How can you design a museum education curriculum that prioritizes social justice and equity?

1 Define your goals and outcomes

Before you start designing your museum education curriculum, you need to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve and how you will measure your success. What are the main themes and messages you want to convey? How do they relate to the mission and vision of your museum and the needs and interests of your audience? How will you assess the impact and effectiveness of your curriculum on learners' knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors? Having a well-defined framework of goals and outcomes will help you align your curriculum with your values and purpose.

2 Incorporate diverse perspectives and voices

One of the key aspects of social justice and equity is recognizing and respecting the diversity of experiences, identities, cultures, and viewpoints that exist in society. A museum education curriculum that prioritizes social justice and equity should not present a single or dominant narrative, but rather invite learners to explore multiple perspectives and voices, especially those that are often marginalized or underrepresented. You can do this by selecting diverse sources of content, inviting diverse guest speakers or collaborators, creating opportunities for dialogue and exchange, and acknowledging the biases and limitations of your own perspective.

3 Engage learners in critical thinking and action

Another important element of social justice and equity is empowering learners to think critically about the issues and challenges that affect them and their communities, and to take action to address them. A museum education curriculum that prioritizes social justice and equity should not only inform learners, but also inspire them to question, analyze, reflect, and act. You can do this by providing relevant and authentic contexts, posing open-ended and provocative questions, facilitating collaborative and creative problem-solving, and connecting learners to resources and opportunities for action.

4 Adapt to different needs and preferences

A museum education curriculum that prioritizes social justice and equity should also be responsive and flexible to the different needs and preferences of learners, such as their age, background, learning style, ability, interest, and motivation. A one-size-fits-all approach may not be effective or inclusive for all learners, and may create barriers or gaps in learning. You can avoid this by designing your curriculum with universal design principles, offering multiple modes of access and engagement, providing choices and options, and soliciting feedback and input from learners.

5 Evaluate and improve your curriculum

Finally, a museum education curriculum that prioritizes social justice and equity should not be static or fixed, but rather dynamic and evolving. You should constantly monitor and evaluate your curriculum, using both quantitative and qualitative methods, to see how well it is meeting your goals and outcomes, and how it is affecting learners and their communities. You should also seek feedback and suggestions from learners, colleagues, partners, and stakeholders, and use them to improve your curriculum. By doing so, you will ensure that your curriculum is relevant, effective, and equitable.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?