THE IOWA MUSEUM ASSOCIATION JOINS OVER 100 ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY ENDORSING VALUES OF HISTORY RELEVANCE
Urges History Fans to Support Effort with #HistoryRelevance Social Campaign
Cedar Falls, IA (March 15, 2017) — The Iowa Museum Association is one of more than 100 historical organizations around the country that endorse the History Relevance Value Statement and declare the importance of teaching and learning history.
The Value Statement is comprised of seven distinct tenets delineating critical ways the study of history is essential to individuals, communities, and the future. The full Value Statement can be found at https://www.historyrelevance.com/value-statement.
Endorsement of the Value Statement sends a positive message to highlight the value of history in American society and help history organizations of all kinds to better articulate the value of history with a common language. History studies create a sense of awareness and identity, cultivate critical thinking and analytical skills, and lay the groundwork for empowered communities. They preserve the past and spark inspiration for the future.
Cynthia Sweet, Executive Director of the Iowa Museum Association, said “There are hundreds of history museums, archives, and history-related organizations in Iowa. They preserve primary sources, provide educational programs for all ages, and enhance our understanding of past events and how they both inform and relate to the present. As partners in education, Iowa’s history museums use authentic artifacts to spark interest in Iowa’s history and help students understand both their community’s and Iowa’s past in the context of our nation’s history. The critical thinking and analytical skills gained in the study of history are foundational skills necessary for any career. The value derived from the study of history cannot be overstated.”
History Relevance comprises over 150 like-minded organizations around the world, from the Smithsonian Institution and National Archives to historical societies and archivists; associations and nonprofits; and museums, trusts, estates, and local institutions. The Value Statement is endorsed by organizations that promote and encourage a sense of awareness, identity, and interconnectivity in a multicultural world through history-driven courses of study.
“We are thrilled with The Iowa Museum Association’s endorsement of our Values Statement,” said Tim Grove, History Relevance spokesperson. “History – including knowledge as well as the processes of research and reflection – is critically important to our society, culture, and the individual citizens who live it each and every day.”
The Iowa Museum Association urges history fans to post a selfie enjoying their favorite historical spot, and use the hashtag #HistoryRelevance.
Visit The Iowa Museum Association online at www.iowamuseums.org. For more information about History Relevance, go to www.historyrelevance.com.
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About the Iowa Museum Association
The Iowa Museum Association is a statewide organization, serving a constituency that includes 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.
Mission: Working in the interests of Iowa museums, the Iowa Museum Association builds organizational capacity, advocates to heighten awareness of the field, and fosters community.
For more information on the Iowa Museum Association, please visit www.iowamuseums.org or e-mail Director Cynthia Sweet at [email protected]
About History Relevance
History Relevance seeks to foster a dialogue regarding how study of the past links people to the present. The group serves as a catalyst for discovering, demonstrating, and promulgating the value of history for individuals, communities, and the nation. We believe that history can have more impact when it connects the people, events, places, stories, and ideas of the past with people, events, places, stories, and ideas that are important and meaningful to communities, people, and audiences today. For more information, visit www.historyrelevance.com.