The foundation for advancement in conservation (faic) will create, improve, and expand connecting to collections care resources for a more focused and community-based professional development…

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) awarded the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC) $459,849 under the 21st Century Museum Professional Program (CFDA 45.032) to expand and enhance the Connecting to Collections Care platform. The award, effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028, will support the creation and improvement of professional development resources for museum and cultural heritage professionals. Key deliverables include a comprehensive audit and update of approximately 300 existing on-demand webinars, development of five new learning paths organized by topic and experience level, establishment of a pilot learning group program to facilitate team-based learning and networking, and creation of 36 new webinars and four new courses. All new and archived resources will be made freely available through www.connectingtocollections.org.

To maximize accessibility and reach, FAIC will implement live artificial intelligence-powered translation and transcription capabilities in over 60 languages across all new webinars and courses. This accessibility enhancement aligns with the 21st Century Museum Professional Program's objective to support workforce development through inclusive professional education and training practices that serve diverse museum professionals across the United States. The initiative directly addresses Goal 1 of the program by developing new and enhanced professional development and training programs for the museum workforce.

The foundation for advancement in conservation (faic) will create, improve, and expand connecting to collections care resources for a more focused and community-based professional development experience. The proposed activities include an audit and update of the archive of nearly 300 on-demand webinars, creation of five new learning paths that guide users through a series of videos grouped by topic or experience level, a pilot learning group program for team-based learning and networking, and 36 new webinars and four new courses with live AI translation/transcription in over sixty languages for all new webinars and courses to improve access. Nearly all new and archived resources will be available freely at WWW.connectingtocollections.ORG.