RE: Keeping Docents Engaged during Construction & Renovation Projects

 
From: "Quinn, Melinda K. Mindy.Quinn@calvertcountymd.gov [talk at museum-ed.org]" <talk@museum-ed.org>
Date: April 18th 2019

Good morning! 

 

Recently our museum was closed and in an effort to have some fun and also keep everyone engaged, we had training workshops led by the various departments.  We started with a luncheon and a “guess who’s desk” game – where a random item from a desk was placed on a table and you had to figure out from whose desk it was.  Our Paleontologists took us out fossil hunting, exhibits took us to a preservation lab, we had the opportunity to do some food prep for our animals, there were lunches and quiz shows sponsored by our administration and education departments.  And it culminated with a luncheon/yard sale where you bartered or used chocolate to purchase the items you wanted.  There was a passport that was signed by a leader of each workshop and if you had the most filled out there were prizes. 

 

Our Education department took field trips to other locations to speak with them about their program offerings and see what tools they used.  Our Museum Store and Biology staff did the same. 

 

It was an interesting way to keep up with what the various departments are doing, and it also provided some teambuilding aspect as well.   

 

 

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Mindy Quinn

Director of Chesapeake Bay Field Lab Programs

Calvert Marine Museum

PO Box 97

Solomons, MD 20688

410-326-2042 x23

 

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From: talk@museum-ed.org <talk@museum-ed.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2019 4:33 PM
To: talk at museum-ed.org <talk@museum-ed.org>
Subject: [talk] Keeping Docents Engaged during Construction & Renovation Projects

 

Hi everyone:

 

Beginning in the fall, the Bruce Museum is starting a 1.5 year renovation project that will require us to close down large portions (but not all) of our temporary and permanent exhibition spaces for extended periods of time. As a result, I will not have as many new exhibitions to train our docents in or permanent programs to review with them. The docents will also not have as many opportunities to lead tours and programs since we will have about half the exhibition space we normally do.

 

As we get close to the time when the spaces re-open, I will have plenty to cover with the docents. However, I would like to keep them engaged from the onset of the renovation project so they don’t lose interest in our docent program.

 

I am interested in hearing what other educators have done to keep docents engaged during a partial or full closure of exhibition spaces. What types of training sessions did you hold? Did you plan any offsite programs? Any lessons learned?

 

I am looking forward to hearing what other museums have done!

 

Best,

Kathleen

 

Kathleen Holko

Manager of School and Tour Services

Bruce Museum

1 Museum Drive

Greenwich, CT 06830

(203) 413-6741

kholko@brucemuseum.org

 

 


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