Small Museum Association Conference 2025

With a staff of just twelve year-round staff members comprising departments of one, collaboration with colleagues and community partners make it possible for the Antique Boat Museum (ABM) to host 20+ different education programs on and off the water for all ages as well as plan, produce, and install seven new exhibits on a minimal budget. ABM’s Educator Molly Voth and Curator/Collections Manager Caitlin Playle will share some of their collaborations, big and small, and tips and tricks for successful results. There will be an opportunity for attendees to swap tips and tricks at the end.

Any museum, no matter the size, must learn to overcome the logistical challenges of bringing students to the institution.  Join Liberty Hall Museum’s Education Coordinator, Hannah Gaston, and Education Assistant Michaela Piepoli as they share the strategies and effective practices they use when coordinating school trips, with the goal that participants will feel more empowered and more educated about how to recognize and prepare for their own institution’s field trip challenges. The panelists will explore questions including: How do you tell the buses where to drop off or park?; How do you get local schools to know about your institution and programs?; How do you make historic rooms accessible for students with physical disabilities in non-ADA compliment spaces?; and more.