Museum education officer : Job description

Museum education officers work in museums, galleries and other cultural and heritage sites to ensure that children and other visitors get the best educational experience from their visit.

The work often involves helping children and other visitors by providing and explaining activities that will help them to make sense of an exhibition or visit so that learning opportunities are maximised.

A museum education officer may work with classes, groups or individuals, run workshops, deliver talks or run demonstrations. Government funding means that the focus of the work tends to be on primary and secondary school aged children, but activities may also be targeted at other groups, such as pre-schoolers and care home residents.

Typical work activities

The range of activities carried out by a museum education officer varies depending on the size, financial position and objectives of the museum concerned, but tasks typically involve:

• developing a learning and education strategy to meet the aims of the museum;
• working with other museum staff to develop and market the museum and the events programme;
• developing a programme of educational activities to enhance visitor enjoyment and understanding;
• developing educational resources for schools, colleges and other visitors through a range of mediums, ensuring that they are on a par with current educational standards;
• ensuring an educational input when exhibitions and activities for the location/site are planned;
• liaising with schools, colleges and teachers to promote the use of the collections and activities of the museum;
• representing and promoting the museum on external educational bodies in order to establish a network of useful and productive partnerships;
• planning and organising activities in cooperation with development staff, teachers and schools;
• working with individuals and groups in educational activities that may include story-telling, role play, practical demonstrations, guided tours, games and quizzes;
• coordinating teams of interpreters and/or volunteers;
• recording and evaluating activities and delivering reports;
• managing resources and applying for grants;
• undertaking outreach work, including taking artefacts into the community.