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Learn How to Create or Update a Makerspace at Your Site – AASLH Webinar

Makerspaces for Museums and Historic Sites

Webinar

February 6

3 p.m. Eastern

$25 AASLH Members | $45 Nonmembers

REGISTER HERE | BECOME A MEMBER
Makerspaces — where visitors can engage in hands-on learning activities related to a collection or exhibit — are increasingly common features at museums and history sites. They can encourage tactile and intergenerational learning, connect museum content to STEM principles, and help history come to life. In this webinar, you’ll explore the transformative potential of makerspaces, discovering how interactive environments can enhance visitor engagement, spark creativity, and deepen connections to history and culture.

Tim Betz, author of Making History: Makerspaces for Museums and Historic Sites, will provide real-world examples and practical guidance on designing and implementing makerspaces that complement existing exhibits and collections. By embracing the Maker Movement ethos, museums can come to life in new, dynamic ways.

Gain insights into integrating makerspace activities that appeal to diverse audiences and foster collaboration, learning, and exploration. Whether your institution is large or small, this webinar will equip you with tools to start or refine a makerspace, offering fresh and engaging experiences for all visitors.

Registrants for this webinar will also receive a 30% discount code for Making History: Makerspaces for Museums and Historic Sites.

Update on the Federal Funding Pause

On Monday, January 27, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released Memorandum M-25-13 instructing all federal agencies to temporarily pause the obligation and distribution of all federal funding (other than payments to individuals). This order was challenged in court, and a federal judge temporarily blocked part of the order before it could go into effect on Tuesday, January 28. The OMB ultimately rescinded the memo today, Wednesday, January 29. This issue is still critical for the future of museums and history organizations. 

Federal funding through the Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts, Department of Energy, NOAA, FEMA, and other federal agencies supports history organizations throughout the country in various ways. Loss of these funds, especially with little or no time to plan for the impact of the loss, could cause significant damage to the ability to preserve and interpret, as well as to educate the public about the rich history of our nation, particularly as we prepare for the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026. 

AASLH is watching for further developments of this rapidly changing issue and others in Washington that impact history organizations. Please look for our Weekly Dispatch newsletter for updates and ways you can get involved. If you do not receive Dispatch, you can subscribe at www.aaslh.org

We also encourage you to do more research on the impact of these executive orders on cultural organizations in your state. AASLH is a proud supporter of the American Alliance of Museum’s (AAM) Advocacy Day held each February. AAM’s website includes information on how to contact your Congressional delegation to let them know the importance of federal funding to the museums, libraries, history organizations, and other nonprofits in your community. Please take time to contact your members of Congress using the AAM template letter to express your concerns about how this memo will impact your museum or community.

Apply to the 2025 Museum Assessment Program Cohort

Dear Colleague,

Applications are open to the American Alliance of Museums’ popular Museum Assessment Program (MAP)!

Designed for small to mid-sized museums, MAP offers a free, year-long process of self-assessment, peer review, and expert guidance to enhance your museum’s effectiveness—whether you’re just starting out or gearing up for accreditation.⁠ Since its inception over 40 years ago, the Museum Assessment Program (MAP) has helped nearly one-quarter of US museums create an institutional roadmap and strategic plan. 

Use these resources to submit your application by the February 15 deadline, to make sure your museum is part of the 2025 cohort: This year, MAP offers four different assessments to choose from—explore them below!Our website has robust information about what’s involved in participating, who is eligible to apply, and much more, including FAQs.Download the sample application (a fillable pdf) before you begin the official online application!
Apply to the Museum Assessment Program today!
If you have additional questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us, your MAP Program Officers, at map@aam-us.org.

IMLS Launches the First Ever National Museum Survey

WASHINGTON, DC—The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced today the launch of the first-ever National Museum Survey (NMS) dedicated to understanding the scope and scale of museums’ presence and reach within the United States. This survey will help inform the museum field, policymakers, the public, and the media about the social, cultural, educational, and economic role that the nation’s museums play in American society. 

“Institutions’ participation in this survey is vital,“ said IMLS Deputy Director of the Office of Museum Services Laura Huerta Migus. “By contributing, you help illuminate the powerful role museums play as economic drivers, employers, and guardians of our nation’s heritage. Together, we can quantify the impact of museums and strengthen the entire field.” 

IMLS encourages participation from a variety of types of institutions, including some that may not typically identify themselves as museums such as zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, and arboretums; nature and science centers; history museums and historic sites; art museums; children’s museums; natural history museums; and specialized museums. 

IMLS expects to release survey results in early summer 2025 both through reports and through a dynamic data portal that will allow institutions to compare their data with their peers’ summary results. This marks the first time that the field will have statistically valid national data from which to draw valuable insights, illustrate trends, provide benchmarking, and help inform data-based decisions. 

If you received an invitation to participate in the NMS and encounter any issues entering your institution’s data please email NMS@imls.gov. Please complete this online form if your institution would like to participate but hasn’t already received an invitation. 

Visit us online at imls.gov/nms to learn more about the National Museum Survey. 

Read on IMLS.GOV

National Park Service is now accepting applications for the Semiquincentennial Grant Program

The National Park Service is now accepting applications for the fourth round of funding for the Semiquincentennial Grant Program. This grant program was created by Congress in 2020 to support the preservation of sites and structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places that commemorate the founding of the nation. Grants support the physical preservation of a broad variety of cultural resources associated with the country’s semiquincentennial (250th anniversary).

For the purposes of this grant program, the “founding of the nation” is defined as the period ending in 1815. This end date corresponds to the defeat of British naval forces at the Battle of New Orleans and the ratification of the Treaty of Ghent by Congress. These events brought a close to the War of 1812, marking the end of military hostilities between the United States and Great Britain which had begun with the American Revolution. The founding of the nation does not have a defined starting period to be inclusive of the many cultures that combined to create the America of today.

Important Eligibility Information

  • Eligible applicants may include state and local governments, non-profit organizations, public and non-profit institutions of higher education, and tribes.
  • All resources must be listed or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (including National Historic Landmarks) individually or as contributing to a listed district.
  • Buildings, structures, sites, districts, and objects considered significant for their association with or commemoration of people, places, or events between the earliest known resources and through 1815 may be considered as associated with the “founding of the nation.”
The Semiquincentennial Grant Program is funded by the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) and managed by the National Park Service. Funding for the HPF is provided from Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas lease revenues, not tax dollars. Congress has appropriated $7,000,000 for the Semiquincentennial Grant Program for FY2024.
Applications are due March 18, 2025.

Available Grant Funding

Grants are awarded through a competitive process and do not require non-Federal funding match.
For more information and to apply for the Semiquincentennial Grant Program visit grants.govP24AS00546.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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