. Families having difficulties can be offered sensory bags or directed to quiet areas without being asked. Parents often describe feeling judged by other guests or museum personnel. Trained staff can help alleviate that stress just a little.

Museums hold the responsibility to be inclusive for all audiences. How can museums continue to create spaces for children with autism to learn?

Additional Reading & Resources

Contact

https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visit/accessibility

https://wowchildrensmuseum.org/visit/sensory-friendly-playtime/

https://www.aam-us.org/2019/07/16/autism-in-museums-a-revolution-in-the-making/

Making the Museum Autism Friendly – Best Practice from Around the World