Lifelong Learning

The Minnesota Historical Society is deeply engaged in cultivating meaningful relationships with adult audiences as lifelong learners, members, donors, volunteers, and supporters. In FY16, MNHS continued to build the organization's capacity for using skilled volunteers through staff trainings, creating new programs, and a thorough evaluation of programs targeted at adult audiences. New initiatives: Fifty-eight new skilled volunteer positions were added, contributing 4,700 volunteer hours. Staff piloted a new program in fall 2015 for people with memory loss at Mill City Museum, which includes time spent in the baking lab. In addition, tours for people with memory loss continued at the James J. Hill House. These hour-long programs aim to spark memory and conversation with residents and their caregivers by using the historic resources and storytelling skills of MNHS staff. About 200 people attended the first Writing Your Family Legacy Conference, held in partnership with The Loft Literary Center. Participants learned how to research, write, and preserve their family legacy at this all-day event. Staff work has begun on the Together in Time project, which uses an app to show objects from MNHS's collections to spark conversations for people with memory loss and their caregivers. During FY16, staff will be working with the African American and Latino communities to build relationships and better understand how to serve their unique memory loss and cultural needs. A work group was formed to study what was needed to create and sustain an interactive video conference program that could be screened for adults in assisted living facilities. Pilot programs will be held in spring 2016.