M10 Workforce Development

Recording Available April 11 - May 11, 2025. Virtual.

Historic Deerfield’s conference Engaging with the Legacies of Northern Slavery was presented in collaboration with the Witness Stones Project. Historic Deerfield’s 35 Witness Stones Memorials™ honor the enslaved people who lived in the Deerfield community and mark the ongoing attempt to recover and share as much as we can about their lives and stories. Invited speakers shared their work on various aspects of slavery’s long legacy in the north. Hosted by Historic Deerfield.

Monday, April 28 | 9:30 - 11am. In person, Five Colleges, Inc. 97 Spring St., Amherst

Facilitated by Patrick Fecher, Associate Director of Communications, Emily Dickinson Museum.

M10 staff will gather for networking and to share best practices for social media marketing and engagement. Topics will include paid posts and targeting, partnering with influencers, tailoring content for different platforms and audiences, contextual and political considerations, algorithm changes, and video performance. Hosted by Five Colleges & Emily Dickinson Museum. 

Open to M10 Marketing and Communications staff. Space is limited. RSVP Required.

Wednesday, May 7th | 10am-12pm EDT. Virtual.

The Center for Restorative Practices, Amherst College. 

When tensions arise at work, we humans are less inclined to engage. “We’re tired.” “We’ve tried.” “It’s better to put our heads down and keep who we are and what we long for deep down inside.” Has this ever been you? Come explore using "Social Identity Wheels" to access the multitudes of who you are, who others are and how to develop bridge-building skills toward each other that make room for your differences -- engaging with one another with more kindness and curiosity for change-making. 

This is a public workshop including students, staff, faculty, and off-campus participants. RSVP required. Please also complete this form for M10 grant reporting.

@ M10 Summit 2025: Cultivating Connection, Inspiring Growth: Launching Workforce Development!

Monday, May 12, 1-5pm. In person, Amherst College, Lewis-Sebring Common (in Valentine Hall)

Facilitated by Courtney Waring, Director of Education, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

At this group convening of M10 educators, we will discuss ways to work together to promote K-12 field trips across our locations in the 2025 - 2026 school year. M10 educators will share knowledge and experience engaging regional curriculum directors and teachers, identify barriers to participation, and explore collaborative actions. Hosted by The Eric Carle Museum and Five Colleges.

Monday, May 12, 1-5pm. In person, Amherst College, Lewis-Sebring Common (in Valentine Hall)

Come celebrate the creative community of Museums10. Learn about upcoming professional development opportunities and connect with fellow museum professionals.

Monday, May 19th 10:30am - 12pm. Virtual via Zoom 

Facilitated by Courtney Waring, Director of Education, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

We will continue exploring ways to work together to promote K-12 field trips across our locations in the 2025 - 2026 school year. We will be joined by neighboring colleagues from The Botanic Garden of Smith College, The Hitchcock Center, and Historic Northampton. Hosted by The Eric Carle Museum and Five Colleges.

Open to M10 Educators & Invited Colleagues. RSVP Required.

Wednesday, May 28th | 10am - 12pm. In person. Historic Deerfield, Flynt Center of Early New England Life, 37 Old Main St., Deerfield, MA.

Additional training TBA.

Anders Griffen, Cataloging Librarian, Five Colleges, Inc.

Assigning subjects allows end users to discover inspiring resources and enables museum resources to be discovered alongside library, archive, and special collections materials. Learn tools to confidently select and assign Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) to museum object records to make museum resources more discoverable and accessible. This event was made possible by The National Endowment for the Humanities; Five Colleges, Incorporated; and the Museum Collections Leadership Council.

Open to staff from M6 museums involved in Collections Management System Migration. Please contact Terre Parker tuparker@fivecolleges.edu with questions or to register. 

Monday, June 2nd 10:30am - 12pm. Virtual via Zoom 

Facilitated by Courtney Waring, Director of Education, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

At this group convening of M10 Educators and Marketers, along with neighboring colleagues from The Botanic Garden of Smith College, The Hitchcock Center, and Historic Northampton, we will explore coordinated outreach efforts to promote K-12 Field Trips in the 2025-2026 school year. Hosted by The Eric Carle Museum and Five Colleges.

Open to M10 Educators & Marketers. RSVP Required.

Training & Consultations with Heather Pressman

Training Tuesday, June 10, 2025 3 - 5pm. In person, Yiddish Book Center. 

Open to M10 Staff, museum-affiliated students, and Five College faculty/staff/students. 

Accessibility consultations for individual museums by appointment Monday, June 9th - Wednesday, June 11th. In person, Yiddish Book Center. Stay tuned for consultation sign up!

Are you looking for ways to make your museum more welcoming and inclusive for visitors with disabilities? Nearly a quarter of the population has a disability, yet many museums struggle to create welcoming spaces and experiences for this significant audience. Museum accessibility goes beyond compliance--it's about more than just doorways and ramps--it is about fostering a welcoming environment and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to engage with museum spaces. Come learn simple, actionable steps that museums can take, regardless of size or budget in this interactive session. Hosted by the Yiddish Book Center.

Heather Pressman's bio

Monday, June 23 12 - 1:30pm. Virtual via Zoom.

Kasia Konieczkowski, Creative Director & Dan Taylor, Senior Data Analyst, Rhyme Digital.

This session will explore effective strategies for leveraging websites to drive museum engagement and boost regional tourism. We’ll discuss best practices for optimizing online presence, digital marketing best practices, and integrating digital tools to attract visitors. Additionally, we’ll touch on how the evolving meta-algorithm impacts visibility and explore methods for connecting analytics from multiple platforms into a unified reporting system. This session will provide actionable insights for museum professionals looking to maximize their digital reach and impact. Hosted by Five Colleges.

Open to M10 staff and museum-affiliated students.

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 9:00 - 4:30 pm. In person, Ford Hall Event Space, Amherst College

This workshop empowers staff to proactively protect collections by identifying and mitigating risks, acting as first responders to damaged materials, and coordinating recovery efforts for emergencies—both large and small. Through hands-on training, attendees will practice essential salvage techniques for water-damaged collections, equipping them with the skills to respond effectively to emergencies. 

Open to one representative from each museum with five additional spaces for museums with paper-centric collections. Attendees will share what they learned with M10 colleagues in a professional development session to be scheduled in Fall 2025. 

Registration deadline June 1st. Email Terre Parker tuparker@fivecolleges.edu with the name, title, and email of requested attendee(s). 

Full event description and presenters bio.

This event was made possible in part by the Collegiate Catalyst Fund, LLC; Five College Librarians Council; and Institute of Museum and Library Services.