Education plays a central role in the Museum Association of Douglas County's mission to not
only establish, maintain, and operate a museum, but also to research and interpret the artifacts, and
disseminate information to the public. Our formal educational policy is based on "Professional Standards for
Museum Educators," a statement adopted by the members of the American Association of Museums Standing
Professional Committee on Education in 1989. That statement is guided by the following premise:
"Every museum has an educational responsibility to the public it serves. Museums offer a unique encounter
with objects and ideas for people of many ages, interests, capabilities and backgrounds. Museum education
strengthens that encounter by building bridges between visitors’ experiences and expectations and the
experiences and ideas that emanate from a museum’s collection."
Goal
The Museum Association has an institution-wide commitment to share knowledge about
the history of Douglas County and East Central Illinois with not just school children, but also with members
of the general public of all ages and all walks of life. Exhibits and programs shall serve to stimulate
curiosity and motivate learning.
Objective 1
The Museum Association shall provide meeting grounds where enriching experiences are
offered both through human interaction and interaction with objects and ideas. It shall promote scholarly
discourse through regularly scheduled symposia, lectures, pageants, and programs.
Objective 2
The Museum Association shall base all educational programs on intellectual integrity,
truth in presentation, and ethical standards, encouraging lifelong learning among people of all ages and
backgrounds, at all levels of capability, mastery, and interest.
Objective 3
The Museum Association shall provide programs that assist teachers in their efforts
to meet the Illinois State Goals for Learning for Social Sciences and other areas of learning. The goal for
social sciences requires that students will be able to:
"understand and analyze comparative political and economic systems, with an emphasis on the political and
economic systems of the United States; understand and analyze events, trends, personalities, and movements
shaping the history of the world, the United States and Illinois; demonstrate a knowledge of the basic
concepts of the social sciences, and how these help to interpret human behavior; demonstrate a knowledge of
world geography with emphasis on that of the United States; and apply the skills and knowledge gained in the
social sciences to decision making in life situations."
Because Douglas County is located in rural East Central Illinois, the Museum Association shall make every
effort to create trunk exhibits and programs that will travel to off-site centers of learning, thus reaching a
broad audience outside the confines of the Douglas County Museum.
Objective 4
The Museum Association will make every effort to foster a collaborative spirit
between museum and community by creating and participating in joint efforts with area schools, libraries,
civic organizations, etc. to educate the public about history.
Objective 5
The Museum Association shall firmly base teaching programs on the collections of the
Douglas County Museum, providing the audience with an opportunity to examine and understand the similarities
between their own lives and those of people who lived in previous decades.
Objective 6
The Museum Association shall serve as a training ground for current and future
professionals in museums and in the field of education.
Objective 7
The educational programs of the Museum Association shall be evaluated by review of
popular attendance, informal feedback from participants, suggestions from museum staff and volunteers,
solicited comments from speakers and audience, and formal evaluation forms. |
