Confident, experienced staff are rightly recognised as a key ingredient to operating a successful science centre. They are essential in all areas, from front of house explainer roles through to managerial and administrative staff. But how can we recruit and keep these high quality professionals within our small field, on tight budgets and short timescales?
The network(s) of organisations we are all part of as science engagement employers can help spread knowledge and develop staff. This session will explore ways in which different organisations around the world have cooperated to create innovative, exciting professional development programmes that benefit employees, organisations and visitors.
Facilitator
Session speakers
Deputy Head of Department, Museum Education
Vienna
Austria
The TMW and Schönbrunn Zoo are not only in the same neighborhood, we also share the same target group: Kids! That was the start of a very successfully collaboration for joint summer camps since 2010. The guides of both institutions work together hand in hand for 2 months annually. Marketing & education departments share their skills & connections for the organizational tasks. So we benefit by using the existing infrastructure of each other’s institutions and attract each other’s audience.
Head of Learning and Operations
KCA London Ltd
London
United Kingdom
Our profession is based on sharing. Despite this, many places learn on their feet about operations, event and programme development. Mishkat, (the science center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) opened in just 9 months and was ready because it built its capacity from those that has already tried and done it all - Techniquest, the Exploratorium and the Science Museum, London. Find out how they did it and are expanding and growing their offer for the next 5 years.
Development Manager
KCA London
London
United Kingdom
Techniquest is the UK's longest established science centre, celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2016. We have a long record of working with other centres internationally to share our experience but also to learn from others in our field.
My session will showcase some of our successful collaborations with science centres in Europe and the Middle East an also discuss our professional development work with local science education professionals.
Director
The Children's Museum Jordan
Amman
Jordan
In a region and a country where science centers and children’s museums are emerging within society, we are conducting professional development from below zero. Also, in a culture where working at such organizations is not usually considered a profession, collaborating with others in the field regionally and globally is critical. I will be sharing the Children’s Museum Jordan’s exciting experiences and lessons of professional development during this session.
Projectmanager
Vienna
Austria
With an Erasmus+ funding Alina Natmessnig (Association ScienceCenter-Network Austria) is doing a six weeks job shadowing at Cap Science (Science Center, Bordeaux). These experiences will serve as an example to discuss the (un)expected added value of long term exchanges: Is it an opportunity for both organisations of getting new perspectives and ideas? What can be learned from the opposite working structures and habits? Does a long-term stay stimulate further exchange and future cooperation?
Board Member
Lisbon
Portugal
I will be presenting a new service for Full members of Ecsite: Ecsite Move. Its aim is to facilitate peer encounters and study visits. This new exclusive online service will allow staff of participating organisations to book free visits to science engagement venues all around Europe.