In August, the American Association for State and Local History will host a virtual summit called Next Practices: Discussions on the Future of Interpretation.
Date: August 6 – 7, 2024
Time: 12 – 5:30 p.m. EST
Format: Virtual
Join the AASLH Educators and Interpreters Committee as they investigate new and developing models of history and museum interpretation, considering all sides of the big questions facing our teams and organizations.
Representatives from sites across the country will share their successes, tips, and strategies for adapting to our rapidly changing public history landscape.
This event will be recorded and registrants will receive complimentary on-demand access to the recording. Captioning will be provided for the live event.
AASLH Next Practices: Discussions on the Future of Interpretation
Program Highlights
Getting Your Board on Board: Communicating What Interpretation Is and Why it Matters
History museum professionals are well-versed in the research, terminology, and best/next practices informing our day-to-day work and big picture planning. We all “speak the language” of historical interpretation. Yet, one of our most critical stakeholder groups — our board — is often composed of professionals from outside the field who are unfamiliar with some of the foundational concepts guiding our work. In this session, we will explore the challenges of and share successful strategies for engaging our boards in meaningful conversation about what interpretation is and why matters.
On the Front Line: Supporting and Caring for Staff
How do we care for front line staff knowing visitors are more challenging, difficult, irreverent, and even dangerous than ever before? How do new approaches to interpretation on our sites and integrating histories of enslavement and conflict shape how we hire, serve, and retain volunteers and staff? This session will help participants explore options and approaches to adapting to the rapidly changing visitor services and education landscape.
Post-Pivot: Virtual Interpretation in 2024 and Beyond
Four years after the pandemic, visitors are back onsite at historic sites but virtual interpretation and programming is still going strong at many institutions. While started out of necessity, many sites now see virtual programming as a vital part of educational outreach, especially ahead of the celebration of the 250th birthday of America. This session will explore how virtual interpretation (virtual tours, programming, field trips, etc.) has evolved over the past four years, and look to the future of virtual interpretation at several historic sites.
Click here for instructions on how to register for this event.
