Open Forum

Hello all,

I've been working with a nearby, rather prestigious liberal arts college that wants to turn focus more on preparing students for the real world (rather than just grad school).  I've been acting as a guest lecturer for a Public History course, primarily discussing exhibit design, but recently met with the professor to discuss other skills.  In essence, her question to me was, "What do you wish you learned in college?"  What would have helped me either find a job faster, or succeed at that job once I landed it?

To be clear, this is an undergraduate program and falls only under the History major, not a Museum Studies major.  Obviously the answers will vary depending on what focus the students want to go towards, what type of museums or other professional settings they want to work with, etc.  While every student dreams of one day working at the Smithsonian or other major museum, I believe the goal is more or less what will help them get a job, even if it's at a small museum?

I struggled with the question, off the top of my head anyways...because not only is it a matter of answering what skills I wish I had, but also how do we (the professor and/or I) help the students gain those skills.

Here are a few I came up with--please feel free to add your own, or to comment on mine:

• Public Speaking -- it is vital for staff, particularly at a small museum, to be able to effectively engage visitors and potential donors.
• Grant Writing -- I think we can all agree how vital grants are to the success of any non-profit, and grant writing is always in demand.
• Core Documents -- this is a bit of a stretch, but the ability to formulate, or even understand, the Core Documents would be helpful.
• Archival Basics -- basics of how to handle collections, understanding materials (i.e. acid free) and environmental concerns (UV, humidity, etc).

From my experience, public speaking is actually one of the most difficult tasks I have when training new interns.  Fortunately, the professor is already planning on expanding the public speaking requirements of this class.  Archival Basics are somewhat covered by this course and another one taught at the school, which include a trip to the college's Special Collections department with some handling of documents...but there is always room for improvement.  As for Grant Writing and Core Documents, we are discussing having the class (usually 15-20 students) in essence establish a fake museum.  As a class they could all establish the basics and background of the museum, including a mission statement, and then split into four groups to cover the other four Core Documents.  After that they would cover grants and be could all write fake grant requests (using actual grant requirements).  In addition to my own experience as a grant writer, I serve on a grant-giving foundation and have enough contacts on other foundations that I could form a "panel" to judge the requests and provide feedback to the students.  At the very least these should help at least give them a better understanding of some of the requirements and behind-the-scenes activities of running a museum.

Sorry, I know this was a long post!  Looking forward to hearing any thoughts or suggestions...hands-on activities are always helpful! 

Hello all,

I've been working with a nearby, rather prestigious liberal arts college that wants to turn focus more on preparing students for the real world (rather than just grad school).  I've been acting as a guest lecturer for a Public History course, primarily discussing exhibit design, but recently met with the professor to discuss other skills.  In essence, her question to me was, "What do you wish you learned in college?"  What would have helped me either find a job faster, or succeed at that job once I landed it?

To be clear, this is an undergraduate program and falls only under the History major, not a Museum Studies major.  Obviously the answers will vary depending on what focus the students want to go towards, what type of museums or other professional settings they want to work with, etc.  While every student dreams of one day working at the Smithsonian or other major museum, I believe the goal is more or less what will help them get a job, even if it's at a small museum?

I struggled with the question, off the top of my head anyways...because not only is it a matter of answering what skills I wish I had, but also how do we (the professor and/or I) help the students gain those skills.

Here are a few I came up with--please feel free to add your own, or to comment on mine:

• Public Speaking -- it is vital for staff, particularly at a small museum, to be able to effectively engage visitors and potential donors.
• Grant Writing -- I think we can all agree how vital grants are to the success of any non-profit, and grant writing is always in demand.
• Core Documents -- this is a bit of a stretch, but the ability to formulate, or even understand, the Core Documents would be helpful.
• Archival Basics -- basics of how to handle collections, understanding materials (i.e. acid free) and environmental concerns (UV, humidity, etc).

From my experience, public speaking is actually one of the most difficult tasks I have when training new interns.  Fortunately, the professor is already planning on expanding the public speaking requirements of this class.  Archival Basics are somewhat covered by this course and another one taught at the school, which include a trip to the college's Special Collections department with some handling of documents...but there is always room for improvement.  As for Grant Writing and Core Documents, we are discussing having the class (usually 15-20 students) in essence establish a fake museum.  As a class they could all establish the basics and background of the museum, including a mission statement, and then split into four groups to cover the other four Core Documents.  After that they would cover grants and be could all write fake grant requests (using actual grant requirements).  In addition to my own experience as a grant writer, I serve on a grant-giving foundation and have enough contacts on other foundations that I could form a "panel" to judge the requests and provide feedback to the students.  At the very least these should help at least give them a better understanding of some of the requirements and behind-the-scenes activities of running a museum.

Sorry, I know this was a long post!  Looking forward to hearing any thoughts or suggestions...hands-on activities are always helpful! 

Hello all,

I've been working with a nearby, rather prestigious liberal arts college that wants to turn focus more on preparing students for the real world (rather than just grad school).  I've been acting as a guest lecturer for a Public History course, primarily discussing exhibit design, but recently met with the professor to discuss other skills.  In essence, her question to me was, "What do you wish you learned in college?"  What would have helped me either find a job faster, or succeed at that job once I landed it?

To be clear, this is an undergraduate program and falls only under the History major, not a Museum Studies major.  Obviously the answers will vary depending on what focus the students want to go towards, what type of museums or other professional settings they want to work with, etc.  While every student dreams of one day working at the Smithsonian or other major museum, I believe the goal is more or less what will help them get a job, even if it's at a small museum?

I struggled with the question, off the top of my head anyways...because not only is it a matter of answering what skills I wish I had, but also how do we (the professor and/or I) help the students gain those skills.

Here are a few I came up with--please feel free to add your own, or to comment on mine:

• Public Speaking -- it is vital for staff, particularly at a small museum, to be able to effectively engage visitors and potential donors.
• Grant Writing -- I think we can all agree how vital grants are to the success of any non-profit, and grant writing is always in demand.
• Core Documents -- this is a bit of a stretch, but the ability to formulate, or even understand, the Core Documents would be helpful.
• Archival Basics -- basics of how to handle collections, understanding materials (i.e. acid free) and environmental concerns (UV, humidity, etc).

From my experience, public speaking is actually one of the most difficult tasks I have when training new interns.  Fortunately, the professor is already planning on expanding the public speaking requirements of this class.  Archival Basics are somewhat covered by this course and another one taught at the school, which include a trip to the college's Special Collections department with some handling of documents...but there is always room for improvement.  As for Grant Writing and Core Documents, we are discussing having the class (usually 15-20 students) in essence establish a fake museum.  As a class they could all establish the basics and background of the museum, including a mission statement, and then split into four groups to cover the other four Core Documents.  After that they would cover grants and be could all write fake grant requests (using actual grant requirements).  In addition to my own experience as a grant writer, I serve on a grant-giving foundation and have enough contacts on other foundations that I could form a "panel" to judge the requests and provide feedback to the students.  At the very least these should help at least give them a better understanding of some of the requirements and behind-the-scenes activities of running a museum.

Sorry, I know this was a long post!  Looking forward to hearing any thoughts or suggestions...hands-on activities are always helpful! 

Hello all,

I've been working with a nearby, rather prestigious liberal arts college that wants to turn focus more on preparing students for the real world (rather than just grad school).  I've been acting as a guest lecturer for a Public History course, primarily discussing exhibit design, but recently met with the professor to discuss other skills.  In essence, her question to me was, "What do you wish you learned in college?"  What would have helped me either find a job faster, or succeed at that job once I landed it?

To be clear, this is an undergraduate program and falls only under the History major, not a Museum Studies major.  Obviously the answers will vary depending on what focus the students want to go towards, what type of museums or other professional settings they want to work with, etc.  While every student dreams of one day working at the Smithsonian or other major museum, I believe the goal is more or less what will help them get a job, even if it's at a small museum?

I struggled with the question, off the top of my head anyways...because not only is it a matter of answering what skills I wish I had, but also how do we (the professor and/or I) help the students gain those skills.

Here are a few I came up with--please feel free to add your own, or to comment on mine:

• Public Speaking -- it is vital for staff, particularly at a small museum, to be able to effectively engage visitors and potential donors.
• Grant Writing -- I think we can all agree how vital grants are to the success of any non-profit, and grant writing is always in demand.
• Core Documents -- this is a bit of a stretch, but the ability to formulate, or even understand, the Core Documents would be helpful.
• Archival Basics -- basics of how to handle collections, understanding materials (i.e. acid free) and environmental concerns (UV, humidity, etc).

From my experience, public speaking is actually one of the most difficult tasks I have when training new interns.  Fortunately, the professor is already planning on expanding the public speaking requirements of this class.  Archival Basics are somewhat covered by this course and another one taught at the school, which include a trip to the college's Special Collections department with some handling of documents...but there is always room for improvement.  As for Grant Writing and Core Documents, we are discussing having the class (usually 15-20 students) in essence establish a fake museum.  As a class they could all establish the basics and background of the museum, including a mission statement, and then split into four groups to cover the other four Core Documents.  After that they would cover grants and be could all write fake grant requests (using actual grant requirements).  In addition to my own experience as a grant writer, I serve on a grant-giving foundation and have enough contacts on other foundations that I could form a "panel" to judge the requests and provide feedback to the students.  At the very least these should help at least give them a better understanding of some of the requirements and behind-the-scenes activities of running a museum.

Sorry, I know this was a long post!  Looking forward to hearing any thoughts or suggestions...hands-on activities are always helpful! 

Hello all,

I've been working with a nearby, rather prestigious liberal arts college that wants to turn focus more on preparing students for the real world (rather than just grad school).  I've been acting as a guest lecturer for a Public History course, primarily discussing exhibit design, but recently met with the professor to discuss other skills.  In essence, her question to me was, "What do you wish you learned in college?"  What would have helped me either find a job faster, or succeed at that job once I landed it?

To be clear, this is an undergraduate program and falls only under the History major, not a Museum Studies major.  Obviously the answers will vary depending on what focus the students want to go towards, what type of museums or other professional settings they want to work with, etc.  While every student dreams of one day working at the Smithsonian or other major museum, I believe the goal is more or less what will help them get a job, even if it's at a small museum?

I struggled with the question, off the top of my head anyways...because not only is it a matter of answering what skills I wish I had, but also how do we (the professor and/or I) help the students gain those skills.

Here are a few I came up with--please feel free to add your own, or to comment on mine:

• Public Speaking -- it is vital for staff, particularly at a small museum, to be able to effectively engage visitors and potential donors.
• Grant Writing -- I think we can all agree how vital grants are to the success of any non-profit, and grant writing is always in demand.
• Core Documents -- this is a bit of a stretch, but the ability to formulate, or even understand, the Core Documents would be helpful.
• Archival Basics -- basics of how to handle collections, understanding materials (i.e. acid free) and environmental concerns (UV, humidity, etc).

From my experience, public speaking is actually one of the most difficult tasks I have when training new interns.  Fortunately, the professor is already planning on expanding the public speaking requirements of this class.  Archival Basics are somewhat covered by this course and another one taught at the school, which include a trip to the college's Special Collections department with some handling of documents...but there is always room for improvement.  As for Grant Writing and Core Documents, we are discussing having the class (usually 15-20 students) in essence establish a fake museum.  As a class they could all establish the basics and background of the museum, including a mission statement, and then split into four groups to cover the other four Core Documents.  After that they would cover grants and be could all write fake grant requests (using actual grant requirements).  In addition to my own experience as a grant writer, I serve on a grant-giving foundation and have enough contacts on other foundations that I could form a "panel" to judge the requests and provide feedback to the students.  At the very least these should help at least give them a better understanding of some of the requirements and behind-the-scenes activities of running a museum.

Sorry, I know this was a long post!  Looking forward to hearing any thoughts or suggestions...hands-on activities are always helpful! 

Hello all,

I've been working with a nearby, rather prestigious liberal arts college that wants to turn focus more on preparing students for the real world (rather than just grad school).  I've been acting as a guest lecturer for a Public History course, primarily discussing exhibit design, but recently met with the professor to discuss other skills.  In essence, her question to me was, "What do you wish you learned in college?"  What would have helped me either find a job faster, or succeed at that job once I landed it?

To be clear, this is an undergraduate program and falls only under the History major, not a Museum Studies major.  Obviously the answers will vary depending on what focus the students want to go towards, what type of museums or other professional settings they want to work with, etc.  While every student dreams of one day working at the Smithsonian or other major museum, I believe the goal is more or less what will help them get a job, even if it's at a small museum?

I struggled with the question, off the top of my head anyways...because not only is it a matter of answering what skills I wish I had, but also how do we (the professor and/or I) help the students gain those skills.

Here are a few I came up with--please feel free to add your own, or to comment on mine:

• Public Speaking -- it is vital for staff, particularly at a small museum, to be able to effectively engage visitors and potential donors.
• Grant Writing -- I think we can all agree how vital grants are to the success of any non-profit, and grant writing is always in demand.
• Core Documents -- this is a bit of a stretch, but the ability to formulate, or even understand, the Core Documents would be helpful.
• Archival Basics -- basics of how to handle collections, understanding materials (i.e. acid free) and environmental concerns (UV, humidity, etc).

From my experience, public speaking is actually one of the most difficult tasks I have when training new interns.  Fortunately, the professor is already planning on expanding the public speaking requirements of this class.  Archival Basics are somewhat covered by this course and another one taught at the school, which include a trip to the college's Special Collections department with some handling of documents...but there is always room for improvement.  As for Grant Writing and Core Documents, we are discussing having the class (usually 15-20 students) in essence establish a fake museum.  As a class they could all establish the basics and background of the museum, including a mission statement, and then split into four groups to cover the other four Core Documents.  After that they would cover grants and be could all write fake grant requests (using actual grant requirements).  In addition to my own experience as a grant writer, I serve on a grant-giving foundation and have enough contacts on other foundations that I could form a "panel" to judge the requests and provide feedback to the students.  At the very least these should help at least give them a better understanding of some of the requirements and behind-the-scenes activities of running a museum.

Sorry, I know this was a long post!  Looking forward to hearing any thoughts or suggestions...hands-on activities are always helpful! 

Hello all,

I've been working with a nearby, rather prestigious liberal arts college that wants to turn focus more on preparing students for the real world (rather than just grad school).  I've been acting as a guest lecturer for a Public History course, primarily discussing exhibit design, but recently met with the professor to discuss other skills.  In essence, her question to me was, "What do you wish you learned in college?"  What would have helped me either find a job faster, or succeed at that job once I landed it?

To be clear, this is an undergraduate program and falls only under the History major, not a Museum Studies major.  Obviously the answers will vary depending on what focus the students want to go towards, what type of museums or other professional settings they want to work with, etc.  While every student dreams of one day working at the Smithsonian or other major museum, I believe the goal is more or less what will help them get a job, even if it's at a small museum?

I struggled with the question, off the top of my head anyways...because not only is it a matter of answering what skills I wish I had, but also how do we (the professor and/or I) help the students gain those skills.

Here are a few I came up with--please feel free to add your own, or to comment on mine:

• Public Speaking -- it is vital for staff, particularly at a small museum, to be able to effectively engage visitors and potential donors.
• Grant Writing -- I think we can all agree how vital grants are to the success of any non-profit, and grant writing is always in demand.
• Core Documents -- this is a bit of a stretch, but the ability to formulate, or even understand, the Core Documents would be helpful.
• Archival Basics -- basics of how to handle collections, understanding materials (i.e. acid free) and environmental concerns (UV, humidity, etc).

From my experience, public speaking is actually one of the most difficult tasks I have when training new interns.  Fortunately, the professor is already planning on expanding the public speaking requirements of this class.  Archival Basics are somewhat covered by this course and another one taught at the school, which include a trip to the college's Special Collections department with some handling of documents...but there is always room for improvement.  As for Grant Writing and Core Documents, we are discussing having the class (usually 15-20 students) in essence establish a fake museum.  As a class they could all establish the basics and background of the museum, including a mission statement, and then split into four groups to cover the other four Core Documents.  After that they would cover grants and be could all write fake grant requests (using actual grant requirements).  In addition to my own experience as a grant writer, I serve on a grant-giving foundation and have enough contacts on other foundations that I could form a "panel" to judge the requests and provide feedback to the students.  At the very least these should help at least give them a better understanding of some of the requirements and behind-the-scenes activities of running a museum.

Sorry, I know this was a long post!  Looking forward to hearing any thoughts or suggestions...hands-on activities are always helpful! 

Hello all,

I've been working with a nearby, rather prestigious liberal arts college that wants to turn focus more on preparing students for the real world (rather than just grad school).  I've been acting as a guest lecturer for a Public History course, primarily discussing exhibit design, but recently met with the professor to discuss other skills.  In essence, her question to me was, "What do you wish you learned in college?"  What would have helped me either find a job faster, or succeed at that job once I landed it?

To be clear, this is an undergraduate program and falls only under the History major, not a Museum Studies major.  Obviously the answers will vary depending on what focus the students want to go towards, what type of museums or other professional settings they want to work with, etc.  While every student dreams of one day working at the Smithsonian or other major museum, I believe the goal is more or less what will help them get a job, even if it's at a small museum?

I struggled with the question, off the top of my head anyways...because not only is it a matter of answering what skills I wish I had, but also how do we (the professor and/or I) help the students gain those skills.

Here are a few I came up with--please feel free to add your own, or to comment on mine:

• Public Speaking -- it is vital for staff, particularly at a small museum, to be able to effectively engage visitors and potential donors.
• Grant Writing -- I think we can all agree how vital grants are to the success of any non-profit, and grant writing is always in demand.
• Core Documents -- this is a bit of a stretch, but the ability to formulate, or even understand, the Core Documents would be helpful.
• Archival Basics -- basics of how to handle collections, understanding materials (i.e. acid free) and environmental concerns (UV, humidity, etc).

From my experience, public speaking is actually one of the most difficult tasks I have when training new interns.  Fortunately, the professor is already planning on expanding the public speaking requirements of this class.  Archival Basics are somewhat covered by this course and another one taught at the school, which include a trip to the college's Special Collections department with some handling of documents...but there is always room for improvement.  As for Grant Writing and Core Documents, we are discussing having the class (usually 15-20 students) in essence establish a fake museum.  As a class they could all establish the basics and background of the museum, including a mission statement, and then split into four groups to cover the other four Core Documents.  After that they would cover grants and be could all write fake grant requests (using actual grant requirements).  In addition to my own experience as a grant writer, I serve on a grant-giving foundation and have enough contacts on other foundations that I could form a "panel" to judge the requests and provide feedback to the students.  At the very least these should help at least give them a better understanding of some of the requirements and behind-the-scenes activities of running a museum.

Sorry, I know this was a long post!  Looking forward to hearing any thoughts or suggestions...hands-on activities are always helpful! 

Hello all,

I've been working with a nearby, rather prestigious liberal arts college that wants to turn focus more on preparing students for the real world (rather than just grad school).  I've been acting as a guest lecturer for a Public History course, primarily discussing exhibit design, but recently met with the professor to discuss other skills.  In essence, her question to me was, "What do you wish you learned in college?"  What would have helped me either find a job faster, or succeed at that job once I landed it?

To be clear, this is an undergraduate program and falls only under the History major, not a Museum Studies major.  Obviously the answers will vary depending on what focus the students want to go towards, what type of museums or other professional settings they want to work with, etc.  While every student dreams of one day working at the Smithsonian or other major museum, I believe the goal is more or less what will help them get a job, even if it's at a small museum?

I struggled with the question, off the top of my head anyways...because not only is it a matter of answering what skills I wish I had, but also how do we (the professor and/or I) help the students gain those skills.

Here are a few I came up with--please feel free to add your own, or to comment on mine:

• Public Speaking -- it is vital for staff, particularly at a small museum, to be able to effectively engage visitors and potential donors.
• Grant Writing -- I think we can all agree how vital grants are to the success of any non-profit, and grant writing is always in demand.
• Core Documents -- this is a bit of a stretch, but the ability to formulate, or even understand, the Core Documents would be helpful.
• Archival Basics -- basics of how to handle collections, understanding materials (i.e. acid free) and environmental concerns (UV, humidity, etc).

From my experience, public speaking is actually one of the most difficult tasks I have when training new interns.  Fortunately, the professor is already planning on expanding the public speaking requirements of this class.  Archival Basics are somewhat covered by this course and another one taught at the school, which include a trip to the college's Special Collections department with some handling of documents...but there is always room for improvement.  As for Grant Writing and Core Documents, we are discussing having the class (usually 15-20 students) in essence establish a fake museum.  As a class they could all establish the basics and background of the museum, including a mission statement, and then split into four groups to cover the other four Core Documents.  After that they would cover grants and be could all write fake grant requests (using actual grant requirements).  In addition to my own experience as a grant writer, I serve on a grant-giving foundation and have enough contacts on other foundations that I could form a "panel" to judge the requests and provide feedback to the students.  At the very least these should help at least give them a better understanding of some of the requirements and behind-the-scenes activities of running a museum.

Sorry, I know this was a long post!  Looking forward to hearing any thoughts or suggestions...hands-on activities are always helpful! 

Hello all,

I've been working with a nearby, rather prestigious liberal arts college that wants to turn focus more on preparing students for the real world (rather than just grad school).  I've been acting as a guest lecturer for a Public History course, primarily discussing exhibit design, but recently met with the professor to discuss other skills.  In essence, her question to me was, "What do you wish you learned in college?"  What would have helped me either find a job faster, or succeed at that job once I landed it?

To be clear, this is an undergraduate program and falls only under the History major, not a Museum Studies major.  Obviously the answers will vary depending on what focus the students want to go towards, what type of museums or other professional settings they want to work with, etc.  While every student dreams of one day working at the Smithsonian or other major museum, I believe the goal is more or less what will help them get a job, even if it's at a small museum?

I struggled with the question, off the top of my head anyways...because not only is it a matter of answering what skills I wish I had, but also how do we (the professor and/or I) help the students gain those skills.

Here are a few I came up with--please feel free to add your own, or to comment on mine:

• Public Speaking -- it is vital for staff, particularly at a small museum, to be able to effectively engage visitors and potential donors.
• Grant Writing -- I think we can all agree how vital grants are to the success of any non-profit, and grant writing is always in demand.
• Core Documents -- this is a bit of a stretch, but the ability to formulate, or even understand, the Core Documents would be helpful.
• Archival Basics -- basics of how to handle collections, understanding materials (i.e. acid free) and environmental concerns (UV, humidity, etc).

From my experience, public speaking is actually one of the most difficult tasks I have when training new interns.  Fortunately, the professor is already planning on expanding the public speaking requirements of this class.  Archival Basics are somewhat covered by this course and another one taught at the school, which include a trip to the college's Special Collections department with some handling of documents...but there is always room for improvement.  As for Grant Writing and Core Documents, we are discussing having the class (usually 15-20 students) in essence establish a fake museum.  As a class they could all establish the basics and background of the museum, including a mission statement, and then split into four groups to cover the other four Core Documents.  After that they would cover grants and be could all write fake grant requests (using actual grant requirements).  In addition to my own experience as a grant writer, I serve on a grant-giving foundation and have enough contacts on other foundations that I could form a "panel" to judge the requests and provide feedback to the students.  At the very least these should help at least give them a better understanding of some of the requirements and behind-the-scenes activities of running a museum.

Sorry, I know this was a long post!  Looking forward to hearing any thoughts or suggestions...hands-on activities are always helpful! 

Hello all,

I've been working with a nearby, rather prestigious liberal arts college that wants to turn focus more on preparing students for the real world (rather than just grad school).  I've been acting as a guest lecturer for a Public History course, primarily discussing exhibit design, but recently met with the professor to discuss other skills.  In essence, her question to me was, "What do you wish you learned in college?"  What would have helped me either find a job faster, or succeed at that job once I landed it?

To be clear, this is an undergraduate program and falls only under the History major, not a Museum Studies major.  Obviously the answers will vary depending on what focus the students want to go towards, what type of museums or other professional settings they want to work with, etc.  While every student dreams of one day working at the Smithsonian or other major museum, I believe the goal is more or less what will help them get a job, even if it's at a small museum?

I struggled with the question, off the top of my head anyways...because not only is it a matter of answering what skills I wish I had, but also how do we (the professor and/or I) help the students gain those skills.

Here are a few I came up with--please feel free to add your own, or to comment on mine:

• Public Speaking -- it is vital for staff, particularly at a small museum, to be able to effectively engage visitors and potential donors.
• Grant Writing -- I think we can all agree how vital grants are to the success of any non-profit, and grant writing is always in demand.
• Core Documents -- this is a bit of a stretch, but the ability to formulate, or even understand, the Core Documents would be helpful.
• Archival Basics -- basics of how to handle collections, understanding materials (i.e. acid free) and environmental concerns (UV, humidity, etc).

From my experience, public speaking is actually one of the most difficult tasks I have when training new interns.  Fortunately, the professor is already planning on expanding the public speaking requirements of this class.  Archival Basics are somewhat covered by this course and another one taught at the school, which include a trip to the college's Special Collections department with some handling of documents...but there is always room for improvement.  As for Grant Writing and Core Documents, we are discussing having the class (usually 15-20 students) in essence establish a fake museum.  As a class they could all establish the basics and background of the museum, including a mission statement, and then split into four groups to cover the other four Core Documents.  After that they would cover grants and be could all write fake grant requests (using actual grant requirements).  In addition to my own experience as a grant writer, I serve on a grant-giving foundation and have enough contacts on other foundations that I could form a "panel" to judge the requests and provide feedback to the students.  At the very least these should help at least give them a better understanding of some of the requirements and behind-the-scenes activities of running a museum.

Sorry, I know this was a long post!  Looking forward to hearing any thoughts or suggestions...hands-on activities are always helpful!