Monday, February 14, 2011

Developing History Leaders @ SHA

Apply now for SHA

The field of public history is experiencing rapid and major change, and a new generation of leaders will soon be stepping up to set the course for the future of America’s history organizations.

We are seeking leaders at all levels – executive directors, curators, educators, archivists, historians, interpreters, marketing and development professionals, and others – who want to improve their knowledge and skills, who want to become better leaders in their own institutions, and who are ready to part of the larger network of history leaders around the country.

SHA is a three-week, post-graduate level seminar that provides seminarians the opportunity to examine and discuss issues facing the practice of public history with some of the most experienced and knowledgeable leaders in the field.

Some of the hot issues we will be addressing this year are:

  • The relevance of history in American life today.
  • How to engage and share authority with communities and audiences, especially around sensitive topics.
  • The impact of demographic, economic, technological, and cultural changes on our work.
  • How to best engage people in learning about and from history through collections, exhibits, and experiences.
  • The role of collections in an era that places high value on storytelling and virtual experiences.
  • How to align the work of an organization to its mission and strategic goals.
  • How to generate and manage financial resources in order to build a sustainable organization.
  • How to reinvent an organization and manage institutional change in light of the many economic and societal pressures we are facing.
  • How to develop leaders at every level in an organization and in the public history field.

If you aspire to play a greater role in your institution and the field, if you want to improve yourself as a leader, if you want to help shape the future of public history… then apply to the Seminar.

For details, contact Bob Beatty at beatty@aaslh.org or check the SHA website www.aaslh.org/histadmin