Rest: a Strategy for Success

Rest. The time we take for ourselves. No one can keep up a break-neck speed and busyness for long. It leads to stress, anger, and ulcers. In light of the end of the season, the end of the year, and a reflective holiday season, rest becomes part of the seasonal cycle of interpretation. Rest not only is part of the individual but also of the institution where the interpreter works. Rest is important because it allows us the time to do better.

People need rest. Too many days working leads to stress and fatigue. That stress and fatigue can mean burn-out. When we get stressed we get short and angry with people easily. A sharply sent comment can ruin a school or keep a returning group from returning again. We take rest to help us relax, get our mind off of work, and to have a good sleep-in every so often. Take the time to use days off or lieu days to take care of yourself. "All work and no play makes Jack an dull boy."

Settling my mind for a long winter's nap

Rest can happen at the places where interpretation happens too. Many of these places have a "busy season" where school, church, and other kinds of group visitation is at its highest. Maybe it is when the weather is beautiful when all the tourists come out. Sometimes the weather forces the place to close because it is too cold, wet, hot, or some other environmental conditions occur that makes it slow down. These interpretive places use the time to focus on fixing things, or cleaning them up. It is also a good time to take time to reflect on the busy season's programming goals, or compile statistics, research, have staff evaluations, or begin planning for the next busy season.

The slow season is a great time to get to projects that
you have been meaning to get to - like cleaning.

This period of rest is part of a larger programming cycle. The "slow season" for evaluaton, compiling, and planning is "Indoor work." Then comes a period of "ramp up", or when the first couple of school groups or a first major special event of the year. It anticipates and leads into the "busy season," whatever that busy season looks like at the place.

Finally, rest leads to a fresh and invigorated start. The best thing about rest is that it allows a break to recharge with renewed vigor. If we are always "on" it can be draining and ultimately can affect morale, presentation, and attitude. The visitors deserve to have the best presentation and if the presentor is calm, relaxed, and friendly rather than tired, irritated, and distracted.

So as the year comes to a close and many interpretive places are closed or having their "slow season", take the time and rest and relax. Reflect on your past season and how you can be part of what makes the next busy season a success!

Education and interpretation: Supply and Demand

Education activity in action

Museums, historic sites, parks, and other interpretive locations are concerned primarily with education. They are essentially in the education business. These places of learning are at-will leisure places where people go to learn of their own free will, and learn from placards, exhibits, audio tours, or an interpretive guide for pleasure or entertainment.

One of the many demographics that visit these places are students on field trips. This increasingly rare event is becoming rarer still with shrinking education funds for transportation, liability issues, and safety concerns. From a school administrator point of view, a field trip needs to be worthwhile and requires a result, some sort of educational payoff. How can at-will places of learning continue to supply great interpretive and education opportunities to meet the dwindling demand of visiting school groups and perhaps stimulate more demand?

For all that is stacked against the school field trip, it still cannot be beat for creating an impact on a student. One of the common comments heard at the information desk or kiosk from adults are, "I came here as a kid" or "I came here on a field trip."  Power of Place has tremendous impact on people, especially with students. Interpreters and guides should spend some time explaining, highlighting, and reminding their student visitors of the importance of the place they visit. It goes back to the concept of asking, "So what?" Answering this question directly or indirectly as part of the programming allows the Power of Place to work in the students, giving some understanding why they are there.

Working with children requires a different approach. Don't
"dumb it down", make it right for them!

A combination of education and interpretation needs to be the core of the program, be it an activity, tour, or special event. The Interpretive Equation and a bunch of creativity are necessary to create an impacting school program. However the interpretive site chooses to go about its school programming, it should be directly engaging to the student. Attention spans are at an all time low with handheld digital technology, streaming on-demand videos, and the like creating a culture of people who want stimulation. In some cases, the traditional tour-and-talk school program may not be acceptable anymore and a more engaging program should be considered. The Knowledge of Audience is essential to crafting an captivating program!

Creativity is also going to be essential because the culture of students is changing and more classic modes of education do not have the same impact as they did a generation ago. The school program must be interactive and relational. The challenge is the pre-planing, technological savvy, and of course the funds to make it happen. A further challenge is that the sorts of people who can do this are in short supply in the interpretive field and have to learn these skills in order to reach students.

Grabbing the attention of students is an art
worth pursuing

Even if an interpretive site has a set program, it should always be evaluated. "We have always done it this way" is an unacceptable answer. True, there may be some best practices at work in the program, but updating or tweaking the less essential parts can support the parts that already work well. Sometime a program must be reinvented from the ground up and here are a couple suggestions on how to do that. Sometimes utilizing a different technique can really change how a program operates and makes it better. Review the Interpretive Toolbox for ideas on how to be more engaging to students and teachers.The supply needs to create the demand and sites need to let the educators know what is being done at the interpretive site by advertising and getting the word out as well!

The point of all this is to satisfy the students, teachers, and administrators' desires for a great trip. A poor program comes under review and the school will perhaps stop coming. Having a great, vibrant, impacting school program not only keeps the school coming, but can bring other schools as well. Each spring and fall should be busy with school buses arriving and departing. Furthermore, each teacher should be impressed with what the interpretive site offers students and teachers as an assortment of educational opportunities. Lastly, each student should be excited to visit from what they have heard from other students. It takes effort, and often a collaborative effort of staff and teachers, to craft something unique and impacting so that these sites do not fall by the wayside and fade from importance.

Site Visit: Habitat for Humanity Global Village

There are times when you stumble upon something that at first seems like a day out and then suddenly strikes you as an interpretive "teachable moment". This is the case with Habitat for Humanity Global Village and Discovery Center in Americus, Georgia. Americus happens to be the headquarters location for the non-profit organization Habitat for Humanity, an organization that builds homes for people all around the world, both in poverty stricken countries but also in the US. Their Global Village is a showcase of what kinds of living structures volunteers and local soon-to-be home owners build and how they differ from country to country

My passport and cancellations

Since every location has different environmental factors like geography, climate, weather conditions and concerns, as well as cultural considerations and styles, every home in country is different. Since Mexico is totally different than Malaysia, the styles of homes are different as well. Using a set "cookie cutter" plan design, builders are able to build homes exactly the same way using the same design, materials, and methods to quickly put up a structure in that locality.

We were given a "passport" that we could stamp that indicated that we had visited all the locations provided and each home was equipped with a stamping station. Collecting stamps is a great way to encourage understanding and visiting every location.

The shanty town

The tour first starts off in a walk down a shantytown street. Houses are made of corrugated tin siding and roofing, dirt floors, narrow streets, pallet beds, broken chairs, and have unsafe or unsanitary conditions. Along this pathway are interpretive signs prompting emotional responses of the visitors. "Would you like to live here?", "Where would you use the bathroom?", and "Would you feel safe here?" are some of the questions that are asked of the visitors to consider as they wander through this display. The visitors are asked to think about their feelings about their experience, an Audience Centered Experience that puts the visitors in the shoes of the people who actually live in such conditions. One striking feature was the use of non functioning electrical equipment, such as a light bulb suspended by a string or a old TV set. The idea behind this bizarre decoration was the hope of a better future where the resident of the shack hoped to one day have electricity to use that light bulb or watch TV on that set, or run that fan or radio.

Interpretive questions

Mexico

Beyond the shantytown lay the Habitat for Humanity samples, grouped by region. Each had different floor plans, colors, materials, and methods. Included in the tour was a workshop area where some of the materials used for constructing some of the homes can be made as a demonstration for visiting groups. For example, a simple brick making machine helps churn out bricks that would be used for the construction. Demonstration is a great interpretive technique to foster understanding and empathy to the people helping to make their own homes or volunteers helping in those locations. It's also a physical activity that helps work out some of that extra energy from visiting kids.

Housing is a global problem and a national one too

While the focus is on the international efforts to help alleviate housing poverty, it also reminds the visitor that there is a housing problem in the United States as well. The rising costs of rent, or home ownership, make it hard to keep up adequate living conditions, even in the United States. The Habitat for Humanity Global Village, while it is not a historical interpretive site, is still an interpretive center that highlights a provocative question of how to house the world's rising population affordably and adequately. It answers the question with the sample building and demonstrates the organization's ability to help out with a national and international need by meeting one of the basic needs of everyone: to have a home.

Visit the website here: https://www.habitat.org/about/global-village-discovery-center

People in the History Field: Museum Technician

What is your name, position, and organization you work for?
Hello, my name is Tiffiny Durham and I am a Museum Technician with Fort Scott National Historic Site.

What does your job entail? What do you do on a daily basis?

Museum artifacts at Fort Scott NHS

As a Museum Technician, there are a variety of tasks that are incorporated into this operation. The main job is to keep an eye on the museum collection and monitor for any changes that occur within the collection itself. The collection consists of objects of many different materials such as natural materials, metal, wood, glass, ceramic, and textiles. While monitoring the collection, one must keep watch out for insect infestation or environmental factors such as temperature and RH [relative humidity] fluctuations, decay on the artifacts, light damage from the sun or indoor lights, and taking care that the catalog records are correct. To help maintain a state of control for temperature and RH, Museums are monitored with data loggers that take readings in 15 minute increments. We check data loggers for temperature and relative humidity to make sure we are meeting the guidelines for museum collection set by the National Park Service. Then other tasks include cleaning and dusting the collection, exhibits, and waysides; keeping track of catalog records and update them as needed; and determining what belongs in the collection and what is not relevant to the collection itself. The basis of my daily routine changes from one day to the other. No day is the same. Sometimes I am moving from building to building looking at insects, and then going on to writing grants for new additions to the museum, to cleaning and repairing objects or determining if the artifact needs to go to a conservator for repair. There are some days that I am working on the computer with cataloging records, or providing informal interpretation to visitors and answering questions they may have.

What other responsibilities do you have?
Working for a small park with the National Park Service, in comparison to large parks, you get to do a variety of different activities. These consist of roving and providing informal talks to visitors, guided tours, planning and coordinating special events, working on some small maintenance projects, writing grant proposals and providing educational outreach programs to the public. Just like working with each park, there are different experiences. By the end of the year, we conduct inventory and other mandated tasks according to museum standards the NPS adopted.

How did you get started in this line of work?
It started out in school in 2011 when I was finishing up my degree in Meteorology. I had the opportunity to complete an Internship for the National Weather Service. Through this internship I found out that the National Weather Service was not the right fit for me. I have a passion to teach people and show that there is more than meets the eye. One night at the end of my senior year in college, I decided to attend an environmental education program on East Campus and I met a Park Ranger at this outreach. This Ranger talked about some of the opportunities to enter into the Park Service. He told me how to apply through USA Jobs. It was a couple months later and I was hired to work at my first park, Wind Cave National Park.

An SCA intern cleaning an artifact

How did others get their start? Are there other ways in?
Getting into the Park Service is very competitive, but there are ways to start off and get a foot in the door. Several different ways are through the Youth Conservation Corps [YCC] program for high school students, the Federal Government's student hiring program called Pathways [https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/pathways.htm], and the Student Conservation Association [SCA] [https://www.thesca.org], diversity programs and military service. Contacting a park directly will give you some help with some of your questions.

How do you get a job in your position? What are the steps?
To get a job in my position, apply on www.usajobs.gov. You will want to make sure you have a federal resume that includes everything you have done from job experience, volunteer positions, and internships. Information required for federal resumes include how long you have been at a job and skills sets you have learned. On each job posting, there is information along with occupation questionnaires. Make sure to answer these questions in your resume as well as through the questionnaires; www.usajobs.gov/Help/ will provide you step by step suggestions on how to apply for federal jobs.

Another way to get a permanent position within the Park Service is under the Land Management Workforce hiring path. This allows those who have served and gained experience through the seasonal life to qualify for permanent positions once you have 24 months of work without a year break in service with an government land management department and positive evaluations from your supervisors. 

Consider the phrase: "Knowing what I know now, I would so something differently"? What would you do?
I really would have pursued the high school and college internships through the YCC and SCA and tried more different fields to have a wider and more rounded knowledge of the Park Service.

What would be the best thing you could suggest to someone if they wanted to be a Museum Technician?
Getting into the Park Service is a very competitive field. Keep at it; if you really want to make this a career, you will hear an assortment of no's. Don't let that stop you. You have to work to get in the Park Service, but it is completely worth it. With passion and fight and hard work, this career can become a reality to some people. It really shows that when you work hard for what you dream, you can achieve your goals. In addition: enjoy life as it is too short and take the opportunities as they come your way. 
This job is awesome because no two days are the same. I have met so many wonderful people in my career that have helped me over the years. The Park Service is like a second family. Some of my long lasting friends are from the Park Service. The Park Service has really pushed me out of my comfort zone and the growth I have seen in myself is amazing. Looking back between eight years ago and today, I am a completely different person. I wish you the best of luck on your journey in life!

People in the History Field: Director of Education

What is your name, position, and organization you work for?
Thomas Frezza, Director of Education, The National Museum of the US Navy. The museum is a part of the Naval History and Heritage Command, which is a command of the Navy, located at the Washington Navy Yard.

What does your job entail? What do you do on a daily basis?
My job entails a wide range of responsibilities. As Director of Education, I am in charge of all education programming in the museum. This includes tours, lectures, and outreaches. I am also in charge of developing content for said tours, online programs, and videos. Another huge part of my day to day is scheduling all of these events, along with guided and self-guided tours. I have two other staff members under me, who assist with everything and also cover visitor services duties. This goes on daily, monthly, and yearly. We also take part in outreaches to historic sites, museum ships, air shows, fleet weeks, and Navy weeks.

Do you think you need a degree to get this job?
Yes, I think you do need a degree to get this job. I have a Masters in History, though I think a Masters in Educator would also qualify a candidate.

How did you get started in this line of work?
I have a background in history that goes back several years. For almost three years, I worked for the National Park Service in the Education Department at Harpers Ferry National Historic Park. From there I moved to the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, where I worked in several positions, working my way up. I applied to my current job two years ago through the federal process and was able to get it.

How did others get their start? Are there other ways in?
I think there are several ways to get your start. I always credit varied experience in the history field in giving me a step up above over candidates. Its a long way to do it, but you will be better rounded and ready for any situation.

How do you get a job in your position? What are the steps?
I searched for and applied on USA Jobs, which is where all federal jobs are posted.

How do you progress in this line of work?
Very slowly. Once you are in the federal service, you have to wait about three years before you can really move on (and up) with safety. And you have to do it yourself by applying for jobs that step you up.

Why do you like this position? What are the benefits? Are these typical?
I like this job because the education department is the public face of the museum. I enjoy talking with people, answering questions, and making sure they leave with a little more knowledge then what they came in with.

What do you not like about this position? What are some of the drawbacks? Are these typical? 
I don't like the fact that the museum is on an active military base and that can be difficult for the general public to visit. This is typical for most Department of Defense [DOD] museums. It is one of the reasons why I rely heavily on outreaches.

Is this a rapidly growing field? Is it possible to predict future needs for workers in this field? 
I don't think this is a rapidly growing field. Jobs, at times, can be few and far between, and entry level positions are even rarer. I think in the future that will change, with a whole generation reaching retirement age. But it all depends on the government continuing to fund the DOD museum. 

Consider the phrase: "Knowing what I know now, I would so something differently"? What would you do?
I would stay the course, but if I could, or had the choice, I would have stayed with the National Park Service. I enjoyed my time with the Green and Grey [the uniform of the NPS is a grey shirt and green trousers]

What would be the best thing you could suggest to someone if they wanted to be a Director of Education?
Get all the experience you can, and make sure that it is varied.

Is this a position that you would recommend to others as a line or work to get into?
Yes, without a doubt. I am able to reach many people, including veterans, and the experience is amazing.

A lot of people are concerned about what the pay would be for their jobs, what kind of answer would you give to answer that question?
I am doing very well. My position is a GS-11, and my wife and I are very comfortable. What blew me away is that I have retirement and health insurance, which I did not have when working for a private non-profit. 

Thank you Tom, for spending the time to answer my questions! You can see more about Tom's work at this link: https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nmusn.html

Site Visit: The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes in downtown
Fort Scott, KS

The town of Fort Scott is home not only to a National Historic Site, but home to a unique museum. The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes sits in downtown. It was created as a result of an extraordinary chain of events starting back in 1999. In that year a teacher in Uniontown, KS, near Fort Scott, gave his students an assignment for National History Day. They found a newspaper clipping about a woman, Irena Sendler, who had saved over 2,500 children from the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland during German occupation. As they delved into Irena's story they decided to make a play based on her efforts and highlight her courage and accomplishments. When they discovered that she was still living, they made efforts to contact her and then as time went on, to eventually meet with her. The teacher partnered with Lowell Milken, an international businessman and philanthropist who supported the play called "Life in a Jar" and established the Lowell Milken Center to bring to light unsung heroes from all over the world that teach compassion, respect, and understanding. The Center encourages educators and students to create projects that tell their selected heroes' stories through performances, exhibits, websites, documentaries, or other forms of art medium and share them with the world. Some of these projects receive prizes and further recognition. The new center has many of these former projects and exhibitions on display.

The inside of the Lowell Milken Center

One Unsung Hero project had some resonance with my background. Called the Adam Shoemaker project, it highlighted Adam Shoemaker's influence over a young Abraham Lincoln. Shoemaker was a teacher, preacher, and abolitionist who had settled in southern Indiana, not far from where the Lincolns had their homestead and he preached in the church where the Lincolns attended. Having been to Lincoln's boyhood home and worked at his birthplace, I saw a thread connecting Shoemaker, Lincoln, the Lowell Milken Center at Fort Scott, and myself. Lincoln credits Shoemaker as having an early influence upon his views of opposing slavery.

The Center also highlights the roles of Ken Reinhardt and Ann Williams and their friendship to Elizabeth Eckford. Ms. Eckford was one of the Little Rock Nine who broke the color barrier of segregation by attending the formerly all-white high school in 1957. While not diminishing the courage or the hardships of the Little Rock Nine, the project focused on Reinhardt's hardships being a white student who had to face hatred and discrimination as well from his fellow white students. In spite of peer pressure and intimidation, Ken Reinhardt and Ann Williams, another white student, helped Eckford and other black students in their classes through their year at school before it was shut down.

"What do you stand for?" is a call
to action on the part of the visitor

One of the distinguishing features of the Center was its use of interpretive techniques. While it is informative and illuminating to read and experience the stories of unsung heroes getting a little light to shine in, the heroes each have a simple common theme: they saw something wrong and did something about it. Some of the things they did had great consequences, others had subtle and personal meaning, but all did something that changed the way things were for the better. The main exhibit area charges visitors with an interpretive technique called "Call to Action". A large poster for portraits and selfies asks visitors, "What do you stand for?" Essentially, it overtly asks the visitors what they believe and what they choose to do about it. Faced with an injustice, will the visitors be bystanders or will they act on their beliefs? "Call to Action" is a tremendous interpretive technique that can powerfully conclude an interpretive program and provoke the visitors with the information presented to them in a manner that they must address within themselves. In all the projects the students' pursuit of the stories makes them personal and therefore meaningful projects; there are so many unsung heroes out there, but why they are important to the investigating students is a matter of interpreting those stores in meaningful ways.

Much of the Center exhibits are flat panel pictures and text, which can be wearisome after a while. Big text and pictures and the inclusion of mixed art pieces bring the interest back up; some artifacts are used and some tactile objects are available, but the site has a decidedly 'adult' feel that children may not respond to very well. Indeed, many of the themes of the projects are real world problems that adults and some children have to deal with that can be scary, but by and large, children may have some trouble with the content and presentations of the Center. The Center also utilizes some of the vacant downtown storefronts with standing posters exhibiting other unsung heroes. The Lowell Milken Center is an excellent use of time if people  have a free morning or afternoon to visit while they are in southeastern Kansas and want to know more about the good that is being done around the world, and is an excellent interpretive museum.

You can find more information about the Lowell Milken Center at this link: https://www.lowellmilkencenter.org/

People in the History Field: Chief of Interpretation

What is your name, position, and organization you work for?
My name is Stacy Humphreys and I am the Chief of Interpretation and Resource Management at Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park, one unit of the National Park Service.

What does your job entail? What do you do on a daily basis?
In my current position, I oversee the Division of Interpretation at the park. This means Park Rangers you see that greet you at the park's information desk, or give a program to the visitor public; that is the division I supervise. I am also responsible for the care and upkeep of the park's natural and cultural resources. As far as what I do on a daily basis, there are no two days that are alike and that is one of the things I really love about my job! I deal with different things on different days. It can be challenging but that also helps keep my job fresh and enjoyable for me as well.

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHP Memorial Building

What other responsibilities do you have? Things that happen weekly, monthly, yearly, or specially?
Besides overseeing the Division of Interpretation, I oversee the daily operations at the Birthplace Visitors Center, Memorial Building, and Boyhood Home Unit of the park. I also oversee the park's Volunteer-In-Parks Program, Education Program, Distance Learning Program, and various special events such as the annual education event called Walk Through Lincoln's Life. I also am the person who hires the seasonal and intern staff for our division so I have to review resumes, conduct interviews, and make reference calls related to this duty. For the Resource Management side of things I do the necessary compliance documentation related to any project that we do here at the park. For example, if there is a ground disturbance involved (especially in sensitive areas) I have to do the proper compliance review and documentation for this. Another exciting thing we are currently working on here at the park is the development and design of the new interpretive exhibits for the future Boyhood Home Unit Visitors Center that is set to open in a few years.

Do you think you need a degree to get this job?
Yes, for most NPS jobs you do need a degree to be hired. My background is History. I have a BA in History and a minor in Business Administration and I have an MA in History with an emphasis in 19th century American Studies, Parks and Recreation, and Public History.

How did you get started in this line of work?

Stacy Humphreys and her mentor, Becky Lyons,
at Gettysburg

I have been a history geek my entire life! I grew up going to Civil War battlefields. So, when I was getting ready to go to college I knew that I wanted to major in history. For many years, one of the favorite vacation spots for my family was Gettysburg National Military Park. One of the Rangers, Becky Lyons (my NPS mentor) pulled me aside one day after she knew I was getting ready to graduate with my BA in History and asked if I had considered being a Park Ranger and working for the NPS. I told her that I had always admired Park Rangers but didn't know how to become one, but I thought that this is something I would like to do. She arranged for me to have an interview with her boss for an internship position at the park for the following summer and that is how my NPS career was started!

How did others get their start? Are there other ways in? There are other ways in! Some start as an intern (such as myself) or park volunteer. Other folks start by working a seasonal job with Interpretation or another division. It's all about getting a "foot in the door" and getting some experience that you can put on a resume.

How do you get a job in your position? What are the steps? In my career, I have worked at 6 different National Parks. I always tell individuals who might be interested in the NPS to be flexible and be willing to move and to take jobs that aren't always your "dream job" but that entry-level job will get you where you want to be!

The symbolic birthplace cabin

How do you progress in this line of work?
I have been blessed to always work in the history field. When I was 18, and the summer I graduated from high school, I was able to get a summer job at a local state park neat where I grew up called Pricketts Fort State Park, located in Fairmont, WV. I worked there summers while I was in college. I started out working in the visitor center and gift shop selling entry passes to the fort, dusting museum cases and making sales in the gift shop. In the 4 summers I worked there, I eventually worked my way up to being a historical interpreter at the Job Prickett House at the park, which is a Civil War era home, The summer I graduated with my BA in History, I worked as a Park Intern at Gettysburg Military Park. I worked there the following summer as a seasonal Park Ranger. When I was getting ready to graduate with my MA, I was offered a job as a Park Guide (permanent!) at Independence National Park and after a short time there I moved on to the National Mall in Washington, DC. I had been offered a Park Ranger position and for many folks this is what you have to do: you have to move around to get different positions/jobs to gain more experience in preparation for your next position within the NPS. After just over a year on the National Mall, I moved on to Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park in Virginia. This was a great job as I got to work a 4 major battlefields of the Civil War and I also served as the park's certified Historic Weapons Supervisor. I was able to obtain a working 12 pdr Napoleon cannon [fires a 12 lb. projectile] that we used during living history programs. That cannon was my baby! After 6 years at Fredericksburg, I got my first supervisory position at the Gateway Arch National Park (then called the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial) in St. Louis. I helped oversee the day-to-day operations of the Gateway Arch visitor center including moving visitors to the top of the arch in the tram. After about 2 years there I was offered my current position at Abraham Lincoln Birthplace.

Co-workers

Why do you like this position? What are the benefits? Are these typical? I like the constant changing nature of my job. What I do today, I will probably do different things tomorrow. I also enjoy working with people, both my staff and the visiting public. There are benefits with my job: we get paid vacation and sick leave as well as health and retirement benefits. This is very typical for a Federal Government job.

What do you not like about this position? What are some of the drawbacks? Are these typical? 
As mentioned this is a Federal Government job so there is a bit of bureaucracy and paperwork that goes with it that can be trying at times.

Is this a rapidly growing field? Is it possible to predict future needs for workers in this field? 
As far as is this rapidly growing or future needs: I know the NPS will always need people who are willing to be Park Rangers. As long as you remain flexible and are willing to move and BE PERSISTENT you will probably be able to find some type of job within the NPS.

Do you agree with the phrase: "Knowing what I know now, I would so something differently"? What would you do?
No! Knowing what I know I would still work for the NPS. Now I would probably make a few smaller decisions about certain moves in my career a little differently. But without a doubt, I would still want to work for the NPS!

What would be the best thing you could suggest to someone if they wanted to be a Chief of Interpretation?
1) Remain flexible - you never know what opportunities you may have when you accept a job that's out of your comfort zone

2) Have a Good Sense of Humor! Don't be afraid to laugh at yourself of any situation that you might find yourself in.

3) Be Persistent! I know folks who have sent out 250 job applications just to get a seasonal position. DON'T GIVE UP!

4) Have Fun! Get out and see the country! You can do it by working for the NPS!

Is this a position that you would recommend to others as a line or work to get into?
Yes! I'm not saying its perfect or that I don't get discouraged at times. But it makes me feel good knowing that I'm part of something that is bigger than myself and that I am helping to take care of things and places "for future generations" that will be around long after I am gone. And to help to (hopefully) inspire that next generation of Park Rangers!

A lot of people are concerned about what the pay would be for their jobs, what kind of answer would you give to answer that question?
Currently I'm a GS-11. The GS pay scale is available online so anyone can look it up. Starting out, entry-level Park Ranger or Park Guide would start out at a GS-04 or a GS-05. For an individual this is not too difficult but you have to mind what you spend especially if you live in an urban area. Once you start moving up through the ranks at the GS-07, 09 or 11 then yes, a family of 4 could live off of this pay.

Thank you, Stacy Humphreys, for spending the time to answer my questions!

People in the History Field: Museum Curator of Education

Some fun at our 2017 Young Historians Summer Day Camp

What is your name, position, and organization you work for?
Traci Manning, Curator of Education, Mahoning Valley Historical Society – Youngstown, Ohio

What does your job entail? What do you do on a daily basis?

I oversee all of our public and school programming. We serve nearly 11,000 students and visitors each year with a myriad of programs. I have been in this position for just over six years and in that time I have created a 3-pronged approach to programming – Curriculum Programs, Public Programs, and Family and Youth Programs. The bulk of our work is in PreK-12 Curriculum based programming, serving approximately 6,500 local students and teachers each year. We offer a wide mix of “Suitcase” programs which bring our museum into the classroom. These programs are led by myself or one of the Museum Educators I supervise, aligned to curriculum standards, and are based in interactive learning. We also offer Learning Resource Kits for teachers to borrow, custom program and curriculum development, professional development, and teacher in-service days. Our Public Programs are designed to engage our diverse local audience through exhibit openings, evening lectures, walking tours, lunch and learn programs, workshops, a Speaker’s Bureau, behind-the-scenes tours, and special events. Family and Youth Programs include our popular Summer History Camps, Hands-On-History Open House programs, Scout programs, and other general outreach events in the community.

Pioneer Life Program at Damascus Elementary School

As with many people in similar positions, no day is a normal day. This position offers a huge variety from day to day. One day, I might be out at a school teaching 6-hour long programs to 4^th graders about local Native American history. The next day, I might be speaking to a local club about women’s history during the Civil War. Following that, I might be assisting with exhibit research or attending to more administrative issues such as program scheduling, creating marketing materials, or cleaning our classroom spaces (an on-going thing!)

What other responsibilities do you have? Things that happen weekly, monthly, yearly, or specially?

I have a number of other responsibilities – as many of us who work in medium sized non-profit museums do. Our staff has 9 full-time employees, 7 permanent part-time employees, and 15 part-time paid tour guides. I supervise, train, and evaluate a team of Museum Educators and interns. I serve as our Volunteer Coordinator, interviewing and assigning new volunteers and working to maintain current ones. I do quite a bit of marketing – program flyers, window displays, digital marketing (including social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram), TV and radio interviews, and brochures.

I help with various special events – designing a huge exhibit space for an annual holiday exhibit at our 1905 historic house museum. I also coordinate a massive effort for our largest fundraiser – Cookie Table and Cocktails. I oversee 75+ bakers and coordinate the drop-off and organization of more than 10,000 cookies. I also organize the judging of those cookies with 50 judges in a bracket category system. This responsibility was taken out of necessity as this fundraiser raises more than $20,000 a year for our organization. While it’s one of the busiest things I do, it’s also one of the most fun!

Local Industry Program at Warren JFK Lower Campus

Beyond that, I assist with other things as needed. As a senior staff member, I am involved in our weekend rotation, overseeing our other site - Tyler Mahoning Valley History Center one weekend a month. I represent our organization in a group of other area museums and cultural centers, known as the Mahoning Cultural Collaborative.

Do you think you need a degree to get this job?

Yes. This position is a senior level position and I supervise a number of people. I have a BA in Religion, a MA in Applied History, and a post-graduate certificate in Curriculum and Instruction in Secondary Social Studies Education. Many people in museum work have History degrees, but I found that taking the extra step in Education set me apart.

How did you get started in this line of work?

I started as an intern with the National Park Service. That internship led me to a year-round position that I had for more than 5 years with the National Park Service.

How did others get their start? Are there other ways in?

There are many ways into this line of work, but I think those with the most success are willing to start at the bottom and work their way up. Internships, volunteering, and other entry level positions are very important in building skills and learning the things that a classroom education can never teach.

How do you get a job in your position? What are the steps?

Our American Alliance of Museums site visit for our
reaccreditation in the summer of 2017

Continuing my previous answer, I think the willingness to start at the bottom is important. I understand that not everyone is in a position to work an unpaid internship or a low paying part time job, but I have found that most employers will work with you if you need to schedule around another paid position elsewhere. I have seen many people leave this field for work in the for-profit community or in a completely unrelated field, but those who are able to stick it out eventually find success. It isn’t easy, but I believe it’s worth it if waiting is a possibility for you.

How do you progress in this line of work?

At my current organization, the only potential upward movement would be as our Executive Director, who I directly report to. I am not in a position, currently, to want that level of administrative responsibility. There’s an old saying that the higher you go, the more boring the job. I believe that’s very true. I find that I am teaching less and less, and am stuck at my desk more and more as I progress in this position. Beyond this organization, progress would be moving to a larger museum system with a similar job but overseeing a much larger program and audience.

Why do you like this position? What are the benefits? Are these typical?

I love 90% of my job, and I think most people who love their job would agree with that. Of course there are things that frustrate me, but I am generally very happy here. I have a lot of creative freedom and trust from my Executive Director, and that means the world to me. I’d also consider that one of the best benefits of this position. The pay isn’t great, but I survive. Other benefits include paid time off, medical and personal leave, health insurance, and a retirement package with employer contributions. These things aren’t super common at small or medium sites and I am very lucky that our Board of Directors works to take great care of us. We also have the freedom to excel in our positions and seek professional development opportunities.

Cookie Table and Cocktails 2018
- it's a tough job!

What do you not like about this position? What are some of the drawbacks? Are these typical?

I struggle with the size of the staff and taking on responsibilities that take me away from my priorities or out of my comfort zone. Other drawbacks would be very typical in any field – differing opinions with other staff members, limited budgets, and so on.

Is this a rapidly growing field? Is it possible to predict future needs for workers in this field?

I hope museum education is growing, but I think it needs to evolve to survive. We need to get away from traditional museum experiences and find new ways to reach the public and students. We need to meet them where they are and not where they were 30 years ago.  

"Knowing what I know now, I would do something differently"? What would you do?

Actually no. I always wanted to work in this field, even since I was a young kid. Growing up, I only ever wanted to be a National Park Service Ranger and I was lucky enough to be in that position for many years. Leaving the NPS was very difficult for me, but I have found that I really enjoy the non-profit museum world. I have a lot more freedom but I am still teaching and interpreting local history, working with the public, and living the dream.

What would be the best thing you could suggest to someone if they want to be a Museum Education Curator?

If someone wants to become a leading museum educator or in charge of an education department, I’d suggest learning your field of study but also learning about Education. Take education classes, work with teachers, learn about curriculum standards and school/child psychology, and hone your teaching skills just as much as you’d hone your historian (or other) skills.

Is this a position that you would recommend to others as a line of work to get into?

I’d recommend anyone to follow their dreams. This field is fun and rewarding, but it’s stressful and fast-paced. I know many museum educators who transition out of education and into other museum fields after 10 or so years due to the stressful nature. I am still passionate after more than 13 years in this field but I understand how people can get burnt out. No museum field is easy to get into, but anything is possible.

Would a single person just starting this position be able to make ends meet with the salary? Would a person with a family and two children be able to make ends meet in the middle of the salary range?

My salary is on the low end of normal but I am fortunate enough to live in a region that has a very affordable cost of living. I am not sure if someone in this position could support children without additional income from a spouse or partner. I live relatively well, but there are definitely times when finances are an issue. I don’t think too many people get into the non-profit world to make money; I think we do it for the work and the impact we can have. We all have to be able to live, of course, but the fringe benefits of this position make up for quite a bit.

People in the History Field: Director of Interpretation

What is your name, position, and organization you work for?

Janet Dennis, Director of Interpretation, Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa

What does your job entail? What do you do on a daily basis?

Generally, I am responsible for hiring, scheduling, training and evaluating historical interpreters, planning/researching/facilitating the implementation of new interpretive programs and events, and interpreting to the public when extra historic interpreters are needed. I also develop budget proposals to be approved by the museum president and then monitor department expenditures for current budget year.

The Collections Registrar and Period Clothing Specialist also currently report to me. I have input in the selection of traveling exhibitions and sometimes assist our registrar in installation of traveling and in-house exhibitions. I serve on the collections and livestock committees, assisting in taking meeting minutes, setting agendas, and writing/compiling drafts of policy for committee approval.

I am a member of the museum senior management team, which means I serve in the daily Manager on Duty rotation (serving as the daily manager contact for visitor issues, maintenance and other requests, and emergency management), make monthly board reports, help in strategic planning, and assist other departments as needed, such as providing planning input for our education department or working fund-raising events with our development team and occasionally making potential donor visits.

A typical day really depends on the season of the year. I am a front line interpreter on event days in period clothing during the June-August period—maybe two to four days a month. In early spring and late fall, as we handle high volume school touring, I am often on site in period clothing 3 days out of five. In the winter program season, I generally work an evening class or program at least once every two weeks and help cover holiday events and education programs. I also give periodic outreach presentations to local adult groups as part of our interpretive programs.

My office days include working on scheduling, budgeting, research and program development. I attend many staff status meetings with front line interpretive site supervisors,as well as administration meetings. I handle customer service communications with guests requesting information or giving feedback to the museum. Periodically during the year, I plan and lead interpretive training meetings for both paid staff and volunteer interpreters. In late summer and fall, I assist site supervisors with their seasonal staff evaluations and then conduct site supervisor performance evaluations.

Do you think you need a degree to get this job? (if so what kind(s)?)

I think a bachelor’s degree, in something-history, business, communications, science, something-- is needed and a museum studies focus can be very helpful. My history and museum studies degrees have been useful in knowing best practices for my field, building research and writing skills, and gaining a foundation in many aspects of museum work.

How did you get started in this line of work?
 I interned as a historical interpreter at the recommendation of my college adviser during my undergraduate college work. That sparked my interest in working in the public history field rather than in a classroom. Professional mentors helped me find a museum studies program to support my interests. I did several more internships that helped me develop contacts, new skills and experiences.

How did others get their start? Are there other ways in?
I really think you have to be willing to put in the time to gather many experiences and network with others. Many co-workers in the interpretation field started out as volunteers or seasonal staff before realizing this is what they wanted to do full time. Some went off to a museum studies program, but others worked to learn from their peers and find other internships for training. A museum studies degree isn't always necessary, but experience is - and that takes time. Seeking out opportunities to volunteer in different museum areas, working as an intern or part-time staffer in museums is a good way to get resume building and skill building done. Attending professional conferences, even local and regional ones, is also a great way to network. This can be expensive for a student of a new professional but there are often scholarships available. I would encourage people not to discount the field experience found in other lines of work; retail, teaching, marketing, all of these areas teach you to work with the public and how to organize program instructions and communicate clearly.

How do you get a job in your position? (What are the steps?) 
I have worked many different positions in my current museum before becoming a department manager. I have been fortunate to be able to internally apply for next level positions as they opened up. I was an intern, a summer seasonal staffer, then a site lead, then a full-time area supervisor, and then director. This happened over the course of about 12 years. I have now been with my current institution for almost 25 years. Museums definitely hire outside of their own internal staff, but, I feel, they really look for candidates with experience in supervising others, training new staff, developing new program ideas.

How do you progress in this line of work?

I was fortunate enough to be able to gradually move up in one institution by demonstrating I could handle new responsibilities. This was a very lucky thing as I was committed to staying in the same city due to family. But in many museums, internal promotion can take a long time as senior management positions don’t open up quickly. To move through the ranks faster, I think a young staffer needs to be willing to move around to where the jobs are. Before coming to work in the Des Moines area, I worked in several other cities and types of museums, moving to be able to take positions that would build experience for me. I worked at a children’s science museum as a gallery program leader for two years, before coming to Des Moines. Even though my long term plan was to work in history, science was where I found a starting job. I made A LOT of bubbles and did a lot of programs on magnets before I was able to switch to a history museum. In that time, I learned how to work with community partners, how to program for traveling exhibits and curriculum trends and how to engage with small children—I had not really worked with toddlers before. My manager at the science museum was a fantastic teacher and I credit many of my programming skills to her leadership. It was worth the time to work out of my field to learn future skills.

Why do you like this position? What are the benefits? Are these typical?
I like this position because it has so many varied duties. I still am able to work with the public in period clothing, but I also have the research and development aspects of creating new programming. I enjoy training new interpreters and working with many different types of staff, in my own department and across the museum. New ideas and new creative energy come from these relationships. Because my institution is a relatively small staff, departments work with each other. I have an opportunity to support the marketing team, the maintenance team, collections, and education teams. I think this helps break down department silos. In a larger institution, I am not sure this collaboration exists to this degree.

What do you not like about this position? What are some of the drawbacks? Are these typical?  
The challenge of my position is similar to any middle management position. There are always too many work projects that are constantly on deadlines and not enough hours in the day to get them done. Budgets in the museum field are tight and it’s necessary to constantly make tough prioritizing decisions about expenses. I think that is typical everywhere, regardless of museum size and department.

And much of the time, I am working on the logistics of managing current programs—schedules, budgets, staff evaluation, not researching or creating new dynamic history programming. As a manager responsible for staffing, I often get calls on my “days off” to cover for staffers out sick or to address sudden changes in programming resources, etc. I think that both of those challenges are typical. If you manage people, you have to put in the logistical time and deal with personality conflicts. I do still work some evenings, some holidays and many weekends—it’s not a set M-F kind of thing. Most of the time, I actually like that, but for someone else who wants every Sunday off, it might not be their cup of tea. 

Is this a rapidly growing field? Is it possible to predict future needs for workers in this field?
There are many industry studies tracking tourism and museum growth trends. The trends currently talk about the changes in corporate giving and the difficulties historic house museums, especially, have in attracting new visitors. While there are a great many museums nationwide, the funding to support the museum work force is a constant challenge. There will always be a need for curators and museum educators, but most of the positions are not glamorous and certainly most do not have salaries to compare with a for-profit corporation. Someone going into this field needs to realize they have to be in it for their own personal love of the work, not for the "fortune and glory." 

"Knowing what I know now, I would do something differently"? What would you do?
I would break down and take an accounting course. And I would have tried to work in more internships with varied museums or be more active in professional organizations. I'm an introvert (yes, really) and networking conferences are pretty challenging for my personality - but they are really useful.

What would be the best thing you could suggest to someone if they want to be a historic site interpretive program manager?
Be willing to gather field experience and commit to the long haul. It may take time to find a permanent position in your perfect place. Be patient and keep at it. When needed, be willing to work other jobs to support your passion. I held a part-time retail job for several years to supplement my income until I was promoted to full-time at the museum. To me, it was worth balancing the two to continue doing what I loved.

Is this a position that you would recommend to others as a line of work to get into? 
If you like helping people discover connections to the past, if you enjoy being flexible and creative, and feel your satisfaction in seeing the work completed well will outweigh the need for a six figure salary, I would definitely recommend it. I enjoy my work and feel I am giving something back to the community. I am adequately compensated for my efforts based on the cost of living in Des Moines and local industry standards. My co-workers care about what they do and are inspiring to work alongside. On my front line program days, I get to dress up in carefully crafted period dress, feed chickens, and work with wood stoves or other historic machinery and I actually get to see the outside. I get to see people's eyes light up when they really engage with the program or historic resource. Office days can be just as rewarding when I am able to solve program challenges, support new staff, and feel like I am contributing to moving the museum forward.

Thanks for sharing Janet! You can check out Living History Farms at their website here!