This workshop series will focus on well-being and mental health for museum workers, taking a critical and holistic approach to wellness, resilience, and inclusion in the sector and considering structural and individual barriers to healthy workplaces. Each session will provide skills, strategies, and room for discussion on topics including addressing and mitigating burnout, creating a welcoming and accessible workplace, and creating safer, more resilient spaces for staff and community members through a trauma-informed approach to museum work.

To create a safer space for discussion, this workshop series will not be recorded.

• May 2: Preventing, Identifying, and Mitigating Burnout for Museum Professionals
• May 16: Addressing Burnout: Sustaining Wellness in Museum Work
• May 23: Accessibility and Empowerment in Museum Workspaces
• June 4: Creating a Welcoming and Accessible Workplace
• June 20: Trauma-Informed Museum Practices: A Foundational Approach

Thursday May 2, 2024
1:00pm - 3:00pm ET
Online via Zoom
Price: $65 for OMA members, $85 for non-members

Speaker: Stephanie Boivin, Well-Being Operations Lead at Wellness Works Canada

Given that rates of mental health problems are at an all-time high, and access to support is limited and/or complicated for some, having the skills to have mental health conversations, identify mental health needs and help those in need is imperative. In this interactive session participants will learn trends in mental health and mental well-being, learn to identify risks, signs and symptoms, learn strategies to reduce stigma of overwhelm and burnout in the workplace, and become aware of supports available including self-help strategies.

Please note: This session will not be recorded

Thursday May 16, 2024
2:00pm - 3:30pm ET
Online via Zoom
Price: $35 for OMA members, $45 for non-members

Speakers: 

• Selin Kahramanoğlu
• Jingshu Yao
• Pailagi Pandya

Museum professionals share a passion for museum work, cultural preservation, and education and a belief in the power and value of the work we do. However, the demands and dynamics of museum and heritage work can take a toll on individual mental health, leading to burnout. How can we support ourselves and our colleagues to enjoy long, sustainable careers? Join the OMA and a panel of museum professionals from a range of backgrounds, career positions, and institutions to discuss the unique stressors faced by museum professionals and their impact on our careers. 

Please note: This session will not be recorded

Read more and register HERE. 

Thursday May 23, 2024
11:00am - 12:30pm ET
Online via Zoom
Price: $35 for OMA members, $45 for non-members

Speakers: 

• Cyn Rozeboom, Executive Director, Tangled Art + Disability
• Nicole Crawford, Gallery Assistant, Tangled Art + Disability
• Devon Muhic 

Join us for a panel discussion addressing the importance of creating an inclusive and accessible environment for museum employees and volunteers with disabilities. Our panel will share experiences and strategies for supporting disabled individuals in various roles within the museum, from employees to volunteers and third-party collaborators. It will explore the importance of fostering an inclusive workplace culture, proactively providing accommodations, and promoting ongoing accessibility practices. Discover how museums can go beyond compliance and embrace accessibility as a continuous, holistic commitment. 

Please note: This session will not be recorded

Read more and register HERE. 

Tuesday June 4, 2024
11:00am - 2:00pm ET
Online via Zoom
Price: $65 for OMA members, $85 for non-members

Speaker: Jeff St. Denis, Facilitator

This workshop is hosted by Canada's 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC) and aims to foster a deeper understanding of 2SLGBTQI+ diversity and inclusion within the workforce. The session is structured to initiate discussions on various key topics, including the use of appropriate terminology, understanding gender diversity, the importance of pronouns, and the role of allyship in the workplace. Participants will explore these areas through an agenda that covers an introduction to 2SLGBTQI+ concepts, considerations for gender diversity and inclusion, strategies for creating inclusive workplaces, and practical steps for getting started on these initiatives.

Please note: This session will not be recorded

Read more and register HERE. 

Thursday June 20, 2024
11:00am - 2:00pm ET
Online via Zoom
Price: $65 for OMA members, $85 for non-members

Speaker: Dr. Ross Laird, PhD RCC, Clinical Consultant

Museums have begun to grapple directly with complex issues like climate change, residential schools, refugees, and systemic racism in deeply purposeful ways. However, when they do so, they also encounter the trauma that is interwoven with these themes: personal trauma, cultural trauma, and intergenerational trauma. Visitors can be traumatized or re-traumatized by exhibits and displays, staff can be vicariously traumatized through interactions with visitors or through interactions with colleagues, and leaders can be traumatized by organizational turbulence, burnout, and emotional fatigue.

In this workshop session, participants will learn about the basic dynamics of trauma, how these dynamics play out in a museum setting, and how organizations can develop and sustain practices to minimize the risks of ongoing harm. It will also address questions surrounding how museum professionals can stay emotionally healthy, how museums can develop strategies to ensure employees do not slide into trauma or distress, and how museums can promote wellness and resilience within their organizations and communities.

Please note: This session will not be recorded

Read more and register HERE.