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.
AASLH History Hour | July 2026
July 28, 2026 | 3pm EST
This month’s AASLH History Hour will explore the unique role that history organizations can play in supporting and expanding civic practice, especially at the local level. This function has become increasingly important against the backdrop of the U.S. Semiquincentennial and rising polarization. Together we will exchange insights, ideas, and lessons to increase the history field’s contributions to bolstering our civic fabric.
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.
Building the Next 250 Years: Hosting Community Conversations at Your History Organization (Info Session)
August 19, 2026 | 3 - 4:00PM ET |
This free info session explores Building the Next 250 Years: Hosting Community Conversations at Your History Organization, a new resource created by NxtLevel in collaboration with AASLH. The resource offers practical guidance for history organizations interested in hosting thoughtful, community-driven conversations about local history, shared values, and the future we want to build together. During the session, the NxtLevel team will provide an overview of the facilitation guide and how practitioners can best use it to serve their institution’s mission, goals, and audiences. Attendees will be able hear about the process, ask questions, and leave prepared to use this flexible framework to deepen their organizations’ roles as civic leaders and create spaces where people can learn and connect through history.
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.
Core Issues Briefing Series #2 - Fall 2026 - Understanding the US History Sector - Live Webinar
October 14, 2026 | 3:00pm ET |
America’s history sector is vast, unique, and vital. Using AASLH’s National Census of History Organizations as a primary foundation, attendees to this webinar will learn the ins and outs of the U.S. history sector—its parameters, key characteristics, and top pain points—as well as insights into audience trends. Attendees will gain information to help strengthen their institutions and make the case for importance of the history community to varied stakeholders.
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.
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.
Basics of Fundraising - (August 2026) - Virtual Workshop
August 13, 2026 | 1-4 PM ET | Basics of Fundraising - (August 2026) - Virtual Workshop
Designing History Walking Tours - Virtual Workshop
August 27, 2026 | 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.
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
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 2026) - Online Course
August 24 - September 21, 2026 | 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 2026) - Online Course
August 24 -October 18, 2026 | 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.
Museum Education and Outreach (Fall 2026) - Online Course
August 24 - October 18, 2026 | 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.
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.
