African American Museum of Iowa

The African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa will build its capacity to reach statewide audiences by training staff to provide quality programs and support services. The museum will hire and train two statewide coordinators to provide preservation and education services relating to African American culture through a network of 14 community chapter locations in Iowa. Current staff members will also enroll in specialized courses to enhance their skills in collections care and management, enabling them to more efficiently catalog a growing collection of materials documenting the state's rich African American history. The multifaceted project includes activities to increase the participation of schools in distance learning classes and museum tours to supplement the K-12 history curriculum, as well as methodologies to establish College Student Chapters and initiate internship opportunities focusing on African American museum practice.