AAM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CALENDAR
Hosted by the American Alliance of Museums and other museum service organizations, this calendar lists opportunities for museum professionals.
OPEN DISCUSSION: AASLH’s History & Democracy Initiative Conversations – WEEKLY
As part of AASLH’s History & Democracy Initiative, they are co-hosting weekly facilitated conversations where AASLH community members can respond to open-ended questions and reflect on the challenges and opportunities that will shape the next 250 years of our shared history. This effort will help connect nationwide history practitioners with one another while amplifying the expertise they offer that is rooted in deep knowledge of local communities. Learn more
NEDCC’s “Ready – Or Not” Cultural Heritage Disaster Preparedness Project – UNTIL THE END OF JULY 2026
NEDCC’s “Ready – Or Not” Cultural Heritage Disaster Preparedness Project is a statewide initiative funded by California State Library to assess emergency preparedness at California organizations that care for cultural and historic resources. During 2022-2026, the consultant team has provided free on-site visits for over 550 California organizations and delivered a summary report that documents each organization's current state of emergency preparedness with recommended actions. The free emergency preparedness consultations conclude at the end of July 2026. In 2025 – 2026, the “Ready – Or Not” project offered fourteen free wet salvage workshops to address the need for hands-on disaster training. These in-person workshops supplemented participating institutions’ internal disaster planning activities. The workshops reached 288 attendees in Sacramento, San Diego, Eureka, Fresno, San Francisco, Upper Lake, Los Angeles, Palo Alto, Monterey, Palm Springs, San Bernardino, Santa Clarita, and Santa Ynez, and Chico. Two sessions of online training provided kits by mail for 122 attendees to complete the wet salvage training from their locations across California. Organizations that participated in the “Ready—Or Not” project are eligible for a free one-year subscription to dPlan|ArtsReady, an online tool for risk assessment and emergency planning.
Strengthening History Communications Online Workshop – JUNE 24
This half-day virtual workshop will help history practitioners at institutions of all types and sizes learn how to communicate about their work more effectively. Whether you need to write fundraising letters, make advocacy calls, speak with the media, or simply update your website, this workshop is for you. Drawing on research from AASLH’s Reframing History project, this workshop will help you communicate with public audiences more effectively and build a wider understanding of the value of history and history organizations. Register by June 21.
Creating Great Working Boards Webinar – JUNE 25
In this webinar, Jackie Spainhour will help you navigate the sticky wicket that is the board-staff relationship to ensure you find the magic in your mission once again. With nearly 15 years of service in executive leadership roles in nonprofits of all budget and staff sizes, Jackie has been there too. Drawing from real-life experiences, this webinar will help you reignite that passion for your work by offering ways to engage your board in a healthy, sustainable manner in alignment with your mission. Register here.
AASLH Executive Insight Circle – JUNE 26
AASLH is now accepting applications for the Executive Insight Circle (EIC)—a high-impact, cohort-based leadership experience for chief executives and senior leaders in the field, offered through the History Leadership Institute. The Executive Insight Circle brings together a small group of peers for sustained, candid conversation about the challenges and opportunities facing today’s leaders at museums and historic sites. It helps history executives lead with clarity, confidence, and connection in a time of rapid change.
NEDCC’s “Ready – Or Not” Cultural Heritage Disaster Preparedness Project On-demand Disaster Plan Writing Course – THROUGH DECEMBER 2027
NEDCC’s “Ready – Or Not” Cultural Heritage Disaster Preparedness Project’s on-demand disaster plan writing course is available through the NEDCC Training Hub. This online course is freely available to individuals affiliated with cultural heritage organizations in California, including libraries, archives, museums, historical societies, government departments, state historic parks, cultural centers, tribal nations, county clerks, and others who work with historic and cultural collections. Visit the “Ready – or Not” video shorts to find out more about how California organizations prepare, prioritize, and recover from disasters like the Palisades Fire. Learn more.
RESOURCE: THE INCLUSIVE HISTORIAN'S HANDBOOK This reference source supports inclusive and equity-focused historical work in public settings by sharing a knowledge base that invites more people to engage in history projects. This handbook provides concrete examples of how to make history work more relevant. It centers on equity, inclusivity, diversity, and public service while offering accessible windows into the many ways public historians work.
FREE DOWNLOAD: TRANSGENDER INCLUSION TOOLKIT FROM AAM LGBTQ ALLIANCE TASK FORCE The AAM LGBTQ Alliance’s Task Force for Transgender Inclusion recently released the Gender Transition and Transgender Inclusion in the Museum Workplace: A Toolkit for Trans Individuals, Institutions, and Coworkers. This expansive set of guides approaches trans inclusion from various perspectives in an approachable and easy-to-understand format.
BECOME A PEER REVIEWER FOR THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS
Peer reviewers are museum professionals who volunteer their time to support AAM's Accreditation and Museum Assessment Programs (MAP). They review museum self-assessment materials, conduct site visits and facilitate the institutional planning process. Their service is the critical backbone to the success of both programs. Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis.
DOWNLOAD THE AAM RACIAL EQUITY AND INCLUSION PLAN PRIMER Advancing racial and ethnic diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion on boards can be a daunting task for any institution. No matter where you are in the process of creating a racial equity and inclusion plan for your museum, learn more from this new resource, including questions to help guide you and links to additional resources.
CULTURE TRACK INTERACTIVE TOOL NOW LIVE This interactive dashboard provides compiles data from over 120,000 respondents who completed the Culture & Community in a Time of Crisis survey this spring. The comparisons included in the tool currently highlight members or subscribers to any arts or culture organization. In the coming weeks, it will be further enhanced to include splits by genre of cultural attendance as well as race and ethnicity to further aid cultural organizations in planning and implementation towards increased relevance, equity and sustainability.
MUSEUMS FOR DIGITAL LEARNING The Institute of Museum and Library Services is pleased to announce the launch of an online resource center featuring dynamic digital museum content for K-12 educators searchable by subject and grade. Teachers across the country can now find resources that feature engaging activities from a growing number of museums all aligned with national education standards.
RECORDED WEBINAR: JUNETEENTH & CELEBRATING FREEDOM AT HISTORIC SITES Continue learning about the history and significance of Juneteenth in this recorded webinar presented by The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH). Amber Mitchell, Director of Education at the Whitney Plantation, will discuss how your organization can join in the celebration in ways that are appropriate and respectful to the history of African Americans from slavery to modern interpretations, and elevating to the communities you are trying to reach all year-round.