WIU museum studies graduate program will enhance the quality of workforce preparation and expand the range of access to professional development across the midwest museum sector

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded Western Illinois University $510,754 on September 1, 2026, under the 21st Century Museum Professional Program (CFDA 45.032) to enhance workforce preparation and professional development across the Midwest museum sector.

Western Illinois University will host a series of micro-credential workshops serving 250 museum professionals in critical areas including digital collections management, community engagement models, governance and board relations, education programming design, and institutional sustainability strategies. The project will create a comprehensive micro-credential curriculum—including session materials, facilitator guides, participant workbooks, hands-on activities, assessment instruments, and case studies—delivered via an online learning platform accessible to practitioners beyond the initial workshop cohort.

The award also funds paid, year-long apprenticeships for eight graduate students who will contribute to collections, programming, education, and institutional initiatives at four host museums. The project will produce an apprenticeship curriculum with partnership templates, mentorship guidelines, assessment rubrics, and sustainability frameworks to be shared with partner museums. The activities create shared professional development opportunities among apprentices, graduate students, site mentors, content experts, and museum staff, enabling graduate students to learn from practitioners, practitioners to engage with current research, and all participants to build professional networks extending beyond individual training events.

Performance occurs in Macomb, Illinois. The period of performance runs through August 31, 2029.

Project activities include hosting a series of micro-credential workshops to provide 250 museum professionals with applicable skills in critical areas such as digital collections management, community engagement models, governance and board relations, education programming design, and institutional sustainability strategies. A micro-credential workshop curriculum with session materials, facilitator guides, participant workbooks, hands-on activities, assessment instruments, and case studies will be created and made accessible via an online learning platform. The project also supports paid, year-long apprenticeships for eight graduate students who will contribute to collections, programming, education, and institutional initiatives at four host museums. A comprehensive apprenticeship curriculum that includes partnership templates, mentorship guidelines, assessment rubrics, and sustainability frameworks will be created and shared with partner museums. The project will generate opportunities for apprentices, graduate students, site mentors, content experts, and working museum staff to engage together in shared professional development, while producing environments in which graduate students learn from practitioners, practitioners engage with current research, and all participants build professional networks that extend beyond any single training event.