Webinars
Webinars are online discussions, typically lasting 60 to 75 minutes including a Q&A session. During each live webinar, you can use the Q&A and Chat features to type messages and questions to the panelists and other participants. Webinars are recorded so you can re-watch whenever you want.
Expanding Queer Narratives in Museums - Live Webinar
July 10, 2025 | 3 - 4:15PM ET |
Join us to learn about researching and interpreting queer stories at museums to create inclusive programming that meets community-specific needs.
Exploring a New National Narrative on the Eve of the U.S. 250th - Live Webinar
July 17, 2025 | 3-4:15pm ET | This webinar will explore new research about a defining “national narrative” for America and how a rebooted civic national narrative can help audiences gain a deeper understanding the history of America’s competing national narratives, why this debate matters today, and strategies for effectively communicating about our nation’s past, present, and future as 2026 fast approaches.
AASLH History Hour | July 2025
July 22, 2025 | 3pm EST
Join other AASLH members and friends for a free and informal conversation and community-building event on June 24 at 3 p.m. Eastern time.
Museum Shops! We have all been to our fair share of them, from the good to the odd. Do you have a favorite? A least favorite? And most of all, do you have any tips on how to make one successful? Come join members of AASLH’s Small Museums Committee for a fun and lively conversation about museum gift shops and what makes them work.
Join us to connect to your colleagues from across the country. Everyone is invited to participate!
AASLH History Hour takes place on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 3 – 4 p.m. Eastern Time. While free, registration is required to participate.
Strengthening Ties between Local History Organizations and News Media
July 30, 2025 | 3pm - 4pm ET | Local journalism serves many functions in a community—among them, it can inform, hold power to account; and connect across lines of difference. In today’s evolving information landscape, what opportunities are there for history organizations to build relationships with journalists and a local news outlet to further shared goals? In this "Ask Me Anything"-style virtual program, Samantha Ragland of the American Press Institute will offer tips for history organizations looking to engage local journalists around potential stories. She will also offer insight on other roles the press can play in community life. After about 15 minutes of presentation, attendees will participate in a facilitated conversation and Q&A centered around how to think about sharing your stories with local journalists, what to expect when engaging a local journalist, and what opportunities there may be beyond news stories, too.
Interpreting Winter Holidays with Your Community - Live Webinar
September 25, 2025 | 3 - 4:15PM ET |
Join us for a discussion on interpreting winter holidays at all kinds of historic sites and museums, and how to connect your artifacts and stories with the celebrations of contemporary audiences.
Onsite and Virtual Workshops
Workshops are one to two day in-person or virtual training events. We offer several workshops every year in various locations around the country as well as online. Each workshop offers participants a chance to engage in intensive learning and discussion with faculty and classmates.
Putting It All Together: Preparing for 2026 at Small History Organizations - August - Virtual Workshop
August 5, 2025 | 12 - 4 PM ET |The U.S. 250th is an opportunity to share history that tells everyone’s story and to strengthen the history field. AASLH has developed key resources to help practitioners both conceptually and concretely plan for this commemoration’s transformative potential. Attend this workshop to learn about the Making History at 250 field guide, our new handbook of low-resource programming ideas, and how to effectively apply these tools to your site or organization.
Putting It All Together: Preparing for 2026 at Small History Organizations - October- Virtual Workshop
October 2, 2025 | 12 - 4 PM ET |The U.S. 250th is an opportunity to share history that tells everyone’s story and to strengthen the history field. AASLH has developed key resources to help practitioners both conceptually and concretely plan for this commemoration’s transformative potential. Attend this workshop to learn about the Making History at 250 field guide, our new handbook of low-resource programming ideas, and how to effectively apply these tools to your site or organization.
Building Support for Interpreting Slavery at Your Site - (October 2025) - Virtual Workshop
October 22 and 24, 2025 | 1-5 PM ET | Building Support for Interpreting Slavery at Your Site - (October 2025) - Virtual Workshop
Interpretating history of any kind is an inclusive effort. When we’re talking about the history of enslavement, it’s imperative that institutions do their work with board, staff, and volunteers before and throughout their work with visitors and stakeholders. Incumbent in that work is managing change and fostering empathy around inclusive historical narratives.
Instructor-Led Online Courses
Instructor-Led Online Courses are typically between four to eight weeks long. They offer each student a chance to engage deeply with subject material over an extended period of time. Keep on track with regular video chats and other interactions with accessible faculty, and discuss the course material with classmates in online forums.
Introduction to Museum Endowments (Fall 2025) - Online Course
August 25 - September 21, 2025 | The establishment and management of endowment funds is a key source of institutional income and donor engagement for many museums. Many museum professionals and trustees, however, are less than confident in their understand of the components of endowment funds, and how best to effectively manage such funds for internal and external purposes. This course is designed to introduce students to the structure, benefits, and challenges of endowment fund management, from basic terms and definitions to topics such as impact investing and best practices.
The Academic Museum (Fall 2025) - Online Course
August 25 -October 19, 2025 | AAMG and AASLH have partnered to offer a new course to address the specific needs of museum practitioners at, or collaborating with, college and university museums, galleries, and collections. This course will benefit academic museums and galleries of different types and sizes and is designed for those with limited academic museum experience. We will discuss art, natural history, science, history, and mixed collections, as well as campus relations, fundraising, collections care, loans, finances, donations, working with faculty, hosting students and community connections. The goal of the course is to establish a solid foundation for navigating these and other common campus issues, and give participants positive, useful resources to create a vibrant, engaging space for students and the public.
Collections Management 100 - Collection Development (Fall 2025) - Online Course
August 25 - October 19, 2025| In this course, participants will learn about the general principles underlying the idea of being a “collecting organization,” and how collections support the mission of a museum or history organization. Students will explore the purpose of a Collection Management Policy and how it relates to other core museum documents, create the Foundational Statements and Collection Development sections of their collections management policy and operationalize those components using example objects.
Courses on Demand
AASLH Courses On Demand are online courses designed by history professionals that can be accessed and followed independently at any time. They offer accessible primers on relevant topics that can be completely customized to the student's schedule. Courses share presentations and readings, but do not include mandatory meeting times or instructor or classmate interaction.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for History Organizations - On-Demand
For the first time in history, there are multiple generational cohorts in the workforce, and the cultural climate in the workplace has shifted. This course is designed to assist leaders in bringing awareness to cultural differences and backgrounds and train staff on how to celebrate them and work together. In this course, we will discuss what DEI is and to effectively drive it as a culture within your organization.
Program Planning for Nonprofits - On-Demand
In this course, students will be introduced to the Program Planning Cycle. The cycle includes identifying your organization’s needs, target audience, and resources. At the end of the course, students will have a framework to carry out program planning at their own organization, while having evaluated the current programs at their organization along the way.
Creating Engaging Social Media Content for History Organizations - On-Demand
In our increasingly online world, museums need to start thinking of social media as a program, not just as a marketing tool. In this course, we will learn some of the most effective strategies for engaging your audience on social media.
