Full Schedule

Morning Sessions Concurrent 30-minute sessions 10:15 - 10:45am | 10:50 - 11:20am | 11:25 - 11:55am

Topics: - The NYCMER Conference Primer - #Professional: Social Media as a Educator - Managing Up The/Your Professional Ecosystem - Building a Network - Navigating Gig Work - Inside + Outside: Museum Career Skills

Group Wellness Session 12:15 - 1:15pm

Including: - NYCMER Remarks - Well-Being Across Career Levels - Guided Meditation

Afternoon Sessions Concurrent 60-minute sessions 1:30 - 2:30pm | 2:40 - 3:40pm - Fundraising + Grant Writing in Today’s World - Flex Your Budgeting Muscle: Techniques + Tools - The Art of Managing Managers: Pedagogy-Informed Practices - Should I Stay or Should I Go? - More than a Contact: Establishing + Maintaining Partnerships - So You Want to Be a Consultant...

Join the conversation online using #NYCMERBuildsSkills

Morning Sessions

Concurrent 30-minute sessions repeating at 10:15, 10:50, and 11:25am

The NYCMER Conference Primer

Learn about the theme of this year’s annual NYCMER conference, what to expect in our virtual platform as an attendee, and how to apply to be a presenter.

Brian Levine (he/him) Manager of Youth Programs/Hayden Presenter, AMNH Vice President, NYCMER Producer / Host, NYC Astronomy on Tap

Brian is a Brooklyn native with a lifelong passion for science, teaching, and . He started as a classroom science teacher, then became an astronomy educator at AMNH, and now manages a long-term youth program at AMNH. He has also developed an interest in informal and leisure science programming, and often presents about astronomy to a variety of audiences. Brian regularly attends and presents at conferences and, as VP of NYCMER, leads the planning on their annual conference. He holds a BS in Astrophysics from SUNY Stony Brook, an MS in Free-Choice Learning Science Education from Oregon State University.

Yoshie Kawakami (she/her) Per Diem Educator, Lewis Latimer House Museum Trustee-at-Large, NYCMER

Yoshie is a Mexican-Japanese educator with experience working in different settings, from dentistry to baking and art instructor for people living with disabilities. She has worked as an educator for various museums like the Providence Children’s Museum, the Tenement Museum, and the Lewis Latimer House Museum. She loves mending, embroidery art, and suminagashi prints.

Join the conversation online using #NYCMERBuildsSkills

Morning Sessions

Concurrent 30-minute sessions repeating at 10:15, 10:50, and 11:25am

#Professional: Social Media as a Museum Educator

Should I like this post? Who do I follow? Can I share this photo? Join us for practical advice on navigating social platforms as tools for professional growth.

Sierra Van Ryck deGroot (she/her) Assistant Director of Education, Co-President, National Emerging Museum Professionals Network Secretary and Peer Group Liaison, NYCMER

Sierra has a BA in Art, Design, and Interactive Media, Fine Art, and Art History from Seton Hall University and a MSEd in Museum Education from Bank Street College of Education. She is also a co-president of the National Emerging Museum Professionals Network and the Secretary and Peer Group Liaison on the Board of the City Museum Educators Roundtable. On her free time, Sierra can be found reading, attempting a new creative activity, or eating at an NYC Dig Inn. Follow her on Instagram @sierragoesthere or on Twitter @sierra_vrd.

Emily Haight (she/her) Social Media Manager, New-York Historical Society

Prior to her current role, Emily managed social media, e-communications, planned advertising, and designed and coordinated graphic materials at the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. She also previously managed social media at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, collaborating and planning the museum’s #5WomenArtists social media campaign. She currently serves on the board of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Media & Technology Professional Network and chairs the Museum Computer Network (MCN) Social Media SIG. She values cross-institutional collaboration through social media, sparking dialogue with online audiences and diverse communities, and creative uses of tech in museum spaces.

Join the conversation online using #NYCMERBuildsSkills

Morning Sessions

Concurrent 30-minute sessions repeating at 10:15, 10:50, and 11:25am

Managing Up Your Professional Ecosystems

A social and data driven approach to balance and empower your professional mobility.

Tom Barry (he/him) Assistant Director of Education, Cradle of Aviation Museum and Education Center

Tom has over twenty years of experience in informal education, specializing in Community Engagement. Throughout his career, his goal has been to facilitate an authentic Museum experience outside the walls of the Museum and to help spark the natural curiosity and love of learning that lives in everybody. Tom has performed and written multiple live and recorded planetarium shows for the Intrepid, Sea, Air & Space Museum in and the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, NY. He instituted the free Astronomy Nights at the Intrepid welcoming up to 2,000 people to the Museum at a time, at no cost to them. Prior to his Museum life, Tom could be found traveling up and down the East Coast of the United States with his portable planetarium, showing off the stars to anyone who cared to see them.

Javan Howard (he/him) TAP Lead Facilitator for Curricula & Internships, Community-Word Project

Javan is a poet and writer from Bronx, NY. He truly believes that the lived experience is the ultimate teaching tool and uses poetry as a social forum to foster discourse about love, culture, and identity. He has facilitated workshops across NYC with The New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Voices UnBroken, The GO Project and Wingspan Arts. He is currently a Teaching Artist for Teachers & Writers Collaborative and Writing Department Chair for Usdan Summer Camp For The Arts. He is also the Lead Facilitator for Curricula & Internships for Teaching Artist Project at Community Word Project. Javan’s work has been featured online at WNYC News, Black Heart Magazine and Brooklyn Stories Vol. 13. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter at @Righteoustpoet

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Morning Sessions

Concurrent 30-minute sessions repeating at 10:15, 10:50, and 11:25am

Building a Network

Move beyond basic “Networking 101” tips to hear from three seasoned networkers about fostering true professional relationships and how your work and professional reputation are the cornerstone of building your network.

Leah Golubchick (she/her) Coordinator, Youth Education Initiatives | BCAP Summer Camp Director, Brooklyn Public Library Founder, Emergent Horizons Foundation

Leah believes in the transformative power of informal learning to shape what people believe is possible. She currently works connecting youth to cultural institutions across Brooklyn. She has worked in a variety of roles in museum education, most recently as Manager of Middle and High School Programs for the American Museum of Natural History. She’s a graduate of Bank Street College for Leadership in Museum Education. In her spare time, she organizes direct action and education surrounding global refugees through Emergent Horizons, a non-profit she cofounded in 2019.

Kinneret Kohn (she/her) Associate Director for Students & Educators, Art Institute of Chicago

Kinneret previously led the NYCMER Board of Trustees, currently serves on the Chicago Cultural Access Consortium, and has a range of museum education experience having managed, designed, and facilitated programs for diverse audiences. She earned an M.S. Ed in Leadership in Museum Education from Bank Street College of Education; an M.A. in International Education Development focused on Peace Education from Teachers College, Columbia University; and a B.A. in International Studies from The Ohio State University.

Paul Orselli (he/him) Chief Instigator at POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.)

For nearly 40 years, Paul has worked to create inventive and playful museums and exhibits. He owns an exhibit design and development corporation, POW!. Paul has consulted on museum projects in North America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. He has taught and lectured at numerous universities on museum topics, has presented at professional conferences around the world, and is a grant recipient of the Fulbright Specialist program.

Join the conversation online using #NYCMERBuildsSkills

Morning Sessions

Concurrent 30-minute sessions repeating at 10:15, 10:50, and 11:25am

Navigating Gig Work

Freelance, contract, gig, part time, temporary, or whatever else you call it – we’ll talk about transitioning between jobs, maintaining your autonomy, and transforming gig work from a necessity into a chosen career .

Alisha Espinosa (she/her) Director of Education and Outreach, Latinx Playwrights Circle Customer Experience Concierge for Minibar Delivery

Alisha is an Afro-Boricua playwright, actor, and teaching artist based on the edge of everywhere and nowhere but mostly in NYC. She holds an MFA in Acting and Directing from UMKC, and a BA in English Literature and Theater Arts from Le Moyne College. Her plays have been presented at LATEA, Primary Stages, The Drama League, and Step1 Theatre Project. A selection of her work can be found on the New Play Exchange Network. Select Acting Credits: Our Dear Dead Drug Lord (WP Theatre), Alma (Old Globe), Hamlet (Stage One), Shakespeare the Remix (Capital Rep), Much Ado About Nothing (KY Shakespeare). Check out her website or follow her on Instagram @la.espi.

Mayra Palafox (she/her) Lead Museum Educator, Smart Museum of Art

Mayra is an alumna from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has worked in museums in Chicago, New York, Berkeley and San Francisco. Most of her museum work is onsite, but her passion is in community outreach and partnership building with Latinx immigrant communities. She is an advocate for DEIA work in museums and serves on the Auxiliary board at the National Museum of Mexican Art.

Irene Pease (she/her) CEO, Friendly Neighborhood Astronomer Hayden Associate

In another time, Irene shared views through her telescope with her fellow New Yorkers as your Friendly Neighborhood Astronomer, but now hosts a weekly livestream of the night skies and local universe. She is producer of the Hayden Planetarium video blog, Skylight, a frequent presenter and co-host of Astronomy on Tap NYC, Vice President of Operations for the Amateur Astronomers Association, and the pilot of Hayden Planetarium’s Zeiss Mark IX Universarium. Irene has a degree in Physics from the University of Arizona, and currently teaches physics at York College CUNY and Joel Braverman Yeshivah of Flatbush High School.

Join the conversation online using #NYCMERBuildsSkills

Morning Sessions

Concurrent 30-minute sessions repeating at 10:15, 10:50, and 11:25am

Inside + Outside Museum Career Skills

Join three museum professionals to talk about what professional skills you bring into and out of the museum field.

Sal Bell Alper (they/them) Manager of Explainers, Exploratorium Board Member, Cultural Connections

Sal loves learning and believes in the liberatory possibility of museum spaces. Sal works to foster inclusive and engaging learning experiences for young people visiting the Exploratorium for over 10 years. They collaboratively build a team of educators to be responsive to visitors' interests and needs in a dynamic space. Sal also engages in institutional efforts for equitable internal and external practices. Sal recently completed a MA in Education focusing on bridging social justice, education and museums. Follow them on Twitter @sal_amander_sal.

Stephanie Brown, Ph.D. (she/her) Program Coordinator and Faculty, M.A. in Museum Studies, Johns Hopkins University

Stephanie has taught Museum Studies since 2011 and has mentored students and EMPs extensively. She is immediate past co-chair of AAM’s Museum Studies Network. Stephanie manages social media for the JHU Museum Studies program and is the past social media coordinator for AAM’s Museum Studies Network. Dr. Brown is also the author of the blog The Disappearing Gauguin, which explores how the life story of a particular painting is wrapped up in the history of the way museums and art expertise have functioned--how the digital world can change knowledge creation. Follow her Instagram + Twitter @sab_svp.

Phanna Phay (he/him) Manager of High School Explainer Program, Exploratorium

Phanna (silent h, rhymes with sauna) was 5 years old when his family immigrated to the United States from Cambodia. Using his lived experience as an underserved youth and immigrant, Phanna has worked for the last 20 years to support and create opportunities for youth in San Francisco. Pre-Covid, Phanna manages a crew of 4 Adult Staff and 120 High School Explainers at the Exploratorium.

Join the conversation online using #NYCMERBuildsSkills

Group Wellness Session

12:15 - 1:15pm

NYCMER Remarks

Sarah Maldonado (she/her) Curricula and Program Management Consultant Trustee-at-Large, NYCMER

With over fifteen years of experience as a leader in informal education, Sarah is an educational consultant, focused on fostering adult-child conversations, supporting curriculum development, and improving education management systems. She previously devoted her time and expertise to NYS Parks, the American Museum of Natural History, the Queens Zoo (part of the Wildlife Conservation Society), the Montezuma Audubon Center, and Alley Pond Environmental Center, among others. She earned an MPS in Environmental Education and Interpretation from SUNY-ESF, and a BA in Secondary Math Education from CUNY Queens College. This is Sarah's fourth year on the NYCMER Board.

Daniel Zeiger (he/him) Assistant Director of Children and Family Learning, AMNH Trustee-at-Large, NYCMER

Daniel has spent the past 18 years developing and operating interactive science learning environments and experiences in museums, zoos, and science centers. He has a passion for making science concepts and processes accessible to enhance the public understanding of the complex challenges our society faces today; and for responsibly leading educators and teams in attaining these goals together. He holds a Masters in Museum Education Leadership from Bank Street College of Education.

Zélie Lewis (she/her) Owner, My Museum Visit Treasurer, NYCMER

As the owner of My Museum Visit, a virtual museum experience company, Zélie works at the intersection of digital technologies and museum education. While earning her MA in Museum Studies from NYU in 2020, Zélie’s research explored the role and effectiveness of museum-based distance education in serving rural K-12 educators. In addition to her experience working in the K-12 education system, Zélie has worked in education and administrative roles in museums including the , the Brooklyn Historical Society. She completed her BA at Duke University in 2016, studying Middle Eastern Studies and Cultural Anthropology.

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Group Wellness Session

Well-Being Across Career Levels

Join us for a discussion focused on supporting our own well-being as we work.

Marcos Stafne (he/him) Executive Director, Montshire Museum of Science

Marcos joined the Montshire in 2015 and came with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of museums. He served as vice president of programs and visitor experience for Brooklyn Children’s Museum, the director of education & visitor experience for the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City, and the director of public programs & traveling exhibitions at the New York Hall of Science in Queens, NY. Marcos started his museum career as a teenager at the Orlando Science Center where he performed large-scale science demonstrations and plays, and interpreted science with visitors on a daily basis. He holds a B.A. in Theater from Rollins College, an M.A. in Theater from Hunter College, and a Ph.D. in Urban Education from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He also serves on the board of White River Indie Films (WRIF) coordinating a youth film festival, and an advisory committee for the Samara Fund, a grant making organization for LGBTQ+ programs and organizations for Vermont.

A Guided Meditation

Jeremy McMahan (he/him) Personal Meditation Trainer

Jeremy McMahan is a Brooklyn based meditation instructor, Buddhist scholar, and musician. After living with Tibetan communities in both India and Nepal, Jeremy worked as a tour guide and program coordinator at the Rubin Museum of Art, a Himalayan Art Museum in . Through his teaching experience, Jeremy seeks to make traditional lessons accessible and applicable to modern life. Follow him on Instagram at @jeremymcmindfulness and on Bandcamp at jeremymcmindfulness.bandcamp.com.

Join the conversation online using #NYCMERBuildsSkills Afternoon Sessions

Concurrent 60-minute sessions repeating at 1:30 and 2:40pm

Fundraising + Grant Writing in Today’s World

Explore strategies for finding and securing funding, including information about How granters have changed approaches to allocating funds.

Terri Le (she/her) Development Manager, Oakland Asian Cultural Center Travel Exhibit Project Manager at Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network (DVAN)

Terri has worked in the museum and nonprofit field in the San Francisco Bay and Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area for over 10 years. She is skilled and has experience in communications/marketing, programming, special events, and development. Terri has had the great opportunity to work at notable institutions including The Phillips Collection, VisArts at Rockville, Charles M. Schulz Museum, the Oakland Aviation Museum, and San Francisco Heritage. As a first-generation Vietnamese American, Terri broke her family's mold and career expectations by pursuing her passion of nonprofit service in the arts, culture, and humanities field. As a DMV area native, Terri received her B.A. in Art History and History from the University of Maryland, College Park, before moving to the Bay Area seven years ago. In 2016, Terri earned her M.A. in Museum Studies and M.B.A. from John F. Kennedy University.

Helen Warwick (she/her) Principal, Helen Warwick Management LLC Adjunct Assistant Professor, New York University

Helen’s early career was in strategy and new business development in the media sector in the UK. She transitioned to working in arts and culture in 1998 when living in Australia, where she ran the membership of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. After moving to the US in 2000 she worked at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation – latterly as an Executive Director in Development. Since establishing Helen Warwick Management in 2012 she has supported arts, architecture and education organizations with strategic, business and sustainability solutions. She has an MMus from London University; an MBA from INSEAD in Fontainebleau and an MA from NYU Gallatin School.

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Akemi Chan-Imai (she/her) Program Manager, Oakland Asian Cultural Center

Akemi is the Program Manager of Oakland Asian Cultural Center and is a Certified Nonprofit Professional accredited by the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. Akemi served as a founding Board member, President, and the inaugural Executive Director for Makoto Taiko, a nonprofit taiko drumming group in Pasadena, CA where she was also a performing artist and instructor for 17 years. She currently serves as Co-Vice Chair of the Taiko Community Alliance’s Board of Directors and Chair of their Governance Committee. Akemi obtained a Masters in Nonprofit Management from Antioch University Los Angeles in 2018. She resides with her husband in Oakland, CA.

Join the conversation online using #NYCMERBuildsSkills

Afternoon Sessions

Concurrent 60-minute sessions repeating at 1:30 and 2:40pm

Flex Your Budgeting Muscle: Techniques + Tools

Work on drafting budgeting assumptions, tracking and spending down funds, And other tangible tips for understanding more about budgeting and finance.

Siva Ramakrishnan (she/her) Associate Director of Youth Literacy and Learning, The New York Public Library

Siva is an educator who is passionate about exploring the ways that inequity in education can be addressed through creative, evidence-based, and community- minded problem-solving. Prior to her current role at the New York Public Library, she was a middle school science teacher in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and managed innovative science camps at the American Museum of Natural History. Siva holds a B.A. in Biology from Cornell University and a M.A. in British and American Literature from Hunter College.

Erin Shaw (she/her) Specialist, Organizational Development & Learning, Baltimore City Public Schools

Erin is an experienced budget manager and a former NYCMER Board Treasurer and Managers Peer Group Coordinator. She just began a new role as Specialist, Organizational Development & Learning with Baltimore City Public Schools. Erin was a program and project manager with Brooklyn Public Library for seven years, and has worked in museums and nonprofits across the U.S. She holds a BA in Art Education and an MA in Educational Leadership. While average at math and spreadsheets, she is a budget dork and actually enjoys learning about nonprofit finance and development. She looks forward to discussing the trials, tribulations, and joys of budgeting with you.

Join the conversation online using #NYCMERBuildsSkills

Afternoon Sessions

Concurrent 60-minute sessions repeating at 1:30 and 2:40pm

The Art of Managing Managers: Pedagogy-Informed Practices

Reflecting on our individual trajectories as arts education leaders, we'll discuss key lessons learned, share our favorite "toolbox strategies" developed over the years, and close by inviting questions and broader discussion from participants.

Will Crow, Ph.D. (he/him) Director, Lehigh University Art Galleries Professor of Practice, Department of Art, Architecture, and Design Lehigh University

Prior to Will’s appointment as Director of the Lehigh University Art Galleries, he was the inaugural Educator in Charge of Teaching and Learning at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where he oversaw educational programming and museum teaching pedagogy for all ages. Dr. Crow has taught at New York University, The New School for Social Research, and Johns Hopkins University, where he was awarded the University Award for Excellence in Teaching. He holds a B.A. in Romance Languages and Art from Wake Forest, an M.F.A. in Painting from Hunter College/CUNY, an M.S.Ed. in Museum Leadership from Bank Street College, and a Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from Columbia University.

Adjoa Jones de Almeida (she/her) Director of Education, Brooklyn Museum

Adjoa is committed to activating the arts as a vehicle for personal and collective transformation. In 1995 she received a Fulbright scholarship resulting in the publication, Unveiling the Mirror: Afro-Brazilian Identity and the Emergence of a Community School Movement (2003, Comparative Educational Review). In 1996 she helped to create Sista II Sista, a women’s collective dedicated to supporting young women in Brooklyn. Reflecting on her experiences working over 10 years with that organization, she contributed to the award-winning anthology, The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex (2007, Boston: South End Press). She is 2017 92Y/Women in Power--Catherine Hannah Behrend Fellow.

Join the conversation online using #NYCMERBuildsSkills Afternoon Sessions

Concurrent 60-minute sessions repeating at 1:30 and 2:40pm

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

We'll discuss why we decided to leave the museum education field and how our experiences as informal educators brought us to new places.

Jennifer Negron (she/her) Program Officer, The Pinkerton Foundation

Jenny has a unique perspective on the value of Pinkerton grants. In 1998, three days after graduating from New York’s high school for pregnant and parenting teens and six weeks after the birth of her son Joel, she went to work as an “Explainer” in the Science Career Ladder program at the New York Hall of Science – a longtime Pinkerton grantee. While there, she completed her B.A. at Queens College and went on to earn a Master’s in Public Administration at Baruch College. She eventually rose to lead the 100 high school and college Explainers who guide thousands of visitors through the Hall of Science each year. Jenny has presented papers and led discussions at science education conferences at home and abroad and has been recognized as a Next Generation Getty Leadership Fellow. She brought her interest and expertise in youth programs and science and technology training to Pinkerton in January of 2012. Joel has been an Explainer himself and is now a college student.

Beth Rosenberg (she/her) Founder/Director of Tech Kids Unlimited (TKU)

Beth’s organization, Tech Kids Unlimited (TKU), is an award-winning not-for-profit educational organization in NYC. Located at NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering in downtown Brooklyn, TKU teaches computer science principles and technology skills to students with autism spectrum and other learning and emotional challenges. In 2020, TKU educated 500 neurodiverse students virtually. As an educator in NYC for over 25 years, she has worked collaboratively with teachers, students, technologists, academics, parents, families and schools. Her expertise includes teaching, curriculum, strategic development, program outreach, interpretive educational materials, partnerships and collaborations between cultural organizations, community organizations and schools. She has worked on education, special needs and technology projects for: NY Hall of Science, Jewish Museum, NY Transit Museum, PS1/MoMa, 14th Street Y, JCC in Manhattan, NYC DOE and others. In 1997, she was the Founding Director of Education at Eyebeam Art & Technology Center and from 1987-1997 she worked in the Education Department Guggenheim Museum. Currently, she is an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Technology, Culture and Society at NYU Tandon. She holds an M.S. Ed in Educational Technology--a dual degree from the School of Education and the Computer Science department--and an M.A. in Art History. She is a proud parent of two young adult children, one of whom is a student who learns differently. Beth is a fierce advocate for students with disabilities and strives to make the world a better place for neurodiverse learners. Find her at www.edubeth.net.

Virgil Talaid (he/him) Elementary School Teacher and NYC Teaching Fellow, NYC Department of Education

Virgil is an educator specializing in engaging a broad spectrum of learners through language, history and exploration of the urban environment, and is the English as a New Language teacher for grades 3-5 at PS 277X in Mott Haven, The Bronx. Prior to teaching, he had over twenty years of experience in museum leadership, staff and program management and education at the , the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan and the Staten Island Botanical Garden. Virgil has served on the boards of the New York City Museum Educators Roundtable (NYCMER) and the AAM Diversity Committee (DIVCOM). He is completing a M.S. in Education through City College of New York (NYC Teaching Fellows) and holds a M.S.Ed. in Leadership in the Arts from Bank Street College/Parsons School of Design and is a graduate of the Getty Institute's NextGen Leadership program.

Join the conversation online using #NYCMERBuildsSkills

Afternoon Sessions

Concurrent 60-minute sessions repeating at 1:30 and 2:40pm

More than a Contact: Establishing and Maintaining Partnerships

Explore models for navigating the development, cultivation, and management of wide-ranging partnerships, including federal, non-profit, K-12 & higher education organizations.

Ife Abdus-Salam (she/her) Senior Manager of Community Engagement & Family Programs, Intrepid, Sea, Air & Space Museum

Ife leads a team that provides no fee cultural programs at the Intrepid and off site, to over 14,000 participants annually. Ife is an educator and administrator with 15 years of experience in New York City schools and cultural institutions. Ife is a NYCMER Manhattan Regional Coordinator, and a Board Member on the Education Leadership Council of Doodles Academy. Ife holds a BFA in Photography and Africana Studies from New York University, and a MAT from The Rhode Island School of Design.

Sasha Ban (she/her) Senior Program Manager, Citywide Science Programs, Office of Curriculum Instruction, and Professional Learning, NYCDOE

In her current role, Sasha manages two programs – a Citizen Science program that supports middle school students’ and teachers’ participation in crowd-sourced investigations into estuary ecology and climate change, and the High School Science Research Pathways program, which supports approximately 50 NYCDOE high schools in launching, expanding, or reinvigorating an independent science research program. She also develops professional learning sessions for external partners to share district priorities and best practices in STEM education and supports professional learning for current trends and practices in science teaching and learning.

Kaitlin Holt (she/her) Manager of Education, Center for Brooklyn History, Brooklyn Public Library

Prior to joining Brooklyn Public Library in 2013, Kaitlin worked as a public programs facilitator at the Immigration Museum and event manager at an education conference provider, both located in Melbourne, Australia. Previous experience includes tenures at the British Museum’s Samsung Digital Discovery Centre, the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Theatre & Performance Archive and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. She earned an M.A. in Museum Studies in 2010 from the University College London and B.A. in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2005. Kaitlin is slated to commence a new role as Associate Director, Interpretation & Programs at the Central Park Conservancy at the end of January.

Join the conversation online using #NYCMERBuildsSkills Afternoon Sessions

Concurrent 60-minute sessions repeating at 1:30 and 2:40pm

So You Want to Be a Consultant...

Learn the ups and downs, mistakes made/lessons learned and get advice on starting and nurturing a consulting business from two museum educators turned consultants.

Sheri Levinsky-Raskin (she/her) Founder + President, SJLR Solutions LLC

After 25 years working in museums, Sheri decided to share her talents and energy as a consultant focusing on evaluation, user experience, and program design and management. She is published in Museum and Exhibition magazines and the Journal of Museum Education and is an avid conference presenter. Sheri has held adjunct faculty positions with Seton Hall and New York University, and volunteered for EdCom, NYCMER and MAC. She worked for the Decatur House Museum, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Intrepid Museum, and more, and launched her company, SJLR Solutions, in 2018. She is now a full-time consultant.

Claudia Ocello (she/her) President + CEO, Museum Partners Consulting LLC

Claudia founded her museum consulting firm after losing her full-time museum job in 2009. Claudia has over 25 years’ experience in audience-focused work including exhibition development, education, evaluation, and accessibility. Previously she worked full-time at Save , Inc; The New Jersey Historical Society; and The Barnum Museum, CT. A former classroom teacher, Claudia earned an MS in Museum Education from Bank Street College of Education and has won awards from American Association of State and Local History, American Alliance of Museums, and the NJ Association of Museums for excellence in exhibitions, programs, and practice.

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