Behind the Scenes: History Museum Education
Sometimes history is written in the streets, sometimes you need a museum. (Photo by Bill Stilwell.)
Join museum professionals from the National Museum of American History, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, and Ford’s Theatre for a behind-the-scenes look at their day-to-day jobs and what it means to educate people in a history museum setting.
These speakers will each bring their own unique perspective to questions like:
- How do museum educators decide on and develop particular programs?
- What techniques do they find most effective for teaching history to the public?
- And all the other questions you’re going to bring!
Location
National Portrait Gallery atrium
F and Eighth streets NW
Washington,
DC
Neighborhood: Chinatown
Past event
Instructors
Katharine Mead is the Food and Agriculture Programs Manager at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, where she examines the past through what we eat and how it’s grown. She previously worked at Mystic Seaport: The Museum of America and the Sea and will always stop to listen to a good yarn.
Sarah Jencks is the Director of Education and Interpretation at Ford’s Theatre Society, where she feels lucky to combine her passions for theatre, history, and education. She has been at Ford’s for almost 10 years, starting as its first education employee, and she used to be a middle school teacher.
Sonia Booth is a museum educator. She currently works as a coordinator of programs at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and before she moved to D.C. she gave tours of the Boston Massacre site in Massachusetts. As part of the Knowledge Commons DC organizing team, she helps wrangle volunteers, facilitators, and classes. Her favorite fruit is cherimoya.