Who is Educating Whom? Two-way Learning in Museum/University Partnerships

Abstract

Museums are places where inspiration and learning take place for staff as well as visitors. One way that museum staff can increase their own learning is through community-based partnerships to foster exchange of knowledge and skills. For these collaborations to be effective, both the museum educator and the community partner must be able to step into a “learner” role as well as an “educator” role. This paper describes a partnership between staff at The Franklin Institute and occupational therapy faculty and students at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, where two-way learning energized efforts to support inclusion and accessibility for museum visitors with disabilities. The article first explains the conceptual model framing this collaboration, and then describes specific examples of work accomplished together. These interactions led to increased learning for both partners and forward momentum toward a common goal based on shared values and mutual respect. Results demonstrate that community institutions can successfully partner with museums to promote joint learning and positive social change.