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| Some fun at our 2017 Young Historians Summer Day Camp |
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.
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| 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 4th 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!
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| 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?
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| 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.
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| 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.
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