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!

People in the History Field: Education Specialist

What is your name, position, and organization you work for?
My name is Amber Kraft and I am an Education Specialist (Education and Public Programs Producer), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)

What does your job entail? What do you do on a daily basis?
I develop, plan, implement, and evaluate educational and community outreach programs using archival resources for a wide range of school, youth group, family, adult or other audiences. These programs highlight the variety of materials in the holdings of the National Archives and encourage life-long learning. I create programs that will engage our museum audiences in dynamic, relevant, authentic, age-appropriate education activities, programs and products. To do this I develop supportive and collaborative relationships with the education community, both locally, and nationally. I assist with training and determine appropriate intern and volunteer projects. I serve as a mentor and guide for interns and volunteers to observe in action and learn best practices in museum learning for all audiences as well as guide them through the internship projects.

Sleep Over at the National Archives

Some examples of projects I'm currently working on include a series of hands-on adult workshops: in July, we are doing sundials, in August, escape room through an exhibit space, in September, Constitution materials, and in October WWI knitting brigade. I am also preparing for our October sleepover for 8 - 12 year-olds focusing on Native American records. Some ongoing projects include running our learning lab programs for 2nd grade through high school students, a program in our theater looking at game design in the Constitution, our annual educators open house, Constitution Day, Family Day, activities for NASA's 60th birthday, preparing session presentations at WWII Institute and AASLH [American Association of State and Local History] as well as supervising projects for 13 interns this summer and coordinating about 50 public program volunteers. 

What other responsibilities do you have? Things that happen weekly, monthly, yearly, or specially?
Reporting stats, planning and coordinating meetings, ordering supplies, writing funding proposals, whatever odds and ends need to get done to deliver successful, engaging programs.

Do you think you need a degree to get this job?
A bachelors or masters degree is required for most entry level public history positions in the federal government but what it is in specifically isn't as important. The most important thing is to learn how to learn and never stop doing it or stop pushing yourself to do better and learn more.

How did you get started in this line of work?
My first "real" job when I was in high school was working as a tram hostess at Space Center Houston giving tours of the Johnson Space Center. It was a lot of fun working in the museum. In school I was a political science major and thought I wanted to go into politics. After trying several jobs through my internships I found that I wasn't how I wanted to spend my life. When I was growing up my family went on vacations to National Parks and so I thought I would try that. I got a job as a seasonal interpretive park guide at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia where I got to talk about the creation of our government, give tours of Independence Hall and other duties perfect for a political science major. After one season I was given the job as a permanent and then a year later I got a  temporary promotion to be an education program developer and create the school and educator programs at [Independence National Historical Park] from the ground up.

Examining documents

How did others get their start? Are there other ways in?
There is not one way to get into interpretation, museum education, and public programs. Be flexible, be persistent and if what you are doing isn't working, try a different tactic. Volunteer, get experience, and really wow people with what you can do!

On the nuts and bolts side, look on USAjobs[.gov]. All federal positions are listed there from the National Park Service, to the Smithsonian, to the National Archives and others. Explore the seasonal, term and permanent positions. If you are a student there are also special hiring authorities for you. Have someone already in the federal government take a look at your resume. A federal resume is very different (a lot longer) from a non-federal one. There are also thousands of private, state, or county parks. museums, and cultural sites out there.

How do you get a job in your position? What are the steps?
Be open to opportunities and say yes when you get one. If you don't know how to do something, volunteer and then figure it out. Look around and see how things can be better, then make the changes that are within you sphere of influence and suggestions for those that are outside.

How do you progress in this line of work?
For me personally I feel that it is time to move on when I have a good grasp on the work and am not learning new things or having new experiences regularly. That is when I get on USAJobs and see what other opportunities are out there.

Escape Room program at National Archives

Why do you like this position? What are the benefits? Are these typical?
I feel that the work and mission is important and that I am adding to the betterment of society. It is work that you get to leave a lasting legacy and impression for the people you have in the programs developed, volunteers, interns and staff that you work with, and in the institutions you are in. You may never know the full impact of the work that you do, but the work is important. I like this position because every day is different. I get to work with and meet lots of great people, use my talents and creativity and have fun!

Puppet show at National Archives

Is this a rapidly growing field? Is it possible to predict future needs for workers in this field?
This is a field that is changing. Museums are looking to future trends, technology and visitor expectations. More and more universities are offering museum studies, museum education, public history and other similar graduate programs making a graduate degree a minimum requirement for many entry level positions. Economy, budget and funding issues are challenges and are competing sources for potential visitor's time. Budgets and staffing are in short supply and people are being asked to do more with less or do different with less. These challenges offer opportunities to continuously rethink and evaluate what we are doing, and why we are doing it. It provides necessity to bring in constituents and have them be a part of the conversation of what is important to them and it helps make sure that we do not become stagnant as institutions.

Do you agree with the phrase: "Knowing what I know now, I would do something differently"? What would you do?
As far as the career choices that I have made I don't think that I would do anything differently. I have learned from every job and supervisor that I have had. Sometimes it has been things to do and sometimes it has been things not to do. I try to do my best everyday and if I am always doing my best, I wouldn't want to do anything else.

What would be the best thing you could suggest to someone if they wanted to be an Education Specialist?
It doesn't matter what job or career you do, but make sure that it is something that you truly love. You spend too much of your life at work for it to be anything but a passion.

Is this a position that you would recommend to others as a line or work to get into?
I love the work that I do and highly recommend it to others as long as they are ready to work hard and have fun doing it!

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?
Entry level positions in public history in the government and where I started are around a GS-5.  My current education specialist position is a GS [General Service] - 12 on the federal pay scale.

Thank you, Amber Kraft, for spending the time to answer my questions! If you want to learn more about what the National Archives have to offer, a calendar of events can be found at https://www.archives.gov/calendar

New Series! People in the History Field

Ryan at the beginning of his Public History
career as a Park intern at Harpers Ferry NHP

One of the things that happens in a small community like the Public History field is the networking that inevitably results from working in it. Even as a volunteer, the people who are actually working in the places one volunteers at are links in a chain that go in all sorts of directions. Your career (such as it is) will continue to redirect and change. Those other people you formerly worked with will do the same. Sooner or later the people you knew several jobs ago are doing something different, yet are still following their passion. Maybe they went into museums, or into state parks, or private organizations, or non-profits. Sometimes they make up their own thing, or become part of a national or international entity. Throughout my career, I have had the good fortune of amassing several contacts that have changed since I have known them and gone on different paths than I have. Very few people stay on the same stable trajectory, so I have decided that I should reach out to these individuals and ask if they would be willing to share what they have learned and share a bit of what they do to give a 'real world' description of what it takes to be in that position and what to do to prepare for it. It is important to get a

Ryan in current position. Still working at making it permanent,
but making it work for now.

realistic view of what this field looks like because some college or university professors and career advisers make it seems like getting into the Public History world is easy-peasy and in many cases it is not! Also, it is difficult staying in it since much of this work is low-paying and seasonal. This series will be more like a "So you want my job?" interview blog posts talking with other professionals in this larger field of Public History/Interpretation/Education. It is not to dissuade the interested person, but to give a real view of what it is like and what you can reasonably expect. I will post these as time goes on in addition to regular posts here as the interviews are finished and approved by my editorial staff, so stay tuned for some great posts from great individuals that I have had the privilege to know. It is my hope that the interested history student, or person looking to get into this field has the understanding of what their life might look like if they want to come and join us here.

Site Visit: Fort Larned

I've been to a number of forts over the years, from Fort McHenry in Baltimore to Fort Point in San Francisco. I have even had the opportunity to work at a fort. Each one is different. Fort Larned was the same way. Unique and original. Recently, I had the opportunity to return to Kansas and tour Fort Larned.

The entrance to Fort Larned

I visited on a weekday, as my schedule required me to do so, so it was not peak visitation day nor interpretive programming available, but it was great for taking time to look through the exhibit space. A brochure was really necessary as there were not of flat panel signs that talked about the buildings or about the fort's history. Because I had a toddler in tow, it made it hard to look through the museum portion because he was on the go. Larned is not very traveler friendly. It is not really near any big cities or large highways. However, it is well worth the visit.

The Parade Ground, flag pole,
cannon piece, and officer quarters

Fort Larned was established just before the Civil War and was used to protect traders travelling to Santa Fe. Soldiers stationed at the fort were there to protect and fight Native Americans and conduct peace treaties. The fort was also a home for the 10th Cavalry. This unit was comprised of Black soldiers nicknamed the "Buffalo Soldiers". Fort Larned was also the location of an Indian Agency and a distribution center for US annuities to Native Americans as a result of the peace treaties. With the departure of the Native Americans to reservations, the importance of the fort left with them and the post was soon abandoned in 1878. It was purchased by a private buyer but curious visitors felt the need to leave their names and dates on the sandstone walls as they toured. The fort became a National Park in 1960s and is preserved for new curious visitors daily.

The buildings were spacious. The areas for visitors were plenty and available for large group tours to be all together. The Quartermaster buildings had lots of equipment in the rooms, especially boxes. There was also blockhouse which doubled as a guardhouse and jail. The fort's hospital area was interactive, in that the visitor could sit or even lie upon the hospital cots. In the company barrack room, a Ranger had the barrier down and I could wander among the racks and closely inspect items. The Park had large amounts of Living History clothing on display that the Park staff and volunteers might be able to use for demonstrations and Living History. It gave the rooms a lived in feel and, making them less like show exhibits. In contrast, the officer's quarters were furnished how an officer or his family might live in them for show, though behind a barrier.

The enlisted barracks

We visited the Blacksmith's shop where he explained the process of making a chain link while he made one.

Critical links made on demand

The facilities at Fort Larned are great for large tour groups like school students. The buildings are well maintained and had a great number of rooms furnished for viewing and rooms for interacting. The only drawback is that it is that it was so far off the beaten path that this made it the kind of park that you have to want to get to on purpose, rather than a fun thing that you find along the way. Of course, the Park cannot help that, but if you are even in central Kansas, please go and visit, or visit the website at www.nps.gov/fols.

Is ACE high or low?

Recently the National Park Service has been shifting its advanced Interpretive Programming to something that is called ACE, or "Audience Centered Experiences", in an effort to more closely engage visitors. As this is a fairly recent shift, some of the information may change or be different, so I will try to correct the information as I find it. The dynamic behind ACE is increasing visitation, to provide visitors with relevance, and to engage them through their own experiences. This level of interpretation can take place anywhere regardless of what kind of site it may be.

One of the reasons for this shift in emphasis is something that has been plaguing sites, parks, and other public education locations for the last few years: decreasing visitation. These places are getting less interested visitors and not enough minority demographics. The sense is that there are no means for exploring collective input from these communities and the sites "tell the same old story". This, combined with the rapid advancement of technology, makes maintaining and increasing visitation more difficult for public places. The effort is now being made to foster a facilitation style interpretation program that allows the visitors to input their thoughts and ideas into interpretive programming, thus creating more engagement and a better visitation experience. As defined as a such, the National Parks need to live up to their full potential, their argument goes. Visitors to a place using ACE would not only learn and enjoy themselves, but also gain new skills in critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration, global awareness, and an understanding and literacy in scientific, civic, health, environmental, historical, and financial topics. Essentially the Park System would support and foster an "informed and active citizenry, prepared to meet the challenges of a globalized and changing society."

Less me talking and them listening is ok to me!

The shift is basically characterized as a movement away from the interpreter as presenter to being a collaborative facilitator for the visitors on programming. The shift for the visitors is from a subjective, passive learning and enjoying experience to a collective learning from each other sharing experience that helps them connect to each other, the resource, and their roles in society.



The stated purpose for ACE is to enrich people's lives through meaningful learning experiences and enjoyable recreation; protect and preserve natural and cultural resources through broad collaboration and shared stewardship; and inspire social and environmental consciousness to build community and to sustain the health of the planet.

Tilden Freeman

 ACE claims the heritage of Tilden Freeman's concepts of interpretation. "Not with the names of things, but by exposing the soul of things - those truths that lie behind what you are showing your visitor." Essentially the proponents of this system of interpretation want interpreters to go beyond learning and enjoyment to where Freeman really wanted interpretation to go. Through facilitated dialogue, collaborative effort with equal input, shared experience, and carefully crafted questioning, the visitors will walk away better people just for visiting.

Another interesting feature of ACE is rephrasing the interpretive structure. Rather than a Theme statement, ACE re-conceptualizes the Theme as an Essential Question. This Question is open-ended (meaning there are not "yes", "no", short answers, or even "right" answers) that helps create opportunities for "contribution of content and co-creation of meanings." So instead of using a Theme Statement like "Gettysburg was the turning point of the war in favor of the North away from the South", an interpreter could ask, "What makes conflicts change?"

Ask easy questions that everyone can answer first

One of the main features of ACE is the use of dialogic questions, the use of asking questions to create conversation. The technique for asking these kinds of questions is to remember an acronym ORACLE, or Only Right Answer Comes from Lived Experience. So rather than asking objective truth type of questions like, "What kind of kind of medical tool is this?", the kind with a right or wrong answer, the question might be, "What has your experience been with doctors?" It is very likely that everyone has been to the doctor and has had some sort of experience with the medical field and therefore everyone can comment on what their own experience is like. ORACLE is not to be used as a measurement of objective truth questions, such as accepting "incorrect" answers. The line of questioning is different. Dialogic Questions are also inviting, meaning that the questions and possible answers will not mark the visitor in a negative light such as giving a strong personal answer on a controversial topic. Dialogic Questions are also to be non-judgmental, without embedded cultural, political, or ideological assumptions. They are also supposed to be inclusive of everyone and conversational in nature so that it is more than a Q&A session, but rather a conversation. The line of questioning is supposed to be designed to scaffold or lead from self-centered answers to more community problem solving, from "me" to "we". This is done by creating social capital by asking easy and inviting questions first and as more people get involved and freely share ideas, asking harder questions that can only be answered after the visitors are comfortable with the safe space being created through discussion.

There are a number of things that I feel are great about ACE. ACE is an attempt to try to get the visitor to come away with a more meaningful experience because they invest themselves in the learning process. Listening to what the visitors are concerned with allows for more interesting and relevant programming. It is a well known fact that getting visitors involved in their learning makes for more impacting learning and experiences. Because the visitor becomes part of the program, this means that they are involved, rather than passively listening. The art of asking open-ended question comes naturally for me, mostly because I come from a background of teamwork facilitation and so really it is like applying the principles there in an interpretive setting, but not everyone has this background. It is really taking a next step approach to learning.

There are some aspects of ACE that are more of a harder sell, especially for the public. Most of the visitors coming may not be interested in sharing their thoughts and concerns in a public forum. Sometimes they just want to know more about the place and hear the story. In many cases, they want to see the important stuff, like see "guns go boom". For the interpreters, it puts them in a tough spot. For example, trying to link a historical perspective (how it was) with the visitors' concerns and interests sounds like a daunting task. The interpreters may ask themselves, "How do we know what it was really like and how can we connect what we know (or think we know) to what the audience of 5-50 people are interested in without having to ask them all individually?" One Ranger commented, "Why does this seem so needlessly complicated?" My comment, as part of my training as an interpreter to make complex concepts into easy to understand observations responded, "To me, the heart of the matter is to be relevant to your audience and get them involved in something." Another hard sell is to new interpreters who do not yet have a firm foundation of interpretation, how have yet to form their own program yet. So one drawback is that this is a next level advanced concern, rather than a whole systemic replacement. You have to know how to walk before you can race a 100 yard dash with hurdles, so to speak.

So the question is, "Are ACEs high or low, in your opinion?"  ♠ ♣ ♦ ♥ 

Site Visit: Riley's Farm

For this month's blog post, I examine the best known Living History site in Southern California, Riley's Farm. Riley's Farm is known for a number of things, like apples and history. They operate a fully functional farm and orchard while during the spring and autumn months host school groups for historical themed education tours. While they offer many different time period tours and related amenities, their Revolutionary War era tour is the most popular and the flagship program of Riley's Farm.

British redcoats: The 4th Regiment of Foot

From the moment the students, called scholars, come bounding off of the buses, they are met with costumed living historians. If they are unfortunate, they are met with a redcoat British soldier who in merciless tones barks them into straight lines in soldierly bearing, the plain clothes colonists are more personable but just as firm as maintaining order. Each group of about 30-35 scholars is grouped into a "township" with a historical flag and the scholars remain in this group as they round-robin rotate between various classes. The flag and labeling colors determine if the township is "British" or "American" during the afternoon's mock battle. Once all the schools are assembled in townships upon the public house grounds (the tavern is a restaurant and bakery), they are given the morning instructions, such as the locations of the privy (restrooms), the function of a shilling (a reward for a good answer, volunteer action, or other do-goodery that can be accumulated for a prize at the end), and an explanation that this is all in good fun for the sake of experience and learning.

Master Rollain

Classes in the Revolutionary War tour include drilling with sticks in preparation for the afternoon mock battle, learning the nuances of etiquette, learning about the accouterments of soldiers, trying their hand at 18th century games, and experiencing some of the injustices of the maritime Vice Admiralty court, Stamp Act, and Quartering Act, to name a few examples. Classes are taught by the living historians in First Person, as if it were the 18th century. Once rotations are finished for the morning, the townships line up for a ration. The ration is one piece of corn bread, one piece of beef jerky, one piece of cheddar cheese, and one apple with a cup of lemonade. While meager to our modern point of view, it is brought to the attention of the scholars an account of a young boy about the scholar's age who wrote an account of receiving a handful of rice and a teaspoon of vinegar for his ration and was grateful to have even as little as that since food was so scarce in Washington's army at times. Most schools bring the students actual lunches in addition or opt out of the rations. During the lunch time, scholars could peruse the mercantile for souvenirs or purchase baked goodies from the Bakery once the line the teacher and adult chaperones make to order their lunches dies down.

Battle is joined!

The most exciting part of the scholar's day is the mock battle. Following the rations and the townships line up again an introduction is made regarding the historical context in which the reenactment will take place. The battle is supposed to be a recreation of the battle of St. George's Tavern, in Roxbury, MA just outside of Boston. Just like what happened, the British forces will advance upon the tavern which the colonists are defending. The townships are divided into the two respective sides with a formal parlay. Once the terms of the parlay are rejected the two sides have the chance to use their drill skills marching, "loading", and "firing" their sticks. They do not get too close as some students may get carried away, but it is very exciting to receive a "bayonet charge" or march upon well entrenched troops behind a stone wall.

Wrapping up

Following the battle the students are sat down to hear the final thoughts of the day regarding each and every one of their roles in protecting American freedoms. "Freedom is not free, it was paid for by the men and women who served and continue to serve. It is this reason that they say that Freedom is a chain and we are the next link in the chain. The very future of the republic sits upon the green right now." After the final dismissal, the scholars have a last chance to purchase from the Mercantile or get pictures with their favorite Living Historian before they board their vehicles to go home.

Concluding exhortation to understand our rights, liberties, and responsibilities as citizens

The experience blurs the line of education and entertainment. This sometimes gets the nickname "edutainment". There are many that are concerned with making education so palatable as to be a performance without accurate, meaningful content that it becomes not an educational experience at all, but a fun time that only deals with enjoyable topics. As far as entertainment goes, many of the staff members are actors and many are education or history buffs, so there is a mix of the two aspects. Classes are designed to get the students involved and participate and engage in the material. While the colorful characters and humor make a great and entertaining morning, it is hard to gauge exactly what the students are receiving from this time. This illustrates one of the struggles of interpretation: how to ascertain what students learn or receive when they leave and what sticks weeks, months, or years later. When asked about what they learned that day, the scholars respond with a general understanding type of answer, like "I learned about weaving." But the success of the Revolutionary War era program with the public, private, and home-schools of southern California demonstrates that what Riley's Farm does, they do well and continue to attract scholars mainly during the spring, but also in the autumn. It is certainly worth experiencing, even if only to get one of their famous 5lb apple pies.

You can visit Riley's Farm's website for more details and booking for a school group here: Riley's Farm