Mound House to participate in the AAM Museum Assessment Program
The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum community, recently selected a new cohort of museums to participate in its 2024 Museum Assessment Program, including The Town of Fort Myers Beach’s Mound House.
Since its inception in 1981, the Museum Assessment Program (MAP) has helped more than 5,000 small and mid-sized museums of all types strengthen operations, plan for the future, and meet standards. With 4 types of assessments available, over 60% of AAM-accredited museums have participated in the program.
To participate in the Museum Assessment Program, museums choose from one of four institutional assessment types: Organizational, Collections Stewardship, Education & Interpretation, or Community & Audience Engagement. All four assessment types are grounded in AAM’s Core Standards; are inclusive of Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion (DEAI) issues as they relate to the assessment focus; help museums look at both functional and strategic aspects of their operations; present focused learning modules and action plans for the museum to progress through; and include a peer-reviewed site visit. Over one-third of participating museums found the experience so valuable that they returned to participate another time in the Museum Assessment Program.
“We are thrilled to be participating in AAM’s 2024 MAP cohort. Mound House has endured a lot of challenges since it opened in 2015, including two major hurricanes and a global pandemic. This organization assessment will allow us to lay the groundwork towards becoming a stronger resource to the communities we serve”. -Adam Knight, Museum Manager
The benefits of participating in MAP are clear. Museums often gain clarity on an institutional roadmap or strategic plan, see positive impacts to their visitor experience or community response to their museum, grow in their ability to identify their strengths and challenges, or gain valuable assistance with updating museum policy, successes in fundraising, and other benefits. Specifically relating to the Mound House, they will be able to streamline and strengthen their integration with the Town of Fort Myers Beach as well as clearly define the roles and responsibilities between staff and members of their Advisory Board, Friends of Mound House, and Volunteers.
MAP is supported through a cooperative agreement between the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the American Alliance of Museums. Read more about the Alliance’s Museum Assessment Program and Continuum of Excellence.
About Mound House
Mound House is a regional history and environmental museum owned and operated by the Town of Fort Myers Beach. Located mid-island on Fort Myers Beach, Mound House offers six exhibits with artifacts from the Calusa, Spanish-Seminole, early Latino settlers, and later Anglo-American pioneers. In addition to exhibits, Mound House offers a wide variety of programs including kayak tours, guided tours, and evening Lecture Series.
Contact the Mound House:
Adam Knight, Museum Manager, Mound House, Town of Fort Myers Beach
adam.knight@fmbgov.com
About the American Alliance of Museums
The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) is the only organization representing the entire museum field, from art and history museums to science centers and zoos. Since 1906, they began championing museums through advocacy and providing museum professionals with the resources, knowledge, inspiration, and connections they need to move the field forward.
For more information on the American Alliance of Museums, and the impact of museums, visit aam-us.org.