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.
What is STEPS and Can It Help My Site? - Live Webinar
September 9, 2026 | 3:00pm ET
Learn about AASLH's STEPS (Standards and Excellence Program for History Organizations) self-assessment program and how participation can benefit your site and staff.
AASLH History Hour | September 2026
September 29, 2026 | 3pm EST
Enlightening public programs, thrilling historic house tours, and brilliant connections to local history are the aspects of our work that bring us joy. Bylaws and legal compliance make us yawn. But good governance is essential for nonprofits. It ensures museums operate with openness and transparency, and builds trust with the public and our donors. Good governance sustains a museum through staff transition and creates a foundation for smooth day-to-day operations. Join us at September’s AASLH History Hour to talk about governance – what we need to know, what we want to know, and more.
Most of the time will be in breakout rooms for you to meet your peers and discuss governance. Before the breakouts, there will be a short presentation from these presenters:
Kim Fortney, Chair, AASLH Governance Committee
Tamara Hammerlein, Past Chair, AASLH Field Services Alliance
Erik London, Chair, AASLH Field Services Alliance
Sean Blinn, Chair, AASLH Small Museums Committee
AASLH History Hour, a free informal conversation and community-building event, takes place on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 3 – 4 p.m. Eastern Time. While free, registration is required to participate.
Bridging Historical and Civic Practice - Live Webinar
October 1, 2026 | 3 - 4:15PM ET |
With its vast geographical reach and high degree of public trust, the history sector is uniquely positioned to strengthen democracy. But the field has largely been an untapped partner in this effort. Now, more than ever, there is an urgent need to leverage and expand the vital role history organizations play in civic life—both by advancing essential historical knowledge and skills and also by strengthening civic participation, bridging divides, and addressing contemporary challenges. This webinar will offer both big-picture inspiration and concrete case studies highlighting programming and partnership ideas that can help enhance your organization’s capacity to fortify American civic culture.
This webinar is presented as part of AASLH’s History & Democracy Initiative (HDI), which seeks to amplify and uplift the crucial role that the history field plays in supporting a thriving democracy. HDI is supported by our founding partner, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.
Core Issues Briefing Series - Fall 2026 - Webinar Bundle
October 7 - November 4, 2026 |
Now, more than ever, a constantly evolving landscape is testing the history field. Rather than try to piece together information and tools from disparate sources on topics ranging from workforce challenges to polarization to disaster preparedness, AASLH is now pleased to offer the Core Issues Briefing Series, a set of webinars offering consolidated access to the latest research, insights, and guidance on how to respond to the history sector’s most pressing issues. Join your fellow practitioners for five weeks of once-a-week, hour-long webinars that will help you strengthen your institution, your staff and volunteers, and your programs and services.
Core Issues Briefing Series #1 - Fall 2026 - Engaging Younger Generations at History Organizations - Live Webinar
October 7, 2026 | 3:00pm ET |
An enduring challenge for nearly every history organization or site is engaging younger generations. As debates about history and democracy gain intensity, serving these audiences—which signify the future visitors, donors, history practitioners, voters, policymakers, and civic leaders of our society—becomes even more crucial. Meanwhile, younger generations are hungry for information about “how we got here” to shape their understanding of the past and participation in the present. Luckily, there’s an organization dedicated to strengthening ties between youth and history organizations: Made By Us. Attendees to this webinar will hear directly from Made By Us leadership about research and insights that can help history organizations more effectively appeal to and serve youth audiences.
This webinar is part of AASLH’s Core Issues Briefing Series, which offers consolidated access to the latest research, insights, and guidance on responding to the history sector’s most pressing issues.
Connecting with Teachers and Students through National History Day - Live Webinar
October 8, 2026 | 3 - 4:15PM ET |
Join us for a discussion on working with teachers and students through National History Day and how engagement with NHD can expand your institution’s footprint, fulfill your mission, and provide professional development for staff.
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.
Strengthening History Communication: Reframing the Value of History and Your Institution (September 2026) - Virtual Workshop
September 30, 2026 | 1 - 4 pm EST | Strengthening History Communication: Reframing the Value of History and Your Institution is a half-day virtual workshop for history practitioners to learn how to communicate about their work more effectively to the public and media.
Deaccessioning Deep Dive - (October 2026) - Virtual Workshop
October 21, 2026 | 1-4 PM ET | Deaccessioning Deep Dive - (October 2026) - Virtual Workshop
Your cabinets are full. History isn’t getting any shorter. Your museum is ready to refine its collection, getting rid of items that don't fit the mission that are draining your site's time, space, and funds. Join this workshop to learn about ethical and appropriate deaccessioning plans.
NAGPRA Essentials for History Organizations (Oct 2026) - Virtual Workshop
October 22, 2026 | 1 - 4 pm ET | NAGPRA Essentials for History Organizations is a half-day virtual workshop for history practitioners and administrators to learn about the principles and practices of the Native American Graves and Repatriation and Act and how it impacts their work.
Basics of Archives Management - (November 2026) - Virtual Workshop
November 18, 2026 | 2-5 PM ET | Basics of Archives Management - (November 2026) - Virtual Workshop
Basics of Fundraising - (November 2026) - Virtual Workshop
November 19, 2026 | 1-4 PM ET | Basics of Fundraising - (November 2026) - Virtual Workshop
Designing History Walking Tours 2027 - Virtual Workshop
February 4, 2027 | 1-4 PM ET |
Join us for an in-depth discussion on developing and delivering effective educational walking tours to take your visitors outside the museum to appreciate historic resources in the world around them.
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 Financial Management (Winter 2027) - Online Course
January 11 - February 7 | Introduction to Financial Management is an AASLH online course. This four-week course, taught by instructor Rebekah Beaulieu, provides an introduction to financial concepts, from understanding expenses and income to how to establish an endowment. Successful completion of this course will earn one credit toward the Small Museum Pro! certificate from AASLH.
Museum Education and Outreach (Winter 2027) - Online Course
January 11 - March 7, 2027 | Museum Education and Outreach is an AASLH online course. This eight-week course, taught by instructor Bethany Hrachovec, teaches participants how they can facilitate visitors’ meaningful and memorable experiences in the informal environments of museums. Successful completion of this course will earn one credit toward the Small Museum Pro! certificate from AASLH.
Collections Management 100 - Collection Development (Winter 2027) - Online Course
January 11 - March 7, 2027| 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.
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.
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.
