Education Curator

Position Summary

At the Tri-Cities Historical Museum, we create connections to local history. We’re seeking a museum professional with strong audience engagement skills to join our team as our next Education Curator. This key leadership role oversees the development and delivery of educational programming, community outreach, public programs, and curriculum‑based learning experiences that connect audiences of all ages to the history of the Tri‑Cities area.

The ideal candidate is an engaging and outgoing communicator who is comfortable speaking to groups, building community relationships, and representing the museum in public settings.

The Education Curator oversees the development, coordination, and delivery of a wide range of educational programs, community outreach efforts, and public programming for the museum. This senior leadership role manages school partnerships, field trips, curriculum‑based classroom programs, lectures, walking tours, and community events while fostering strong relationships with teachers, volunteers, senior living communities, and local organizations. The Education Curator is responsible for program planning, scheduling, communication, volunteer coordination, data tracking, and maintaining educational materials and presentations to ensure engaging, accessible, and mission‑driven experiences.

This position supervises the Volunteer + Community Engagement Coordinator and collaborates across museum departments to support exhibitions, special events, and community engagement initiatives that connect history to the broader Tri‑Cities audience.

• Work under the general supervision of the Executive Director to determine department goals, schedule, and budget.
• Create educational programs that align with current curriculum standards set by the State of Michigan and local school district requirements.
• Coordinate and lead school tours, adult tours, and community outreach programs.
• Develop and implement special events and programming for visitors, families, and special interest groups.
• Assist the collection department with developing a robust secondary prop collection for hands‑on experiences and other interactive exhibits.
• Collect, analyze, and apply feedback on educational activities provided.

• Create new strategies to engage diverse visitor demographics, focusing on audience diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• Develop community programs to engage the public and various groups with the museum’s educational mission and build a family of local supporters.
• Develop topic‑specific programs, talks, tours, and workshops around new exhibition themes.
• Represent and promote the museum while furthering community partnerships.

• Lead and direct the educational staff/volunteers as needed.
• Monitor monthly department income and expenses. Work with the executive director on the annual budget for the education department.
• Contribute program‑related content to the museum’s social media accounts.
• Prepare promotional materials for educational programs and special events.
• Create content for the bi‑annual publication of River Winds.
• Write monthly education department reports for the museum’s board of directors.
• Provide the Development Director with program data and narrative support for grant applications and advancement initiatives.
• Serve on various museum and community committees as required and assigned.

• Demonstrate and effectively communicate a comprehensive understanding of the TCHM Mission and Value Proposition from the current Strategic Plan.
• Understand the general philosophy, principles, programs, and practices of a public historical museum.
• Able to handle multiple projects simultaneously while meeting all critical deadlines; prioritize and organize workload effectively to complete tasks on time; delegate where appropriate.
• Adhere to the highest ethical standards.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication, with proven ability to communicate effectively in public speaking and when interacting…