Pre-Conference Workshops

Sunday, July 26

There are three types of registration for this year’s conference – Virtual Only, Virtual + Single Day, and Virtual + In-Person. Add-ons like pre-conference tours, pre-conference workshops, and evening events are available with Single Day and In-Person registration types.

Bridging the Gap: Using Volunteer Programs as Workforce Development

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Presenters: Trey Whitted, College Mentors for Kids; Bethany Hrachovec, Indiana Historical Society; Micaela Knox, Great American Songbook Foundation; Hannah Barton, Indiana University Indianapolis

Flip the narrative on traditional acts of service. Join new and established museum pros to explore how volunteerism can better serve young professionals by gaining marketable skills. Through collaborative dialogue, troubleshoot barriers and walk away with an action plan to implement skills-based changes in your volunteer program.

This workshop will feature four multidisciplinary professionals who will share their volunteerism journeys as organizational leaders and emerging professionals and case studies on how their organizations address the needs of volunteers. They will highlight their public outreach strategies to market volunteer opportunities for young and transitioning professionals with varied interests and experiences and offer a set of standard best practices for the recruitment and retention of volunteers. 

Capacity: 20

Ticket: $10

Location: Residents’ Dining Hall at Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, 800 S Halsted Street

Parking: Parking is available at Halsted and Taylor Street (760 West Taylor Street) garage across the street. Visit the UIC Parking Services website for more details.

Accessibility: The Residents’ Dining Hall is ADA-accessible via the North and South entrances. It has an elevator to the restrooms (which are marked men and women). An all-gender restroom is located on the second floor of the Hull-House.

Proactive Preservation Part 2: Co-Create and Operationalize Your Museum’s Emergency Plan

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Presenters: Stacy Button, Distinguished Fine Art & Collectibles; Eric Dougal, HUB International

Discover how to transform your workplace culture with expert insights, interactive tools, and collaborative activities. Explore equity-focused practices, assess organizational readiness for change, and engage in the dynamic Disruption Bingo game. Leave with actionable strategies and resources to build a more human-centered, inclusive, and purpose-driven organization.

Capacity: 20

Ticket: $10

Location: Chicago Maritime Museum, 1200 W 35th St

Parking: The Chicago Maritime Museum is located on the ​River Level of the Bridgeport Art Center. Please enter on the NORTH side of the building accessible from Racine Ave. Here you will find FREE parking. Look for the blue awning and follow signs down one flight of stairs. The museum is also easily accessible on public transit with a stop for the 35 bus across the street from us. The 35 bus intersects with the red, green, and orange line trains.

Accessibility: An accessible ramp and elevator access is available via the atrium entrance on the east side of the building. Please view the museum’s Accessibility Page for further details.

Repatriation Strategies for Midwest Museums: NAGPRA and International Approaches

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Presenters: Krystiana Krupa, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Brooke M. Morgan, Illinois State Museum; Jayne-Leigh Thomas, Office of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) at Indiana University

This workshop reviews legal requirements and best practices for the repatriation and return of human remains and cultural belongings in museum collections. Participants discuss case studies and approaches to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and international repatriation efforts, receive digital resources, and ask questions to Midwest practitioners.

Attend this workshop to: 

  • Get expert guidance on specific area(s) of interest to your organization related to NAGPRA.
  • Become familiar with legal repatriation requirements to federally recognized tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations under NAGPRA and with best practices for international repatriation. 
  • Learn strategies for pursuing consultation efforts with Tribal and foreign governments. 
  • Receive digital resources related to NAGPRA compliance requirements and training opportunities and the opportunity to join the Midwest NAGPRA Community of Practice, which serves as a practitioner network to share resources and questions with the broader regional repatriation community. 

Capacity: 20

Ticket: $10

Location: Chinese American Museum of Chicago, 238 W 23rd St

Parking: Limited street parking available and metered parking nearby in Chinatown.

Accessibility: 

  • Wheelchair Access: Ramp located on the left side of the museum, next to the mural. Elevator available inside the museum. 
  • Accessible Parking: Reserved accessible parking spaces are located in the parking lot. 
  • Service Animals: Trained service animals are welcome in all areas of the museum. 
  • Restrooms: Accessible and gender-non-conforming restrooms are located on each floor.