I was delighted to participate in the Museum of Art and Design‘s professional development workshop for NYC teachers working in ALternative Learning Centers. I started my keynote on “Art and Transformative Education” with a drawing activity and ended with reflections on how art can provide a space for conversations about violence, racism, and inequality that can motivate young people to action. It was inspiring to hear the passion these committed educators have for their students.
We boarded a bus bright and early in NYC for MTS‘s first conference road trip to Baltimore for the annual meeting of the American Alliance of Museums. The teen participants wow’ed the international audience with their poise, professionalism, and insight into what works for teens in museums. Afterwards we explored Baltimore, paddled dragon boats in the harbor, and stuffed our bags with pens and post-its at the exhibition hall.
Looking sharp and sounding professional, the teens in Museum Teen Summit presented on Youth, Museums, and Building Community at the New York City Museum Educator’s Roundtable annual meeting. Sharing their ideas and research with a standing-room only crowd, the teens facilitated conversations about what it means to involve youth in museums.
In early January, I began a grant-funded project with the Art Education Partnership (with backing from the Institute of Museum and Library Services) to review museum education literature focused on learning outcomes in the arts. Working with Susan McCullough and a team of graduate research assistants, we conducted an intensive review of over 150 studies on museum education that resulted in several additions to ArtsEdSearch, the incredibly useful resource for art education research.
The teens in the Museum Teen Summit have created a brand new website all by themselves. As if that doesn’t blow your minds enough, they also have a classifieds section for all NYC museum teen programs, AND an online magazine about teens, art, and museums.