Start 2025 off right with free and fun learning opportunities





Museum Services Webinars header




*January 10, 2025*






Got Webinars? We do!

________________________________________________________________________



January 2025

History in the Shadows: Incorporating Dark Tourism at Historic Sites by Shelby Brannan and Karli Stansbury

History in the Shadows: Incorporating Dark Tourism at Historic Sites

Thursday, January 16, 2025, at 10 a.m. CT

Presented by: Shelby Brannan and Karlie Stansbury

Karli Stansbury on left, Shelby Brannan on right ________________________________________________________________________

It's never too early to plan for spooky season programming!

Museums around the country embrace the Halloween season by tapping into the growing phenomenon of dark tourism to captivate and educate visitors. The John Jay French Museum in Beaumont, Texas embraced the allure of spooky season by partnering with a paranormal investigation team to delve into unexplained occurrences surrounding the historic house museum. Together, they hosted an October event that revealed their findings to the community.

Shelby Brannan and Karli Stansbury discuss this innovative program, its alignment with the museum’s mission, and the logistics of planning for such a unique event. Learn how this initiative attracted new visitors, many of whom never engaged with the museum before, and how dark tourism can create educational and engaging opportunities for heritage organizations. This webinar is perfect for those curious about integrating Halloween’s spooky charm into museum programming along with the importance of balancing sensitive historical narratives with community engagement and tourism development.



*Register Here* [ [link removed] ]


________________________________________________________________________



Inviting Our Littlest Learners on January 30, 2025 at 10 a.m. CT

Inviting Our Littlest Learners: How to Create Space and Activities for Early Childhood Education in Your Museum Spaces

Thursday, January 30, 2025, at 10 a.m. CT

Presented by: Beth Brandon

Image of Beth Brandon from Indiana Historical Society ________________________________________________________________________

Museums are uniquely positioned to extend programming to the littlest of learners through early childhood education offerings.

Museums already pique curiosity, promote social connection, and offer object-based learning opportunities for students and adults. By creating specialized programs for littles, museums lay the foundation for lifelong learning.

Join Beth Brandon, Multi-Generational Programs Manager at the Indiana Historical Society, for an insightful session on how the IHS engages with a new, young audience - children ages 2-5. Discover how the IHS invites young learners into their spaces and programming by offering hands-on activities, interactive exhibits, and enriching experiences designed specifically for this age group. Beth will guide you through the entire process, from initial idea development to execution, including securing board support, designing age-appropriate activities, creating accessible spaces, and effective marketing strategies.

Attendees will gain actionable ideas and insights to create meaningful early childhood programming in cultural and historical spaces.



*Register Here* [ [link removed] ]


________________________________________________________________________



February 2025 - A Learning Series with Dr. Verónica Betancourt

________________________________________________________________________



Big Idea, Big Bucks: Education and Interpretative Planning to Support Fundraising

Wednesday, February 12, 2025, at 10 a.m. CT

Presented by: Verónica E. Betancourt, Ph.D. 

Big Ideas, Big Bucks Education and Interpretative Planning for Fundraising Webinar ________________________________________________________________________

Learn how to translate the work you may already do in planning an exhibition or collection installation into the language of fundraising.

By honing your interpretive plan, you can also make a stronger case for what your work is, the audiences it engages, and why it matters.

Presenter, Dr. Verónica Betancourt, introduces beginners to the first stages of interpretive planning: developing a big idea and visitor outcomes. More seasoned museum professionals will gain insight into how interpretive planning can become a persuasive fundraising tool.



*Register Here* [ [link removed] ]


________________________________________________________________________



From Clear to Compelling: Writing Label Copy that Moves Visitors

Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at 10 a.m. CT

Presented by: Verónica E. Betancourt, Ph.D. 

From Clear to Compelling: Writing Label Copy that Moves Visitors Webinar ________________________________________________________________________

What's the difference between a label that describes and a label that inspires?

Make your label copy more compelling in this interactive workshop. We'll review the types and purposes of labels and explore how to write for visitor engagement.

Beginners will learn how labels work together to create meaning. Experienced label writers will strengthen their skills in prompting different kinds of visitor response.



*Register Here* [ [link removed] ]


________________________________________________________________________



Headshot of Dr. Veronica Betancourt [ [link removed] ]

*About the Series Presenter:*

Verónica E. Betancourt, Ph.D. [ [link removed] ] is a museum consultant and strategist who specializes in interpretation, education, and culturally responsive evaluation. She works internationally to improve clients' interpretive capacity, create dynamic audio guides and video, and lead the interpretive planning of exhibitions. She is a native Spanish speaker and can support bilingual interpretation and evaluation.

Dr. Betancourt's career began in Curatorial at the National Gallery of Art in DC and has spanned the range of Education and Interpretation—from teaching in the gallery to serving as the Interim Chief Education Officer at the Baltimore Museum of Art. 



________________________________________________________________________



*All Webinars are Free but Pre-Registration is Required*

*All Registrants Receive a Link to the Webinar's Recording*

________________________________________________________________________



 If you have a topic you'd like to present, then let's chat!

*Email Us!* <[email protected]>






________________________________________________________________________



About Us

The Texas Historical Commission’s Museum Services [ [link removed] ] Program provides support, resources, and training to history museums in Texas. Museum Services staff are available to provide individual consultations to museum staff and supporters. We encourage museums to contact us <[email protected]> with questions or to schedule a phone consultation.

"Viewpoints shared and information developed and distributed by other organizations and presenters do not necessarily reflect the views of the Texas Historical Commission and its staff."








*Get More Updates About Texas History!*

thc.texas.gov [ [link removed] ]

Facebook [ [link removed] ]Twitter [ [link removed] ]Instagram [ [link removed] ]YouTube [ [link removed] ]Linkedin [ [link removed] ]

SUBSCRIBER SERVICES:

Manage Subscriptions [ [link removed] ]  |  Unsubscribe All [ [link removed] ]  |  Help [ [link removed] ]

View this email in a web browser. [ [link removed] ]



________________________________________________________________________



This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of
Texas Historical Commission
1511 Colorado Street
Austin, TX 78701

GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]

body .abe-column-block { min-height: 5px; } table.gd_combo_table img {margin-left:10px; margin-right:10px;} table.gd_combo_table div.govd_image_display img, table.gd_combo_table td.gd_combo_image_cell img {margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px;} table.govd_hr {min-width: 100%;}