Museums and Inclusive Communities

This paper explores the intersections of museum studies and urban planning in the context of creating inclusive communities and advocates for innovative educational approaches to bridge these fields. We propose an interdisciplinary class design, “Museums and Inclusive Communities,” bridging two large classes in museum studies and urban planning through a First-Year Interest Group (FIG) class. The class design is grounded into the analysis of job descriptions from art museums across the U.S., highlighting a nationwide focus on inclusivity. The curriculum focuses on cognitive and experiential learning, encouraging students to understand, reflect, and connect concepts from both fields. We argue that the FIG approach benefits students both short and long-term, fostering a mind-set that connects classes while they are in college and preparing a workforce attuned to the creation of inclusive community. This class design could be implemented at institutions around the country, bringing together museums studies and urban planning to educate generations committed to inclusive places. 

This paper explores the intersections of museum studies and urban planning in the context of creating inclusive communities and advocates for innovative educational approaches to bridge these fields. We propose an interdisciplinary class design, “Museums and Inclusive Communities,” bridging two large classes in museum studies and urban planning through a First-Year Interest Group (FIG) class. The class design is grounded into the analysis of job descriptions from art museums across the U.S., highlighting a nationwide focus on inclusivity. The curriculum focuses on cognitive and experiential learning, encouraging students to understand, reflect, and connect concepts from both fields. We argue that the FIG approach benefits students both short and long-term, fostering a mind-set that connects classes while they are in college and preparing a workforce attuned to the creation of inclusive community. This class design could be implemented at institutions around the country, bringing together museums studies and urban planning to educate generations committed to inclusive places.