Strategic Partnerships

Program Overview

The International Council of Museums (ICOM) and the Office of Strategic Partnerships at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) have joined forces to develop a training workshop aimed at increasing institutional capacity to develop international partnerships and projects. The program, supported in part by ICOM-US, is intended for museum professionals based in the US and Africa, who are eligible according to the criteria below. The workshop will take place in Washington, D.C., from May 1 to 5, 2023.

The goal of the program is to promote the exchange of experiences and methodologies that facilitate intercultural dialogue, the identification of allies and resources, and the development of partnerships in international and local contexts. Trainers from various regions of the world will be part of this exchange of knowledge and professional practice, which will in turn strengthen the communication and collaborative work among the members of the networks of African, African American, and African diaspora museums.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Recognize the challenges and opportunities of international and local partnerships
• Put in practice tools and instruments to ensure fluid intercultural dialogue and participatory processes
• Propose and develop programs and projects with a high level of impact on the daily life and well-being of target communities
• Apply comprehensive methodologies for the definition and development of project proposals
• Identify and apply for international funds and resources for the development of social impact programs
• Identify what partnership really means in the context of international collaboration
• Put together a methodology on how to effectively do this work and establish a larger footprint for future impact

Workshop Dates

In-person Experience: May 1-5, 2023

The workshop will be held over the course of one-week. Participants should anticipate arriving in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, April 30,and departing the evening of Friday, May 5, or on Saturday, May 6.

Eligibility Criteria

The workshop is geared to mid-to-senior level museum professionals who are looking to begin or improve their organizations’ ability to engage in international partnerships and collaborative projects. The workshop will bring together museum professionals from both the United States and the African continent to build cross-cultural dialogue and share best practices.

• Eligibility requirements for participations are for mid-to-senior level management museum professionals from organizations that focus primarily on preserving the life, art, history, and/or culture of African Americans and/or the African diaspora.
• Students strictly enrolled in full-time academic programs, without any affiliated and/or current museum work are not eligible. Smithsonian employees, interns, and current contractors are also not eligible to apply.

For museum professionals coming from the US, the program will cover:

• participation costs;
• roundtrip economy-class airfare;
• hotel accommodations with breakfast;
• lunches and coffee breaks;
• 2-year paid membership to ICOM-US

Other expenses not explicitly stated above will be at the expense of the participants.

How to Apply

Completed applications must be received by 11:59pm, on Sunday, December 18, 2022.

Required materials (to be uploaded via the application link):

• Online application form
• Applicant resume or CV (2-page maximum)
• Letter of recommendation from immediate supervisor/director or board member if you are the director
• Statements of interest answering the following three questions (to be answered and uploaded within the application link):
  
  • How do your current responsibilities relate to the topic of the workshop? (1,500 characters maximum)
  • What kind of knowledge and skills do you expect to get from the program? (1,500 character maximum)
  • How will the training workshop strengthen the projects and activities your museum is currently developing or planning to develop? (1,500 character maximum)

Program Overview
The Museum's Office of Strategic Partnerships is pleased to announce the official launch of a new professional development training focused on Urban Environmentalism. Using the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum's Urban Waterways project as a model, participants will explore how cultural organizations and museums can engage local communities in exploring and documenting the ongoing relationship of communities and their environment through the lens of waterways and other environmental resources to consider how these histories impact actions in the present and communities' visions of and movement toward equitable, sustainable futures.

Over the course of the training, participants will design an action plan for their own organization that will detail a community concern or need they see an opportunity to address, explore potential organizations and community members they would like to partner with, consider applicable forms of documentation needed as part of the process, and explore the anticipated results of their collaborations. Participants will present their action plans to their peers and invited Smithsonian guests as part of the concluding session in Washington, D.C.

About the Workshop
The training will be a hybrid model offered partially online. Over the course of the workshop, participants will engage in 18 hours of virtual learning sessions, engagement with guest speakers, peer-to-peer coaching, and development and refining of individual action plans delivered through the Smithsonian edX and Zoom platforms. In addition to the virtual learning environment, participants will also engage in approximately 12 hours of in-person engagement in the Washington, DC area, which will include a tour of the Anacostia River by boat as well as site visits to the Anacostia Community Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

 2023 Workshop Dates
Virtual Days: Monday, September 18-Thursday, September 21, 2023
10 am to 2:30 pm EST daily

In-Person Days: Monday, September 25-Thursday, September 28, 2023
9 am to 5 pm EST daily

The workshop will be held over the course of a two-week period. Participants should anticipate arriving in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, September 24, and departing the evening of Thursday, September 28, or on Friday, September 29.

Eligibility Criteria
The training is geared towards museum professionals who are from community museums or cultural organizations committed to developing programming that engages community members and partner organizations in conversations about the connection of local history, community health, equity, and the environment.

• Eligibility requirements for participation are open to all museum professionals with at least 2 years of professional museum experience.
• Participants will need to have access to a device with Zoom capabilities and a reliable internet connection. We recommend that participants use a computer equipped with a microphone and webcam for full participation during virtual learning sessions. 
• Smithsonian staff/current contractors are eligible to apply but preference will be given to staff from small to mid-sized museums and cultural centers, servicing underserved populations. Students strictly enrolled in full-time academic programs, without any affiliated and/or current museum work are not eligible.

How to Apply
The application process for the 2023 cohort will open in spring. Please check back in mid-April for more information.

Required Materials:

• Online application form
• Applicant resume or CV (3-page maximum)
• Letter of recommendation from immediate supervisor/director
• Statement of interest: Please share your interest in attending the Urban Environmentalism Workshop and how you and your institution will benefit from your attendance at the workshop (i.e. any special project(s) and/or workplace challenges you are hoping to address through this opportunity).

The Museum's Center for the Digitization and Curation of African American History, funded by Robert F. Smith, was established to advance digital curation, community outreach, and internship initiatives at the Museum. As part of the Robert F. Smith Internship and Fellowship Program, the Museum supports paid internships and fellowships at the Museum in Washington, DC as well as at select African American museums, art galleries and museums of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, cultural institutions and historic sites, or other related institutions with projects dedicated to the study and preservation of African American history and culture. 

We are now accepting applications for the 2024-26 Robert F. Smith Applied Public History Fellowship for HBCU Graduates. The fellowship offers a two-year appointment providing advanced training and scholarly support in public history, museum management, outreach programming, and partnership building. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. December 15, 2023.

Applications for 2024 summer internships will open late Fall 2023. Please sign up for the e-mail list to be notified when new opportunities are announced.