Iowa Museum Association
Cynthia Sweet, Executive Director
[email protected]
319.239.2236
www.iowamuseums.org

October 6, 2021

STEPS-IMA Grant Received, Additional Scholarships Available

The Iowa Museum Association is proud to announce it has received a National Endowment for the Humanities American Rescue Plan: Humanities Organizations award.

The IMA will use funding from this award to complete the development of STEPS-IMA, a STEPS learning group which will use the AASLH STEPS curriculum, and to provide full scholarships for the January 2022-23 cohort.

Cynthia Sweet, Executive Director, Iowa Museum Association, said, "The NEH American Rescue Plan grant will not only enable the IMA to complete the development of STEPS-IMA, it will allow us to provide full scholarships to up to 12 applicants. Because of this exciting change, we will extend the application period until November 1st.  The availability of full scholarships will increase access to STEPS-IMA training."

The AASLH STEPS program consists of six modules with specific learning objectives that increase the capacity of small and mid-size history organizations to function at basic, good, or better practices.  STEPS-IMA will utilize an online module, cohort and mentor framework and use a variety of instructional approaches and tools. The program will be accessible to museum workers and volunteers all across Iowa with the use of an online learning dashboard where participants can access the training and its many resources.

Sweet said, “As a supportive cohort of learners, we will identify organizational strengths and opportunities for improvement.  Working through one section of the curriculum at a time, we will learn from each other and our speakers, and support each other as we all work to improve policies and procedures.”

STEPS-IMA will focus on content, pedagogy, and assessment with the understanding that a successful online program is not only about the medium use but rather the process of allowing participants to engage with quality content dynamically across a variety of learning styles.  The program will balance synchronous and asynchronous opportunities in an effort to individualize learning and will make use of a variety of professional voices and instructional approaches.  

Small and mid-size history organizations are the primary audience for the STEPS curriculum.  Sweet said, “Small and mid-size organizations regularly reach out to IMA for examples of policies, procedures, and advice on working with boards, volunteers, and the community.  They are actively seeking professional development opportunities and are the primary audience for STEPS-IMA.  Access to scholarships may incentivize additional organizations to apply to be part of the first cohort.”

Providing STEPS-IMA as online professional development opportunity will allow the Iowa Museum Association to fulfill its mission to increase its own organizational capacity as well as that of Iowa museums, which in turn benefits all Iowans. Training in best practices may lead volunteer-run organizations to not only develop a new vision for their organization, but to grow their financial capacity to employ staff.  This in turn leads to opportunities for young people to have meaningful internships and employment under qualified staff.  Young people who attend STEPS-IMA with their organization will find it enhances their resume and career opportunities.   STEPS-IMA will build capacity on many levels.

Sweet said, “STEPS-IMA builds on a best practice workshop series that IMA has offered in past.  Putting the modules on-line and supported by scholarships takes the series to a higher level, increasing accessibility by doing away with the geographic barrier and the cost barrier.  While scholarship funding will not always be available in the future, this grant will enable us to launch the series with the greatest access possible.”

Applications for the January 2022 STEPS-IMA cohort are due November 1.

For more information about STEPS-IMA or to apply, visit IMAonlinelearning.com



The mission of the Iowa Museum Association is to work in the interests of Iowa museums to build organizational capacity, advocate to heighten awareness of the field, and foster community.

Iowa’s museums include art centers and art museums, botanical gardens, children's museums, historic sites, history museums, historical societies, living history sites, nature centers, natural history museums, planetariums, science and technology centers, and zoos.

 For more information about the Iowa Museum Association, visit www.iowamuseums.org