Federal Grant Award Summary

Western Illinois University received a $510,754 Project Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the 21st Century Museum Professional Program (CFDA 45.032), effective September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2029. The WIU Museum Studies Graduate Program will deliver professional workforce development and training across the Midwest museum sector through two primary initiatives. First, the project will host a series of micro-credential workshops for approximately 250 museum professionals, providing practical skills in digital collections management, community engagement models, governance and board relations, education programming design, and institutional sustainability strategies. A comprehensive micro-credential curriculum including session materials, facilitator guides, participant workbooks, hands-on activities, assessment instruments, and case studies will be developed and made available through an online learning platform for broad accessibility.

The second initiative supports year-long paid apprenticeships for eight graduate students who will work at four host museums, contributing to collections management, programming, education, and institutional initiatives. The project will generate a comprehensive apprenticeship curriculum containing partnership templates, mentorship guidelines, assessment rubrics, and sustainability frameworks to be shared with partner institutions. Through coordinated engagement among apprentices, graduate students, site mentors, content experts, and museum staff, the project creates professional development opportunities and builds extended networks that connect current research with practitioner expertise, benefiting both emerging and established museum professionals across the region.