Social Impact

The effect that museums have on the social fabric of their communities and the well-being of the individuals and families who live there.

Meet Marilyn Jackson: A Q&A with AAM’s New President & CEO

By American Alliance of Museums

At the 2024 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, the outgoing Vice Chair of AAM’s board, Nathan Richie, sat down for a Q&A with our new President & CEO, Marilyn Jackson, to help attendees get to know her a little better. In their …
Designing a Watershed Experience at the Ontario Museum of History and Art

By Miriam Valle-Mancilla & Marissa Kucheck

With its exhibition on water, the Ontario Museum of History and Art aims to educate and empower its community and address its wellbeing. This article originally appeared in Museum magazine’s May/June 2024 issue, a benefit of …
Probing Grief at Historic House Museums

By Callie Hawkins and Rob DeHart

Historic house museums can connect their physical spaces with personal experiences, including grief. This article originally appeared in Museum magazine’s May/June 2024 issue, a benefit of AAM membership. Historic house museums often focus …
Supporting Those Who Care at the Baltimore Museum of Art

By Susan Witmer Wolffe and Margaret S. Chisolm

The Baltimore Museum of Art has partnered with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine to better prepare medical students. This article originally appeared in Museum magazine’s May/June 2024 issue, a benefit of AAM membership. …
Creating Restorative Moments at Woodland Park Zoo

By Lauren Carroll-Bolger

Woodland Park Zoo’s Hope & Healing offers uplifting community experiences for people facing life-altering challenges. This article originally appeared in Museum magazine’s May/June 2024 issue, a benefit of AAM membership. A child …
Partnering for Community Healing and Change at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center

By Xoe Fiss and Patty Bode

Museums can play a role in destigmatizing addiction disorder. This article originally appeared in Museum magazine’s May/June 2024 issue, a benefit of AAM membership. What inspires a complete stranger to engage in the destigmatization of …
Toward Equity in Metadata: How Sandy Spring Museum Is Going beyond Reparative Cataloging

By Allison Weiss

Equity: freedom from bias or favoritism Metadata: data that describes and provides context for digital items, which in turn helps users find and discover these resources. Though Black and white residents numbered almost equally throughout …
Social Impact Toolkit

By American Alliance of Museums

Measuring museum social impact is a long journey, and requires time and commitment. The Measurement of Museum Social Impact initiative (MOMSI) designed a toolkit to set museums up for success through summaries of tasks, checklists, best …
Identity, Choice, and Emotion: New Approaches to Touring

By Debbi Hegstrom, Kara ZumBahlen, and Sheila McGuire

As Learning staff at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), we regularly assess our tour offerings to understand what’s working well or where we may need to find new approaches. Over the past five years, several factors have pulled us in …
Seizing the Moment: How Museum Outreach and Programming Can Champion Overlooked Communities

By Deborah Ziska

Sometimes, instead of waiting for an invitation, overlooked communities will come knocking at your door. If so, is your museum ready to be fearless, seize the moment, collaborate, share narratives, and maybe even have some fun? One such …