The Visitor Studies Association, in collaboration with the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies, is proud to announce three outstanding half-day regional workshops in Washington, DC. Workshops will be held on Friday, September 17, 2010, in the Smithsonian Capital Gallery building at 600 Maryland Ave SW, Washington, DC, 20024. *How to Register* Registration will be open from September 1st to September 13th, until 5:00pm. Space in each workshop is extremely limited, so registrations will be accepted on a first come first served basis. Register online or print & fax the registration form at: http://visitorstudies.org/workshops/upcoming-workshops *Workshop Descriptions* *Workshop Title:* Engaging All in Science: Considering Diversity Through the Lens of Gender. *Presenter: * Dale McCreedy, Director, Gender & Family Learning Programs at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia *Time: *9:00am-12:00pm *Where:* Capital Gallery 1st Floor, Suite 105W -Conference Room 1004A This half day session will focus on considerations of diversity -- what does it mean, what does this look like, and how might one address issues of diversity. While the primary focus will draw on issues of gender, there will be obvious connections to diversity more broadly, and the identification of perspectives personally and institutionally. This session will draw gender literature as well as identity development, utilize the NRC publication, Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places and Pursuits; and share some of the key findings. Participants will engage in activities that highlight the ways in which personal and/or institutional cultures shape perspectives and expectations. *Workshop Title:* Understanding and Designing Evaluation *Presenter: * Jessica Luke, Director of Research and Evaluation, Institute for Learning Innovation *Time:* 1:30pm-4:30pm *Where: * Capital Gallery 7th Floor, National Museum of African American History and Culture -Conference Room 7001 This half-day workshop will introduce the process of understanding, consuming and designing well-conceptualized evaluation studies for education programs and exhibits. Issues to be addressed include existing literature, theory, or conceptual frameworks used in evaluation; developing meaningful evaluation questions or issues to drive an education project; reviewing appropriate methods and audience samples for specific projects; and making practical use of evaluation results and reports. Facilitators will share concrete examples of both successful and problematic evaluation plans they have developed. Participants will be encouraged to bring an evaluation topic or project to the workshop in order to gain practical experience in designing a study from idea to implementation. *Workshop Title:* Programs Outside the Institutional Walls: An Educator's Perspective and Role in Understanding Program Impact *Presenter: * Dale McCreedy, Director, Gender & Family Learning Programs at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia *Time:* 1:30pm-4:30pm *Where: *Capital Gallery 1st Floor, Suite 105W -Conference Room 1004A This half-day workshop will provide an overview of the critical role educators can play in the process of evaluation, and in assessing the impact of programs offered outside the walls of our institutions. The challenges and benefits of reaching such audiences, whether through neighborhood associations, youth groups, or clubs, will be addressed along with the potential for long-term impact. As educators trying to understand our impact, we need to consider what we want to know, need to know for funder, how we will use this information, and what we expect to eventually wonder about. Examples will be drawn from the presenter's experience leading and shaping the evaluation of several unique initiatives. All reflect attempts to meaningfully document a program's cultivation of collaborative learning -- among peers and children with adults -- and promoting learning and achievement more broadly among children, adults and families. We look forward to seeing you there! Sincerely, Erik Ledbetter _________________________________ Erik Ledbetter Executive Director Visitor Studies Association PO Box 10668 Rockville, MD 20849-0668 v. 301 762.1450 [log in to unmask] www.visitorstudies.org _________________________________ ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).