As we move into the summer, the Museum Education Roundtable (MER) is once again recruiting candidates to join the board of directors. Yet this year has been anything but typical.

We recognize that for many museum education professionals, the COVID-19 crisis has upended career trajectories. For some, this is understandably a time to limit additional responsibilities and focus on health, family and getting by. Yet others may find board service at this time an opportunity to connect with a close circle of peers and engage in professional development. Whichever direction is best for you, MER is here to support your work as a museum educator through the Journal of Museum Education, Museum Visions blog, and related professional development activities. 

If you’re considering board service, here’s a peek into how we already worked remotely or have adapted since COVID-19:

• We’ve extended the application process–the new deadline is now Saturday, May 23, 2020.
• Following the closure of offices and implementation measures, you may already have adapted to working from home. Likewise, MER uses Google Suites, Zoom, and other common applications to work remotely, together. Quarterly board meetings and monthly working group meetings outside of the retreat are held on Zoom. 
• Members of the Board of Directors can expect to spend one to four hours a week on board service through participation in a MER working group. However, as a network of colleagues spread across many different time zones, each MER working group is often able conduct most business asynchronously with the exception of 1-2 conference calls a month.
• Generally, MER board members are expected to attend the two-day Board Retreat in July, which alternates each year between Washington D.C. and rotating host cities. However, this year the Leadership Team is exploring several options, including delaying the retreat to the fall or holding the meeting over Zoom over the course of a few days.
• With the guidance of our Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion Taskforce, MER voted last year to issue each member a $250 stipend to offset travel costs related to the Board Retreat. If our convening is held in person, the stipend will be offered to incoming board members.

Interested? You can learn more about the selection criteria and process and submit your application for the Board of Directors here.
If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to reach out at [email protected].