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Museums Association. (2013). Museums Change Lives: The MA’s Vision for the Impact of Museums. London.

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Museums and Social ChangeLMME Meeting: June 2014Beaty Biodiversity Museum@beatymuseum

+Why social change?To meet our institutional aims:

Example: BBM’s Vision and Mission

Vision

A world where biodiversity is better understood, valued, and protected.

Mission The Beaty Biodiversity Museum strives to inspire an understanding of

biodiversity, its origins, and importance to humans through collections-based research, education, and outreach. As Vancouver's natural history museum, we work to promote a greater sense of collective responsibility for the biodiversity of British Columbia, Canada, and the world.

http://www.beatymuseum.ubc.ca/vision-mission

+Today’s goals

1. Share stories of museum activities (programs, exhibitions, outreach) that effectively provoked social change

2. Find some emerging themes from these effective programs/exhibits that we can use to apply to our own practice.

+What does it mean for a museum to cause social change? Working definition: Any museum activity that: Provokes *change in visitor behaviour* (action) Provokes policy and/or collective change

*Scale of change/Scale of # of people impacted varies.

+Schedule

1. Introductions [10 min] Who are you and how does your museum want to

change people’s lives?

2. Presentations & Q+A [45 min] Jackie Chambers, Education and Outreach

Manager, Beaty Biodiversity Museum: New Zealand Flax Project

Karen Stroebel, Youth Sustainability Facilitator, Metro Vancouver: Youth4Action

3. Break-out Group Discussions & Sharing Sessions [35 min]

+Presenters

Jackie Chambers Education and Outreach

Manager, Beaty Biodiversity Museum: New Zealand Flax Project

Karen Stroebel Youth Sustainability Facilitator,

Metro Vancouver: Youth4Action

+Group Discussions

Discuss in small groups. Make note of any emerging themes/ideas/principles that could help guide our practice.

1. What is a personal experience that has provoked you to change your behaviour? Why was that experience effective in provoking change?

2. What museum programs/exhibitions/outreach activities have you seen (or been involved in) that aim to provoke social change? What made them successful (or not)?

3. What are some examples of how you have seen museums measure and show the social impact of their actions? What made them successful (or not)?

+Advice from the literature: improving your impact

Museums Association. (2013). Museums Change Lives: The MA’s Vision for the Impact of Museums. London.

+Advice from the literature: creating your messaging

Futerra Sustainability Communications. (2010). Branding Biodiversity: The New Nature Message. London.

+Advice from the literature: evaluating your impactFrom the Making the Case for Museums Conference, 1998: (summarized)

1. Use sound evaluation methodology to evaluate your impact

2. Use current & comprehensive data

3. Make data collection & evaluation a professional habit in the day-to-day operations of your museum

4. Work with other museums to develop and share strategies and models that work

5. Be “at the table” of potential business and community partners, armed with evidence of your impact.

Sheppard, B. (2000). Do Museums Make a Difference? Evaluating Programs for Social Change. Curator, 43(1), 63-74.

+Literature & ReferencesARTICLES:

Duclos-Orsello, E. (2013). Shared Authority: The Key to Museum Education as Social Change. Journal of Museum Education, 38(2), 121–128.

Futerra Sustainability Communications. (2010). Branding Biodiversity: The New Nature Message. London.

Long, S. (2013). Practicing Civic Engagement: Making your Museum into a Community Living Room. Journals of Museum Education, 38(2), 141-153.

Museums Association. (2013). Museums Change Lives: The MA’s Vision for the Impact of Museums. London.

Sheppard, B. (2000). Do Museums Make a Difference? Evaluating Programs for Social Change. Curator, 43(1), 63-74.

BOOKS:

Brown, C., Wood, E., Salgado, G., Eds. (2009). Inspiring Action: Museums and Social Change. Edinburgh: Museums, Etc.

Silverman, L. (2010). The Social Work of Museums. New York: Routledge.