Education+and+Outreach+Policy


 * Education and Outreach Policy **

**__Introduction__** //‘[// // The RAHC’s] intent is to educate the residents of the area with regard to the history of the community. It shall do so by making its collection available to view to all interested parties…The RAHC intends to educate its users through informative display, but also through interactive learning and cultural activities. // ’  A core purpose of the RAHC is to foster education and learning among its users. Learning outcomes are paramount to visitors’ overall enjoyment of the museum experience, and help them to understand the social and cultural value of the collection, and why it is special. The RAHC strives to accommodate a life-long learning approach. It is a learning resource for groups of all ages: school children, youth groups, adult learners and families. Upon request, the museum is also accessible as a research facility for third level students and educators.

**__Expansion of Education and Outreach Programmes__** The RAHC shall expand its range of educational and outreach programmes in order to appeal to its various audiences. These programmes will allow its users to ‘engage meaningfully with the exhibitions and collections’ (National Museum of Ireland, 2011). Participating in these programmes will enable visitors to:
 * Learn through observation and demonstration
 * Engage with objects through interactive display
 * Investigate local history
 * Look for historical evidence – in the form of genealogical research
 * Study local history and genealogy

In order to expand its range of programmes, the RAHC will need to develop new ideas for education and outreach services. It shall do this by researching services at comparable institutions, and using this research to develop a new pilot programme, project or resource. Such research shall be carried out annually. The museum shall also consult with local schools, colleges and adult learning centres so as to develop more effective and stimulating learning programmes. One key aim will be to develop a range of activity sheets and learning materials for the education of school children. The RAHC shall develop its outreach provision, with a particular emphasis on being more inclusive of people from disadvantaged areas. Currently, it offers creative workshops, school and group talks, and has a youth forum. Through research, the RAHC shall establish who these programmes currently serve, and in light of this, set out to market educational programmes to any excluded audiences. For those with physical access difficulties – whether through distance or disability – it is important that the museum has virtual access. The RAHC website is partially used to exhibit and display the museum collection through use of photographs and written content. As such, it can be used to educate its users. The educational and outreach potential of using the RAHC website shall be explored to see if the museum can develop a virtual education programme. Use of blogging, social networking sites, online video and photography will be considered.

**__Evaluation of Education and Outreach Programmes__** The RAHC shall evaluate the performance of its education and outreach programmes by establishing the degree to which programmes fulfil specified criteria regarding learning outcomes and enjoyability. By gathering feedback from users’ experiences, the museum will be able to evaluate the success or failure of its key education and outreach programmes. On the basis of this evaluation, programmes shall be modified appropriately, replaced by an alternative approach, or discarded completely. Assuming the museum can find someone to volunteer, evaluation of key programmes shall also be completed externally, ideally as part of a peer-evaluation programme.

**__Improvement of Education Provision__** The RAHC shall improve the quality of its education provision by ensuring that staff's behaviour and teaching skills are consistent with standards of current best practice. An ethos of continuous learning and research shall be encouraged by management. Educational training classes shall be offered to staff on a continuous basis, and staff shall be encouraged to discuss and contribute to future education and outreach policy.



**__Adapted from:__**

National Museum of Ireland. (2007). //Education and Outreach Policy Document//. Retrieved 14 November 2011 from []

**__References:__**

National Museum of Ireland. (2011).//Explore and Learn//. Retrieved 14 November 2011 from []