Learning from Doing: The Evolution of a Dialogue-Based Program about Race

This case study describes the process of designing and implementing a museum school program about race and suggests a number of recommendations for creating meaningful interactions with visitors about complex topics. Education staff at the San Diego Museum of Man set out to teach students about race as a social construct, sharing science that debunked race as biological fact, defining race throughout history as a means to maintain power, and examining ways in which race impacts their lives. After initial piloting, the staff soon realized that the discussion-based program was not meeting its goals of engaging students in meaningful dialogue. Through reflection and evaluation, the museum refined its approach to most aspects of the experience: from educator training, gallery content, to facilitation. This learning process provides a number of lessons learned that can be applied to the development of educational programs across disciplines and museum types related to dialogue-based offerings.