Educators & Interpreters…Start Planning!

Holy cow—September is here! Forget about back to school, Labor Day, the end of another delightful summer…it’s time to start thinking about how to make the most of your AASLH annual meeting experience! Like going to a music festival and having to choose between two bands you really, really love who are performing at the same time, you are going to have to make some hard decisions. (The offerings are that good, people!)

We welcome and invite you to join members of the Educators and Interpreters Committee for one or all (!) of the following.

(PLEASE NOTE: Luncheons, tours, and workshops are ticketed. Pre-sale for tickets is closed, but you can buy them at onsite registration.)

Wednesday, September 14

Join the Small Museums & Educators and Interpreters committee members and friends for a joint Happy Hour from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Top of the Pontch, the bar located on the top floor of the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Whether sipping a soda or martini, this is the place to connect with people you will keep running into (again, and again, and again…) over the next few days. You might as well get to know some of them, right? If you’re new to the field or a first-time attendee, ask someone about a ribbon hanging off of their name tag (speaker, program committee, first time attendee, etc.). Ask people what they are looking forward to doing/seeing/learning in Detroit. Learn more about how you can become involved with one or both of these committees that provide ways for you to remain engaged with colleagues near and far throughout the year.

Thursday, September 15

Every year, the Educators and Interpreters committee sponsors a session we lovingly refer to as the “kickoff.” It takes place the morning of the first day of the annual meeting. Our goal is to get you fired up from the get-go as we explore an interesting and relevant topic with a connection to our host city. This year, we are thrilled to be working with our colleagues at the Arab American National Museum who are going to lead us on a discussion exploring the impact of cultural competency training. Best practices, lessons learned, and group discussion will help illustrate how you can implement some of their techniques back home. So grab some coffee and join us for Cultural Competency: A Powerful Tool for Change at 8:30 a.m.

Don’t even think about missing our affinity group luncheon at 12 p.m.!  If you love spirited conversation, networking, commiserating and brainstorming with colleagues, and Motown, this is the place for you. We’ll be using the titles of Motown classics to help guide table discussions. Maybe you want to sit with the folks at “It Takes Two” where you can talk about collaboration, or “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” where you can talk about volunteer recruitment. Considering some new outreach programs? Then “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” is the table for you. This is a great opportunity to learn about things you can share, steal, and borrow. Pre-registration is required, so be sure to make arrangements to attend before you get to Detroit.