The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), has announced its upcoming high-budget initiative to assist in the professional development and networking opportunities available to members of the museum community.
An extended professional development and networking scheme for the Museum Community has been created by the AAM with a $1 million investment. This investment will provide new AAM member benefits, including increased opportunities for the museum community to connect and learn from one another, obtain professional training, and take part in national leadership and volunteer opportunities for personal and professional growth, starting as early as this summer and over the following several years.
The Alliance’s Strategic Framework prioritizes investment in the hard-working museum professionals who make their museums, communities, and our world a better place, says AAM president and CEO Laura Lott.
“AAM is excited to begin the rollout of expanded member programs, which will be accessible to all of the Alliance’s 35,000 museums and museum professionals who are eager to grow and make new connections.”
The AAM has utilised feedback from its thousands of members over many years to determine the best way to celebrate, strengthen, and connect the museum community, whilst centring on its commitment to equity and inclusion.
The organisation found three areas of focus consistently cited by museum sector members as priorities and will use these to enable significant improvements to the AAM member experience and benefits received as part of the Alliance.
Deepening the ability to connect with peers
AAM’s present platform, Museum Junction, will be developed to become a thriving hub for the industry, connecting people 24/7/365 around tasks and subjects that are crucial to the future of the industry. In the upcoming months, a handful of these enlarged virtual communities are expected to be piloted.
The Alliance is also investigating ways to foster networking and engagement outside of the chatroom, such as through creating communities of practice and increasing mentorship possibilities.
Expanding professional development programs
In the upcoming weeks, AAM’s member resources will receive some significant changes, including a new resource library and a few additional on-demand programming. The Alliance is developing a team dedicated to professional development and will test its first fall virtual event later this year.
AAM is also developing a robust professional development programme that is backed by a user-friendly learning management system, using data and comments from more than 10,000 employees working in the field. It is also experimenting with badges so members can demonstrate their knowledge to potential employers.
Broadening access to volunteering opportunities
AAM recently piloted its first open call for Content Advisory Committee members, the volunteer group that selects session proposals for the Annual Meeting. Over the next few months, it is using the lessons learned as part of this process to build a new volunteer program which will utilise a newly dedicated volunteer and member engagement manager.
Opportunities for volunteering and contributing to the field’s thought leadership will be seamlessly integrated into the member experience, and members will soon be able to express their interest in volunteering and areas of expertise directly into their membership profiles.
For more information on upcoming features, visit the AAM website.
AAM will highlight sustainability and community engagement as two of its leading topics during this year’s Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo programme, taking place in Denver from 19-22 May 2023.
