A Look Under the Hood: Employee Learning at the Children’s Museum

Session Title: A Look Under the Hood: Employee Learning at the Children’s Museum

Presenter: Deb George, Director of Training & Development – The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

Deb George has been in Training and Professional Development for 24 years. The first 10 years with the former Kinko's organization, and the last 14 years at The Children's Museum. While at both organizations, she has fulfilled the traditional development needs of orientation, customer service and leadership development.

In 2003, The Children's Museum presented her with a most unique situation. While preparing to open a blockbuster exhibit called Dinosphere, Deb realized that the entire staff needed to learn about the Cretacious Period.  Unable to find an off-the-shelf product to meet this need, she designed her own curriculum and nearly 300 staff members attended the classes. Thus, a tradition was born. Since then, she has developed and implemented training for every permanent exhibit opening. In this session, Deb would like to share some of her work with ATD-CIC.

Session Description: Please join us at the World's Biggest and Best Children's Museum for a peek at some unique training. This session will demonstrate creative ways to engage participants in entertaining, hands-on workshops that focus on the fun of learning. Whether the exhibit is about dinosaurs, or China’s Terra Cotta Warriors, or filmmaking, the patron experience at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is always the top priority…and the patrons’ learning experience actually starts long before they walk through the door on the day of their visit. The Children’s Museum uses explorative, hands-on learning methods to effectively prepare Museum employees to be exhibit experts and facilitate learning throughout a patron’s visit. The Children's Museum is opening its doors to ATD-CIC to give members a rare, behind-the-scenes look at how employee learning takes place at the Children’s Museum. Participate in hands-on exercises taken directly from Museum training programs, and walk away with inspiration to make learning come alive in your organization!

Date: Friday, October 2

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 a.m.

Location: The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis – 3000 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN  46208

Price: Members - $25.00

           Non-Members - $35.00