Churchill Downs Incorporated’s Post

NEW Deadline: MONDAY DECEMBER 16, 2024, 11:59PM EST The 2025 AAMG Conference Committee invites participants to continue the conversation on belonging that started with last year’s virtual conference. Belonging informs the work we do with our collections, exhibitions, programs, communications, and fundraising as well as our internal organizational infrastructure and culture. It is also a critical aspect of our respective institutions’ relationships with students, campus and local communities. When examining how we create belonging in its multiple forms, how does that inform the stories we tell? The question of storytelling taps into these pressing issues in our field and impacts how we position our institutions as wells as how our campuses and the public view us. Storytelling as a strategy makes our teaching, research, and outreach legible to our parent institutions, governing bodies, and external communities. AAMG members expressed enthusiasm to continue examining the theme of belonging and explore how to make a case for their museums and galleries to various stakeholders, particularly those outside the university system. We invite proposals that include the voices of our college and university colleagues – faculty, students, administrators, staff, and others – as well as professionals outside the field who can help us learn together about what belonging means and how to put it into practice. Download and view the full call for proposals at aamg-us.org/2025-cfp/

The Grand Rapids Public Museum School (GRPMS) is redefining high school education with its innovative, place-based learning model—where the community becomes the classroom. 🌍 GRPMS educators design engaging, interdisciplinary learning experiences that connect students with community-driven projects. By integrating subjects like humanities, STEM, and electives into thematic units, students tackle real-world issues. Through design thinking and partnerships with local organizations, they create meaningful, lasting impact. Discover how this #XQSchool transforms education in the heart of its community: https://lnkd.in/geEYjqZh #EducationInnovation #PBL #RethinkHighSchool

3rd SPACES and education Q&A: Proposing an education overhaul that links kids to museums, libraries, parks, other community spaces of deep learning. https://lnkd.in/ekMyTsDQ #education #learning #3rdspaces #museums, #libraries, #parks, other #communityspaces

I am really amazed this is free! Awesome lineup of speakers and topics from the Smithsonian Institution for educators!! For my #sustainability educators and #GreenSchools, check out the following sessions you can attend virtually for free: 💚Educating for sustainable development: a teacher’s perspective 💚Inclusivity in environmental education 💚Environmental justice: leaders through community 💚Stories of women in STEM 💚Youth as agents of change in their community 💚Cross-content approaches to youth climate action

The future of ED discretionary grants for the arts is uncertain. Check out my latest blog post about how to leverage federal funding to support arts education programs in your schools and districts!

Want to know what visitors want! Here is some great research for anyone creating content for museums. Easy read but packed with useful info. One big takeaway for me. "Most of these responses suggested that museums were the best educators for history due to the immersive, interactive, personal, object-based experiences we share…making museums better than books, classrooms, and screens." But that's just one specific insight among many. Some of this runs counter to the "loudest voices in the room" so read carefully, and keep for future reference. Also, join the American Alliance of Museums if you have not, or at least follow them. #museums #exhibits

While I advocate for increased government support to address public needs, as many nonprofits have acted as subsidies, I also recognize the value of community-based initiatives. Institutions like museums play a pivotal role by enhancing education and bridging knowledge gaps within and beyond school hours, especially for Black students. Aziah Siid's article on Word In Black highlights how museums, like Brooklyn's Children's Museum under Atiba Edwards' leadership, provide invaluable learning experiences for students, particularly those from low-income households. Research shows that museum visits correlate with higher test scores, especially in at-risk students. However, access to museums remains unequal, with students from disadvantaged backgrounds less likely to visit. Edwards is changing this narrative by ensuring diverse and culturally immersive experiences for all students. Beyond traditional exhibits, Brooklyn's Children's Museum hosts cultural festivals that celebrate the diversity of Brooklyn's communities. These festivals not only educate but also foster understanding and appreciation for different cultures, addressing gaps in school curricula. Edwards emphasizes the importance of collaboration between museums and schools to create inclusive learning environments. By tailoring programs to meet the needs of diverse audiences, museums like Brooklyn's Children's Museum are driving positive change in education. As we navigate challenges like anti-Blackness and attempts to whitewash history, museums serve as vital spaces for cultural preservation and celebration. #Culture #Museums #Brooklyn #NewYork #Education #Youth #Research #CulturalCompetency #Community #Space #Diversity #Inclusion #CulturalHeritage #CommunityEngagement

Art saved my life. I don't care if that sounds a bit woo-woo, it's true. I managed to survive what I survived by having access to creative arts. So I want other young people, all of them, to have the same opportunities. Lets get behind this: its Time for a National Youth Arts Trust says Joe Hallgarten. "declines of nearly 50% in GCSE arts entries, and nearly 30% at A level; fewer children and young people participating in cultural activities out of school, both before and since the pandemic; a 23% drop in arts teachers; and fewer hours of arts taught in primary schools. Social class and geographical inequalities have widened across all this data, including in the rising number of schools that have stopped offering certain arts GCSEs altogether. " How about you? What did art and creativity do for you? Even if you didn't end up in a traditionally creative role? We need to tell the stories of how art matters #artmatters https://lnkd.in/ehBVPN-B

How can we make youth arts programs both engaging and educational, especially for young people from marginalized communities? UW Madison professor Erica Halverson has spent considerable time exploring this question. In a Q&A with The Wallace Foundation’s VP of Research, Bronwyn Bevan, Halverson highlights four key practices to boost engagement in youth arts programs. 📝 Dive into the full article to learn more about these insights and how they can shape more inclusive and impactful arts programs. https://lnkd.in/grpY8bkv

If you aren't sure what professional learning event to attend this fall consider this your official sign to register for the 2024 Bright Starts International Conference in UCL East in Stratford, London (or online)! This event includes speakers from around the world on a wide range of topics in early learning. This years conference is organized into the following streams for participants. The New Voices of Children Pedagogy Authentic Assessment in ECE & Autism & Children 0 - 8 years You can count on seeing my familiar face in The New Voices of Children's Pedagogy stream if exploring the relationship between creative expression, emotional regulation, routines and learning portfolios is your thing! It is going to be an inspiring event with a little something for early learning professional - you can count on that! & if the event doesn't suit you this fall, I encourage you to explore the incredible online virtual exhibit "2024 Voices of Children Gallery" offered on the conference website where children's creative art and notes have been gathered from around the world. The online gallery offers valuable insight into global perspectives of children, what their wonderings are, what is important to them, what exists in their world and so much more. Over 1000 children contributed from 7 countries - it is well worth the time to look at! 👆 This would also be a great teaching tool for looking at pedagogical documentation & creative arts through the voice of the child as well as nurturing intercultural development & belonging among adult learners for my fellow ECE Faculty folks! 👀 Virtual field trip or search & find activity - I think so! Check it out for yourself here! - https://lnkd.in/e8M9U_J5 -- Is there an art piece that stood out to you in a particular way? 💬 For me, it's the picture featured from Japan that illustrates a child's experience creating a banner with their family to put up in their community on a national holiday set to celebrate children's healthy development. I wonder how a national holiday to celebrate children in Canada would influence the early learning landscape here? Let me know your favourite art piece in the comments! 💫 Link to conference - https://lnkd.in/eBnpMTmz Link to my session - https://lnkd.in/efGX2Hhh Link to virtual art exhibit - https://lnkd.in/e8M9U_J5