Announcing two professional development workshops for museum, zoo, nature
center and other informal learning center professionals:
Developing and Funding Informal Learning Programs
Presented by Informal Learning Experiences, Washington, DC
Milwaukee, WI, Public Museum, Monday, November 8, 1999
Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, Clermont, KY (15 miles south of
Louisville), Friday, November 12, 1999
Overview
This full-day, "hands-on" workshop addresses the conception, planning and
funding of informal education and exhibition projects for zoos, aquariums,
gardens, nature centers, children's, technology, history and natural history
museums, science centers, community organizations and similar agencies.
It helps participants define their project goals and objectives, develop
effective project plans, identify potential funding sources, and present
their projects effectively to prospective funders. These matters are
important to zoos, museums of all sorts, informal learning centers, science
centers, nature centers and related organizations of all disciplines and
sizes.
Many museums and similar organizations with creative programming have
excellent ideas, but only a small proportion have received funding from a
national foundation, Federal or State agency, or significant local funder.
Many worth-while projects fail because funding was not sought or because
proposals submitted for funding were not properly developed and presented.
Many dollars for funding such projects are available from private foundations
such as the MacArthur Foundation, the Lucent Technologies Foundation and the
Sloan Foundation, from Federal agencies such as the National Science
Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Department of
Education, the National Park Service and the Environmental Protection Agency,
as well as from corporate foundations and local and community foundations.
Ongoing political changes in Washington make current knowledge of Federal
agencies especially important.
The workshop provides an overview of critical issues in project planning and
proposal presentation. Regardless of subject and approach, successful
projects emphasize well-defined educational goals and methods, strong
educational content, solid staff/advisor expertise, and effective project
planning and budgeting. Many funding sources require evidence of substantial
evaluation plans.
Program
The workshop includes open discussion of project ideas and alternatives and a
mock review session involving the evaluation of actual proposals submitted to
private and government funding agencies. Participants receive sample grant
proposals submitted to various public and private agencies and a 75-page
project development and funding manual.
Schedule:
8:30 - 9:00 Registration and coffee
9:00 - 10:30 Planning fundamentals
10:30 - 11:30 Discussion of project ideas
11:30 - 12:15 Funding strategies and priorities
12:15 - 1:00 Lunch (on-site)
1:00 - 2:00 Proposal preparation
2:00 - 3:30 Mock proposal review (group activity)
3:30-4:15 Proposal discussion
4:15-4:30 Wrap-up
Participants
The workshop is intended for executive directors, program directors,
education directors, exhibit directors, content specialists, and senior
management. Staff are encouraged to attend as a team.
Fee
The fee is $135 for the first registrant from an organization and $125 for
all others from the same organization.
Location and Preparation
Detailed arrival and location information will be included in the materials
package, mailed a week before the session.
All registrants will receive proposals to be read and evaluated prior to the
workshop and a resource manual, which includes information on program design
and funding opportunities.
Faculty
The workshop will be conducted by Dr. Robert "Mac"West, President of Informal
Learning Experiences, Inc. Dr. West has served as director of natural history
and science museums in Pennsylvania and Michigan and has advised the Howard
Hughes Medical Institute's Museum program. Recently he has conducted history,
science and agriculture museum and aquarium feasibility studies and
management analyses in addition to his work on management issues and program
development and implementation. He currently is working on projects with
public television stations and state museums and fairgrounds. ILE has worked
extensively with the NSF and currently is advising the Lucent Technologies
Foundation on its new youth initiative.
Informal Learning Experiences, Inc.'s clients include informal learning
institutions (science centers, history, children's and natural history
museums, nature centers, gardens, zoos and aquariums, and media producers) as
well as youth organizations, the American Association for the Advancement of
Science, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, YouthALIVE!, the Smithsonian,
the Hispanic Radio Network, the National Wildlife Society and the Association
of Science/Technology Centers. In addition, ILE publishes the bimonthly
Informal Learning Review, the only serial publication devoted exclusively to
learning in the informal environment, and the semi-annual Traveling
Exhibitions Report. ILE also maintains an online, searchable database of
traveling exhibitions.
Additional information is available at 202/362-5823, by fax at 202/362-3596,
and email [log in to unmask] The registration form also is available
at www.informallearning.com.
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