Historic germantown, a consortium of 18 historical sites and cultural attractions in northwest philadelphia, will hire two community engagement coordinators

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded a $100,000 Project Grant to the National Society of Colonial Dames of America in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to support community engagement efforts by Historic Germantown, a consortium of 18 historical sites and cultural attractions in Northwest Philadelphia. Under the grant, Historic Germantown will hire two Community Engagement Coordinators based at two of its member sites, Stenton and Cliveden, to build connections with local communities and improve members' ability to engage digital audiences as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The coordinators will help sites learn more about the needs of stakeholders from communities of color and move interactions from transactional to relational, leading to sustainable relationships. This supports the goals of the National Leadership Grants program of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which provides funding for projects addressing critical needs in museums and libraries to advance practices and strengthen services for the public.

These individuals will be based at two historic germantown member sites, stenton and cliveden, to build connections with the community and improve member sites' ability to reach audiences digitally as they recover from the covid-19 pandemic. These in-house staff will help the historical sites learn more about the needs of their stakeholders of color (previously, historic germantown's members relied on consultants to help build and maintain these relationships). The new staff will learn how to move community interactions from transactional to relational, a shift that will lead to sustainable relationships.