The Alberta Museums Association (AMA) has announced the Millet & District Museum and Archives as the recipient of the Leadership Award for Education in recognition of their work to provide inclusive, responsive educational programming.
The Millet Museum centres its educational program delivery around the belief that museums exist to serve their communities and are most effective when responding to community needs, according to a release.
Their 2022 programs focused on community recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, providing affordable children’s activities, mental health support, and seniors’ programming to lessen isolation and provide access to the digital world.
The museum also partnered with local mental health support services on the Rural Mental Health Legacy project to reduce the stigma associated with mental health services and promote strategies for well-being.
Through outreach at community events, public education work, and the creation of a permanent exhibit on Millet residents’ mental health experiences, this project demonstrates the integral role museums play in honouring community stories while building awareness and community inclusion.
‘The Life in a Digital World’ exhibit, which explored technological changes and changes in heritage preservation, was informed by participants in the museum’s technology use courses with the Millet Seniors Club.
“Going to these programs has changed how we now deal with the ’new’ world we live in,” said Joanne Maynard, president of the Millet Seniors Club.
“It has helped us to feel more comfortable with technology, more engaged, and able to know that we have the resources in our community to help us.”
Nominations for the Leadership Awards are adjudicated by the Leadership Awards Committee, made up of individual members of the AMA.
The award was presented at a gala during the AMA’s 2023 fall gathering last month in Calgary.
Meanwhile, the Leadership Award for Education recognizes those who facilitate a culture of inquiry.
Recipients are innovative in their approach to educational program development and delivery.
They also inspire lifelong learning through participatory programming, interpretation, and artifact engagement, reach out to diverse audiences, and encourage people to think critically about the world around them.
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