Out of Bounds
Updates from Science Beyond the Boundaries
ASTC Webinar
Are you looking for new low cost ways to keep visitors (and staff) engaged? Providing new and creative visitor experiences in museums is paramount, however, budgetary and time constraints can make innovation challenging. Enter micro-innovations! Micro-innovations are small, low-cost ideas with the potential for large impact in any science center or museum.
Join ASTC's Early Childhood and Small Museums Communities of Practice on Wednesday Jan 11 at 2pm ET/11 am PT to learn more! This webinar was developed by CoP members and museum educators that participated in the ASTC Grandstand booth at ASTC 2016. Educators from a variety of ASTC member museums shared present simple, low-cost ideas that anyone can implement.
ASTC Session Proposals - Participants Needed
“I am looking for partners to submit a proposal for the 2017 ASTC conference on Transgender issues in museums. It went over well this year and I’m hoping for an extended session next year. What I would absolutely love is for a manager and someone in HR, who has had someone go through the process of transitioning on the job, join in on the presentation. Anyone who has done awesome inclusive LGBT work for their institutions or other trans and gender variant people would also be a great addition. Let me know if you’d like to join and please pass this on to anyone you think would be a good fit!”
Kaden Borseth
Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Kaden.Borseth@FernbankMuseum.org
Trauma Responsiveness Training: Seeing the World Through the Lens of Trauma
Session Description:
Emotional trauma can be caused by sexual assault, child abuse, war, and even chronic poverty. The after-effects can have a severe and lasting impact, and it is surprisingly prevalent. The purpose of this session is to aid museum staff in recognition of trauma, to build responsiveness, and to avoid re-traumatization.
This session will begin with a modified version of a formal training created by the Missouri Department of Mental Health. Topics covered include prevalence, impact, symptoms, and support. That training will be followed by a specific case study of American Indian teens and museum staff confronting intergenerational trauma at the AMNH. Reconnecting with traditions through the Tomanowos meteorite, a sacred object, teens examined the legacy of colonialism and the role science museums played creating that history. Attendees will view the museum through the lens of a colonized people.”
I am still looking for more people who can talk about trauma in museums and how museums can be more responsive.
Kerry Stevison
Saint Louis Science Center
Small Museums Resource Center
Check out the Small Museums Resource Center here. We will be updating continually, so check back often for new resources and ideas!
Science Beyond the Boundaries
Science Beyond the Boundaries is an international network of over 265 museums reaching 83 million visitors annually.
Founded and managed by the Saint Louis Science Center, our purpose is to connect museum professionals so they can convene to share ideas and inspiration and collaborate on projects. We assist our museum colleagues around the world in supporting each other and sharing ideas.
Email: christina.carlson@slsc.org
Website: www.sciencebeyond.org
Location: 5050 Oakland Avenue, St. Louis, MO, United States
Phone: 314-289-1477