St. Joes, Barnes Foundation launch online grad program [Video]

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Saint Joseph’s University and the Barnes Foundation have a new online graduate program designed to prepare future museum educators for roles in public and private institutions.

The Master of Arts in Museum Education graduate program starts this fall.Joshua Power, dean of the School of Education and Human Development at the university, says the idea came after a series of meetings with the Barnes Foundation.

“They believed that there was a gap in offerings and felt like St. Joe’s was a perfect partner,” Power said, “for us at St. Joe’s, we’re always looking to expand our offerings, to be more responsive to the needs of the community.”

The program teaches students how to share knowledge with the public in an engaging and inclusive way, including strategies for teaching about objects and collections applicable to any museum.

Martha Lucy, deputy director for research, interpretation and education at the Barnes Foundation, says there’s a healthy demand for educators in the museum field.

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