AMA Leadership Award

We are excited to announce that the Millet & District Museum has received the Alberta Museum Association's Leadership Award for Education!

"The Leadership Award for Education recognizes those who facilitate a culture of inquiry.
Recipients in this category are innovative in their approach to educational program
development and delivery. They view education as a core function of the museum, which is
reflected in their collections research and exhibit development. They inspire lifelong learning
through participatory programming, interpretation, and artifact engagement, and reach out
to diverse audiences and encourage people to think critically about the world around them.
They strive to make information accessible to a wide audience by considering the needs of
different types of learners, using evaluation tools to understand community impact and refine
their approach to programming, and providing opportunities for visitors to experience a
sense of curiosity and wonder.

The Millet Museum centres their educational program delivery around the belief that
museums exist to serve their communities and are most effective when responding to
community needs. Their 2022 programs focused on community recovery from the COVID19 pandemic, providing affordable children's activities, mental health supports, and seniors'
programming to lessen isolation and provide access to the digital world.
The Millet Museum partnered with local mental health support services on the Rural Mental
Health Legacy project to reduce the stigma associated with mental health services and
promote strategies for well-being. Through outreach at community events, public education
work, and the creation of a permanent exhibit on Millet residents’ mental health experiences,
this project demonstrates the integral role museums play in honouring community stories,
while building awareness and community inclusion.
The Millet Museum embraced the challenge of remaining relevant to communities by
positioning themselves to meet essential community needs. The Life in a Digital World
exhibit, exploring technological changes and changes in heritage preservation, was informed
by participants in the museum’s technology use courses with the Millet Seniors Club.
“Going to these programs has changed how we now deal with the ’new’ world we live in,”
said Joanne Maynard, President of the Millet Seniors Club. “It has helped us to feel more
comfortable with technology, more engaged, and able to know that we have the resources in
our community to help us.” AMA Press Release (September 5, 2023)

We would like to thank grant funders such as the Community Initiatives Program, Young Canada Works in Heritage, Canada Summer Jobs, Young Canada Works Building Careers in Heritage, and County of Wetaskiwin & Town of Millet Family & Community Support Services for their support of staff wages & program supplies.