The Ohio History Connection is proud to work with nonprofit groups, local parks and recreation departments and Travel and Visitors Bureaus to help bring to life the varied and fascinating history of Ohio. We hope that this platform will aid you in bringing the stories of the people of Ohio to life!

"From ancient to modern history, experience Ohio's past one historic site or museum at a time." 

This platform is a collection of Ohio History Connection's professional development modules that meet the diverse training needs of organizations engaged as managing partners within our statewide site network. This professional development will build a base of knowledge of museum best practices and Ohio History Connection site operations and responsibilities. Our goal is to provide management organizations with the knowledge and tools they need to provide stewardship of their collections and buildings, to share their stories, and to build capacity for a sustainable future.  

In conceptualizing the project, we reviewed and incorporated the best practices of a variety of programs that address the needs of small museums for a grounding in museum best practices. These included the American Association for State and Local History’s StEPs program, the American Alliance of Museum’s (AAM) Continuum of Excellence program, and the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience training program. Ultimately, none of the programs fully met the unique needs of our statewide network of museums and historic sites. That is when we got to work gathering information from site leaders. Below is a visual notes representation of that. 

 

These professional development modules will be delivered via online units that will include video presentations, readings, and knowledge assessments. As you work through the modules, there will be times where the discussion materials will spark engaging conversations with your co-workers and your board. We know that this is an important part of learning and engaging with the content, so we encourage completing these modules alongside various members of your organization. 

 

 

This project is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services.