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PROJECT: Museums for everyone

The operative work of realising the project was carried out by the Museum Education Centre (MOKK), one of the directorates of the Hungarian Open Air Museum, with the assistance of the nationwide museum coordinator network of 40 professionals. By the project launched in 2008, MOKK undertook to unfold a large scale professional activities to change attitudes in accordance with international museum trends.

Training courses for museum professionals and teachers of public education and producing and disseminating professional materials based on methodology research had a prominent role in the project in order to develop the supporting role of knowledge transfer of museums. The nationwide museum coordinator network significantly contributed to disseminating up-to-date museum knowledge and strengthening cooperation between museums and public education institutions.

Project results

The greatest achievement of the Museums for Everyone project is that it considerably contributed to changing attitudes of both teachers and museum professionals. Museums have set out on the road to become the most effective off-school place of competence based learning, and they have provided priority possibilities for assisting school learning through the projects. A new kind of network of relations have come about between schools and museums as a result of the project. The number of teachers aware of modern use of museums has greatly increased as a result of MOKK adult training courses. A community of museum educators focusing more on schools’ expectations and knowing about and using up-to-date methodology and techniques has emerged as a consequence of the methodology development. Network-like relations have emerged and been in operation among teachers and museum professionals, facilitated by the MOKK network of museum coordinators, and it generated a methodology renewal in the cooperation of museums and schools.

The needs arising in the schools induced development of innovative museum education programmes, and brought about methodology renewal as well as new approaches, the long term impact of which is extremely favourable in lifelong learning extending to all areas of life.

Due to the cooperation of schools and museums in the framework of the project, an attitude change has started at a national level. The role of the museum as a knowledge base and as a knowledge centre, and the ways of using the museum have started to integrate into the educational process. The number of student visitors arriving in groups, having been prepared for the museum programme by museum staff has increased. The final part of the museum programme embedded into school activities deepened the knowledge acquired in the museum, and it urged the participants to acquire more knowledge and pay further visits in the museum.

 

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE PROJECT

METHODOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

10 MODEL PROJECTS, 4 RESEARCH STUDIES

Model projects

The aim of the model projects was to demonstrate for museum professionals the steps of planning and managing projects, planning and managing finance, writing tenders, public procurement, project realisation and communication through practical examples. The ten model projects, besides giving help in writing and submitting tenders, also contributed to the didactic dissemination of the methodologies applied in in the priority project.

Research

Four niche research studies and methodology development were carried out by the MOKK in the framework of the project.

Museums in the service of public education;

Situational picture and perspectives. Museum education in Hungary 2008-2009;

Experience and knowledge. Museum professionals in the service of public education;

Knowledge and practice – Museum education methodology. European examples and domestic applications;

All our research was focused on exploring museum uses of Hungarian public education, and on museum- and museum education infrastructure, we presented best practices from abroad, and worked out recommendations for further development of competence based education. On the basis of the results of our research, the MOKK worked out ten niche accredited training courses, and constructed a nationwide museum education database, named the Museums a’la carte in order to promote relations of museums and schools.

TRAINING COURSES

10 ACCREDITED TRAINING COURSES, 3 E-LEARNING COURSES, 593 COURSE PARTICIPANTS

When launching our adult education courses, the MOKK set high standards for itself and the contributors, and as a result, in 2008 the Adult Education Accrediting Commission declared the Hungarian Open Air Museum an accredited adult education institution – the first among Hungarian museums. When working out the courses our primary aim was not only to present the newest trends and the internationally acknowledged methodology of knowledge transfer and museum management, but we also included the most modern training methodology in the programmes. Also in this spirit, we launched our e-learning courses – first among Hungarian museums –  accessible free of charge.

Our courses:

For teachers and kindergarten teachers:

  • Learning is fun, entertain to learn – project method in museum education
  • Partnership of schools and museums – training for teachers
  • Train-the trainer of teachers – museum utilization in public education
  • Do you understand? – Yes, I do. – How to welcome handicapped people in museums
  • Museum management
  • School-friendly museum environment
  • Curating exhibitions from A to Z: from the idea to accomplishment to serve the needs of public education
  • Museum communication to serve the needs of education
  • Networking and cooperation in non-formal education
  • Museum publications for education and training – From the worksheet to online museum group work

Some courses selected on the basis of expected needs, student feedback and oversubscription due to high interest will be continuously available in the five-year maintenance period.

Teaching/training staff – quality management

We collaborate with 159 teachers/trainers (136 external and 23 inner staff). Our staff includes internationally acclaimed professionals, university teachers, top-rated museum professionals, representatives of management consulting firms as well as staff of for profit firms.

Participants of courses come from all areas of the country in accordance with equal opportunities.

In the 42 courses ran free of charge during the five years of the project, were completed by 593 participants (210 teachers and 383 museum professionals). Bearing in mind the goals regarding convergence, participants came from all parts of the country.

The Museum Education and Methodology Centre was awarded the Museum Award for Excellence in 2010 for working out the methodology and teaching /training activities of “Museums for Everyone Project”.

CONFERENCES

MORE THAN 2000 PARTICIPANTS IN 9 NATIONWIDE CONFERENCES IN 5 YEARS

The aim of the annual organising of the National Museum Education Conference and the National Museum Education Year-opening is to present the current trends of the museum world, to disseminate best practices and promote communication in the museum field.

National Museum Education Conferences:

2009 “The future of museums, the museum of the future” – Győr

2010 “Cultural paths” – changing needs, changing museums –Szolnok

2011 “Digital Trends” – Miskolc

2012 “Museums reloaded” – generations for the museum of the future – Szentendre

2013 “Words fly – post-it remains” – Szentendre

National Museum Education Year-opening conferences:

2009 Budapest

2010 Székesfehérvár

1011 Budapest

2013 Budapest

NATIONWIDE NETWORK OF MUSEUM COORDINATORS

566 EVENTS OF A NETWORK OF 40 COORDINATORS

It was the Museum Education and Methodology Centre that set up a nationwide network of coordinators for the first time in Hungary that provided a model for several other institutions of the museum field.

One of our outstanding results is the establishment of the nationwide network of museum coordinators.

The 566 project events of the coordinators organised during the five years assisted the renewal of the museum profession as well as its large-scale change of attitudes, furthermore the 74 nationwide events (work-group meetings, meetings, workshops, professional forums). helped the professional development of the network and the coordinators.

NUMBER OF COORDINATOR EVENTS 2009-2013

Museum information days: 207

County Museum education year-opening conferences:165

Local museum education campaigns: 89

Local meetings with museum education professionals: 57

Meeting with public education institutions: 51

Work group meetings, professional forums, nationwide events:74

DISSEMINATION

10+1 PROFESSIONAL BOOKS IN THE SERIES OF MUSEUM COMPASS, 9 PUBLICATIONS OF MUSEUM SCHOOL (educational resource materials)

Extensive knowledge transfer was achieved through hard copy publications and online by working out methodology publications, handbooks for training courses, online training courses accessible online free of charge (e-learning) on the website of our own, as well as by press releases, conferences and exhibitions. The “Museums for Everyone Programme “was promoted by 935 media coverage (729 internet, 77 in the printed press, 47 television and 24 radio coverage).

WEBSITE FOR THE FUTURE

4876 REGISTERED USERS,

EXCELLENT HUNGARIAN CONTENT AND USER-FRIENDLY RATING

In order to communicate the results of the “Museums for Everyone” Programme in the most efficient manner the website launched in 2010 (mokk.muzeumokmindenkinek.hu) was revamped bearing in mind the changes of information and communication, and it was relaunched restructured, as an up-to-date user-friendly website under the name of mokk.skanzen.hu, but also keeping the old content.

Number of registered users of mokk.skanzen.hu [1]: 4 876

Number of visitors of mokk.skanzen.hu: 50 000

Acknowledgements of mokk.skanzen.hu:

International acknowledgment: AVICOM-FIAMP “Special Web Art Golden Prize” in September 2014

  • eFestival, in Culture / Cultural heritage / Tourism category 3rd place 2013
  • Excellent Hungarian Content 2013
  • User-friendly Website 2013

Acknowledgement of the mokk.muzeumokmindenkinek.hu website:

  • User-friendly Website 2010

website video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXOg98Zunws

MUSEUMS A’LA CARTE

791 EXHIBITIONS and 2205 MUSEUM EDUCATION SESSIONS of 226 MUSEUMS

As part of the renewed website the Museums a’la carte received an up-to-date web interface, where the exhibitions and museum education sessions of Hungarian museums can be searched by teachers and the general public according to a number of aspects (city/town, theme, age group, time etc.)

INFORMATION ABOUT “MUSEUMS FOR EVERYONE” PROGRAMME

Project owner:

Museum Education and Methodology Centre, Hungarian Open Air Museum

Project costs in total: HUF 438 233 032

MUSEUM COMPASS

The staff of Museums for everyone  project
AVICOM-FIAMP “Special Web Art Golden Prize” in September 2014
eFestival, in Culture / Cultural heritage / Tourism category 3rd place 2013
MUSEUM SCHOOL (educational resource materials)
Sign of the contract for Museums for everyone project in 2013.