Building the Future of Education: Museums and the Learning Ecosystem

In September 2013, over four dozen educational policy experts, practitioners, funders, education innovators, reformers, student activists and others shaping the conversation about U.S. education converged on the National Building Museum in Washington, DC. Their goal: to launch a national dialogue about the future of education and how leaders from the worlds of education and museums can work together to integrate the nation’s educa- tional assets into a vibrant learning grid. They came at the invitation of the American Alliance of Museums’ Center for the Future of Museums (CFM), and The Henry Ford, in response to forecasts from CFM and other futures organizations that America is on the cusp of transformational change in the educational system. The current structure has been destabilized by rising dissatis- faction with the formal educational system, the proliferation of nontraditional forms of primary education and funding crises at state and local levels. Simultaneously new 3D printing at the Pittsburgh Mini Maker Faire. Photo: Ben Filio 7 horizons are being opened by technological advances in communications, content sharing and cultural expectations regarding access, authority and personalization. A new era is beginning, characterized by new learning economies based on diverse methods of sharing and using educa- tional resources. The CFM and The Henry Ford see this transition as an opportunity to ensure museum resources are used to their fullest advantage in 21st-century education. What role can museums play in this new era? How can they help their communities under- stand and navigate the coming changes? Can museums help forge a common vision of a preferred future for education and play a leadership role in its creation? For a day and a half, convening partic- ipants grappled with how to start a national dialogue on the future of learning and expand the educational impact of museums. The first day set the stage with short presentations. CFM’s Elizabeth Merritt and KnowledgeWorks’ Katherine Prince presented forecasts on educational change and potential scenarios of the future. Paula Gangopadhyay, from The Henry Ford, led panels of educators and innovators presenting examples of museums and other educational innovators exploring ways to structure new learning platforms. The Smithsonian’s Michael Edson and Laura Yours from the future, Elizabeth Merritt Founding Director Center for the Future of Museums American Alliance of Museums White from Ashoka wrapped up the day with a look at the challenges and rewards of scaling up such experiments to meet the needs of American students. The morning of the second day, attendees assembled into small groups to brainstorm next steps. We challenged them to address: What can we do at the national, state, city and neighborhood level to shape the future of education? How can we integrate museums into a network of learning resources? This white paper summarizes the content and shares some of the ideas coming out of the convening. The staff and leadership of the Alliance and The Henry Ford hope this report will inspire you to become involved in this process as well: building bridges among museums, schools and other learning resources, including libraries, archives, makerspaces, learning labs and others. As you read the contributions of those who presented at the convening, think about your assumptions, hopes and dreams for the learning landscape, and decide what actions you will take to build a bright future. Our deepest thanks to the Robert & Toni Bader Charitable Foundation, whose support made this convening possible, and to the National Building Museum for serving as our gracious host. Paula Gangopadhyay Chief Learning Officer, The Henry Ford Member, National Museum and Library Services Board