Mid-America Arts Alliance's Hands-on Experiential Learning Project (HELP) will begin a professional training initiative in spring 2010 with 15 small and rural Oklahoma museums to build institutional capacity and establish lasting improvements. Offered with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Oklahoma Arts Council, and the Oklahoma Museums Association, this training project was developed to address the specific needs of small museums' staff, volunteers, and trustees.
 
HELP provides museums with on-site, affordable learning opportunities that further skills in areas critical to successful museums today. In this round of HELP, 15 Oklahoma museums will receive 10 months of nonprofit governance training, including two workshops, an on-site professional consultation, and peer networking opportunities. Museums pay a minimal fee to participate in this groundbreaking project, with the remainder of the costs subsidized by the project's generous funders.
 
For more information on the HELP training project, or to receive an application, click here or please call Rachel Saalweachter, project assistant, at 816.421.1388, ext. 225.  You can also reach Rachel by e-mail at rachel@maaa.org.