M10 Workforce Development

Tues., Nov. 18, 11am-1pm. In person. Smith College Museum of Art.

Facilitated by Terre Parker, Co-founder FamiliesDancing! & Associate Project Director Museums10 Workforce Development, Five Colleges, Incorporated.

Explore movement-based and somatic approaches to connecting with visual artworks that engage a wide range of visitors. The Elements of Art and Dance provide a fun, accessible entry point for interdisciplinary exploration. We will touch on differentiated learning for intergenerational groups and aligning with K-12 Standards and Frameworks. No movement or dance experience needed, just a willingness to try new things! Wear comfortable shoes/clothes you can move in and bring a journal or sketchbook.

Open to M10 staff and student interns.

Wed., Nov. 19, 9:00 - 10:00 am. Virtual via Zoom. 

Facilitated by Jessica Schofield, Associate Director of Development, Historic Deerfield.

Connect with fellow Museums10 Development staff to share best practices for sustaining donors and members—both monthly and annual giving. Find support, strengthen your network, and identify opportunities for future skills development. Open to M10 staff in development/fundraising roles.

THIS EVENT WILL BE RESCHEDULED

Mon., Nov. 17, 9:30 - 11:30am. In Person. Smith College Campus Center Rooms 103/4.

Facilitated by Suzanne Bellici, Director, and Fabio A. Ayala, Assistant Director, Center for Restorative Practices, Amherst College.

Hosted by Smith College Museum of Art. 

This workshop supports museum supervisors to give feedback that strengthens relationships, supports accountability, and fosters trust. In this experiential session, you’ll learn a restorative approach grounded in self-awareness, curiosity, paraphrasing, and collaborative problem-solving. Participants will practice tools to stay centered, invite open dialogue, build connection, and create mutual understanding, even in tense or high-stakes moments.

Open to all M10 staff.

Thurs., Nov. 13th, 9:00 - 10:00 am. Virtual via Zoom. 

Facilitated by Maura Brennan, Office and Visitor Experience Coordinator, Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, and Terre Parker, Associate Project Director, Museums10 Workforce Development.

Connect with fellow Museums10 supervisory staff working in Visitor Experience, Visitor & Guest Services, Retail, and Security to network, gain support, and share resources. Share your team’s needs and availability to guide upcoming professional development for all M10 front of house staff, both full-time and part-time. Open to M10 staff in supervisory front-of-house roles.

Wed., Nov. 12, 10:00 - 11:30 am. In person. University Museum of Contemporary Art.

Facilitated by Kristina Durocher, Director of Visual Arts, Fine Arts Center, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Following a tour of UMCA’s 50th anniversary exhibition, Artist/Fabricator, curators will travel to Hampden Gallery to discuss best practices for long-term engagement of artists and scholars. Curators will share tools and strategies for managing artist fees, forecasting, and securing funding in an unpredictable climate. Limited to 12 participants. 

Hosted by UMCA.

Mon., Nov. 10, 12 - 1:15pm via Zoom

Presentation by Amber Kanner Clooney, MLIS, Director of Web Development and the Digital Library, Yiddish Book Center. Facilitated by Maura Brennan, Office and Visitor Experience Coordinator, Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, and Elizabeth Cardaropoli-Dearden, Associate Director of Visitor Services and Public Programs Manager, Yiddish Book Center.

Hosted by the M10 Inclusion Group.  

Learn about some actionable steps your museum can take to make your websites more accessible to a wider audience. Focus will be on writing alt text for describing visual content, but other tools will be discussed. M10 Staff in all roles are welcome.

Wed., Oct. 29, 9:30 - 11:30am. In person, Mead Art Museum.

Facilitated by Suzanne Bellici, Director, and Fabio A. Ayala, Assistant Director, Center for Restorative Practices, Amherst College.

Hosted by Mead Art Museum.

Conflict is a natural part of our professional lives, but it doesn’t have to be destructive. In this workshop we’ll delve into why our brains are hardwired to fear conflict and how, with practice, we can rewire our responses to handle it constructively. Through observing real-time restorative conflict responses, you’ll see firsthand how to override instinctive reactions and cultivate new, healthier patterns. Through discussion, debriefing in pairs, and writing, you will deepen your understanding, reframe how you think about conflict, and equip yourself with tools to navigate it more effectively. M10 staff in all roles are welcome.

Mon., Oct. 27, 12 - 1:15 pm. Virtual via Zoom.

Special Guest Presentation by Rebecca McGinnis, Cultural Accessibility and Disability Inclusion Leader. Previously Mary Jaharis Senior Managing Educator, Accessibility at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for 25 years.

Facilitated by Lisa Crossman, Director of Curatorial Affairs, Mead Art Museum, and Sylvia Peterson, Associate Director of Education Administration, Yiddish Book Center.

Hosted by the M10 Inclusion Group. 

Following Heather Pressman's accessibility training, many M10 staff expressed interest in forming an Accessibility Advisory Group (AAG) to improve visitor experience. Museums convene AAGs to gather feedback from community members with lived experience of varied disabilities. 

This session offers an opportunity to hear from a museum colleague who has convened an AAG and to ask questions, share ideas, and begin a conversation about this kind of advisory group with peers. How might AAGs be mutually beneficial to user experts and museums? How could user experts be justly engaged and compensated? What support do museum staff need for setting reasonable expectations and goals to guide the AAG? How does this fit into staff capacity and strategic goals?

All M10 staff are welcome. There’s no requirement or commitment to proceeding with an AAG, just an interest in considering the topic with colleagues.

Tuesday October 7, 9:00 - 10:00 am. Virtual.

Facilitated by Danae DiNicola, Director of Marketing and Communications, Historic Deerfield. 

Hosted by the M10 Marketers Group.

How can we increase visits among groups including bus tours? What are the barriers to participation and how can we address them? We will consider partnering with tourism agencies and providers, local and regional community organizations, and others to expand participation. Museums of all levels of experience with this topic are encouraged to attend.

Open to M10 staff with marketing and communications roles.

Wednesday October 1, 3:00 - 4:00 pm @ Beneski. 

Optional Storage Tour 4 - 5 pm, Happy Hour off-site 5 - 6 pm.

Facilitated by Hayley Singleton, Head of Collections and Operations, Beneski Museum of Natural History, and Megan Ramsey, Collections Manager, Emily Dickinson Museum.

In this follow up discussion to the Sustainable Practices in Collections Planning Breakout Session at M10 Summit 2025, collections staff will share museum collections policy documents, discuss best practices, and brainstorm further ways to support each other in sustainability work. After the discussion, staff are invited to a storage tour followed by an optional, off-site happy hour. 

Hosted by M10 Collections Care Group and the Beneski. Open to all M10 Collections Care staff.

Monday September 29, 10:00 - 11:00 am. Virtual via Zoom.

Facilitated by Justin Thomas, Visitor Experience Manager, Smith College Museum of Art, and Terre Parker, Associate Project Director, Museums10 Workforce Development.

Connect with fellow Museums10 supervisory staff working in Visitor Experience, Visitor & Guest Services, Retail, and Security to network, gain support, and share resources. Share your team’s needs and availability to guide upcoming professional development for all M10 front of house staff, both full-time and part-time. Get in on the conversation early so we can tailor offerings to your teams’ availability! Open to staff in supervisory front-of-house roles.

Thursday September 25, 6:00 - 7:30pm Book Talk, Panel, Q & A. 5-6pm Reception. 

Friedmann Room, Keefe Student Center, Amherst College (Public Event). 

Dr. Rose Miron, Vice President for Research and Education, Newberry Library, Northwestern University; Monique Tyndall, Cultural Affairs Director for the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans; Sabra Thorner, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Mount Holyoke College (Moderator). 

Dr. Rose Miron and Monique Tyndall (Stockbridge-Munsee) will discuss Dr. Miron's book Indigenous Archival Activism and the more than decade-long reciprocal relationship with the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans that brings light to their Historical Committee's fight to recover and rewrite their history. The Committee is comprised of a group of Mohican women who have collected and recognized historical materials since 1968. Indigenous Archival Activism, along with on-going efforts of the Tribe, showcase how tribal archives can be used to shift how Native history is accessed, represented, written, and controlled and the importance of building reciprocal relationships with Indigenous nations. 

Presented with UMass Amherst Libraries and Mount Holyoke College Library.

Thursday, September 18, 9:00 - 10:00am. Virtual via Zoom. 

Facilitated by Erin Martin, Senior Director of Development, Emily Dickinson Museum.

Connect with fellow Museums10 Development staff to share best practices within the current fundraising landscape, find support, strengthen your network, and determine opportunities for future skills development.

Open to M10 staff in development/fundraising roles.

Thursday, September 11, 9:00 - 10:00am. Virtual via Zoom.

Facilitated by Patrick Fecher, Associate Director of Communications, Emily Dickinson Museum. Hosted by the M10 Marketers Group.

How can we engage teachers and increase field trip sign ups? What are the barriers to participation? Is there an opportunity for M10 museums to collaborate on expanding outreach to contacts in the district or securing funding for bus subsidies? Museums with active field trip programs encouraged to attend and share experience as well as museums interested in expanding K12 field trip programming. 

Open to M10 staff with marketing and communications roles. 

Recording Available April 11 - May 11, 2025. Virtual.

Historic Deerfield’s conference Engaging with the Legacies of Northern Slavery was presented in collaboration with the Witness Stones Project. Historic Deerfield’s 35 Witness Stones Memorials™ honor the enslaved people who lived in the Deerfield community and mark the ongoing attempt to recover and share as much as we can about their lives and stories. Invited speakers shared their work on various aspects of slavery’s long legacy in the north. Hosted by Historic Deerfield.

Tuesday, July 8, 2025 1:00 - 3:00 pm. In person, Smith College Museum of Art. 

Facilitated by Terre Parker, Co-founder FamiliesDancing! & Associate Project Director Museums10 Workforce Development, Five Colleges, Incorporated.

Explore movement-based and somatic approaches to connecting with visual artworks that engage a wide range of visitors. The Elements of Art and Dance provide a fun, accessible entry point for interdisciplinary exploration. We will touch on differentiated learning for intergenerational groups and aligning with K-12 Standards and Frameworks. No movement or dance experience needed, just a willingness to try new things! Wear comfortable shoes/clothes you can move in and bring a journal or sketchbook. Open to M10 staff, student interns and educators. 

Monday, April 28 | 9:30 - 11am. In person, Five Colleges, Inc. 97 Spring St., Amherst

Facilitated by Patrick Fecher, Associate Director of Communications, Emily Dickinson Museum.

M10 staff gathered for networking and to share best practices for social media marketing and engagement. Topics included paid posts and targeting, partnering with influencers, tailoring content for different platforms and audiences, contextual and political considerations, algorithm changes, and video performance. Hosted by Five Colleges & Emily Dickinson Museum. 

Public Workshop: Restorative Practices: Exploring Your Identity Wheel for Enhancing Empathy, Compassion & Conflict Prevention 

Wednesday, May 7th | 10am-12pm EDT. Virtual.

The Center for Restorative Practices, Amherst College. 

When tensions arise at work, we humans are less inclined to engage. “We’re tired.” “We’ve tried.” “It’s better to put our heads down and keep who we are and what we long for deep down inside.” Has this ever been you? Come explore using "Social Identity Wheels" to access the multitudes of who you are, who others are and how to develop bridge-building skills toward each other that make room for your differences -- engaging with one another with more kindness and curiosity for change-making. 

This was a public workshop including students, staff, faculty, and off-campus participants. 

Museums10 Educators Roundtable Discussion: K-12 Field Trips

@ M10 Summit 2025: Cultivating Connection, Inspiring Growth: Launching Workforce Development!

Monday, May 12, 1-5pm. In person, Amherst College, Lewis-Sebring Common (in Valentine Hall)

Facilitated by Courtney Waring, Director of Education, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

M10 educators discussed ways to work together to promote K-12 field trips across our locations in the 2025 - 2026 school year. M10 educators shared knowledge and experience engaging regional curriculum directors and teachers, identifying barriers to participation, and exploring collaborative actions. Hosted by The Eric Carle Museum and Five Colleges.

Monday, May 19th 10:30am - 12pm. Virtual via Zoom 

Facilitated by Courtney Waring, Director of Education, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

M10 Educators continued exploring ways to work together to promote K-12 field trips across our locations in the 2025 - 2026 school year. We were joined by neighboring colleagues from The Botanic Garden of Smith College, The Hitchcock Center, and Historic Northampton. Hosted by The Eric Carle Museum and Five Colleges.

Wednesday, May 28th | 10am - 12pm. In person. Historic Deerfield, Flynt Center of Early New England Life, 37 Old Main St., Deerfield, MA.

Wednesday, June 25th | 10am - 12pm. In person. Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, South Hadley, MA.

Anders Griffen, Cataloging Librarian, Five Colleges, Inc.

Assigning subjects allows end users to discover inspiring resources and enables museum resources to be discovered alongside library, archive, and special collections materials. Attendees learned tools to confidently select and assign Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) to museum object records to make museum resources more discoverable and accessible. This event was made possible by The National Endowment for the Humanities; Five Colleges, Incorporated; and the Museum Collections Leadership Council. Open to staff from M6 museums involved in Collections Management System Migration. 

Monday, June 2nd 10:30am - 12pm. Virtual via Zoom 

Facilitated by Courtney Waring, Director of Education, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

At this group convening of M10 Educators and Marketers, along with neighboring colleagues from The Botanic Garden of Smith College, The Hitchcock Center, and Historic Northampton, staff explored coordinated outreach efforts to promote K-12 Field Trips in the 2025-2026 school year. Hosted by The Eric Carle Museum and Five Colleges. Open to M10 Educators & Marketers.

Training & Consultations with Heather Pressman

Training Tuesday, June 10, 2025 3 - 5pm. In person, Yiddish Book Center. Open to the public. 

Accessibility consultations for individual museums Monday, June 9th - Wednesday, June 11th. In person, Yiddish Book Center. 

Are you looking for ways to make your museum more welcoming and inclusive for visitors with disabilities? Nearly a quarter of the population has a disability, yet many museums struggle to create welcoming spaces and experiences for this significant audience. Museum accessibility goes beyond compliance--it's about more than just doorways and ramps--it is about fostering a welcoming environment and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to engage with museum spaces. Participants learned simple, actionable steps that museums can take, regardless of size or budget in this interactive session. Hosted by the Yiddish Book Center. Heather Pressman's bio

Monday, June 23 12 - 1:30pm. Virtual via Zoom.

Kasia Konieczkowski, Creative Director & Dan Taylor, Senior Data Analyst, Rhyme Digital.

This session explored effective strategies for leveraging websites to drive museum engagement and boost regional tourism. We discussed best practices for optimizing online presence, digital marketing best practices, and integrating digital tools to attract visitors. We touched on how the evolving meta-algorithm impacts visibility and explore methods for connecting analytics from multiple platforms into a unified reporting system. This session provided actionable insights for museum professionals looking to maximize their digital reach and impact. Hosted by Five Colleges. Open to M10 staff and museum-affiliated students.

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 9:00 - 4:30 pm. In person, Ford Hall Event Space, Amherst College

This workshop empowered staff to proactively protect collections by identifying and mitigating risks, acting as first responders to damaged materials, and coordinating recovery efforts for emergencies—both large and small. Through hands-on training, attendees practiced essential salvage techniques for water-damaged collections, equipping them with the skills to respond effectively to emergencies. 

Open to one representative from each museum with five additional spaces for museums with paper-centric collections. Attendees will share what they learned with M10 colleagues in a professional development session to be scheduled in Fall 2025. Full event description and presenters bio. This event was made possible in part by the Collegiate Catalyst Fund, LLC; Five College Librarians Council; and Institute of Museum and Library Services.