Health of your railroad museum

wesp · **Posted:** Fri Apr 13, 2007 7:57 am

Whoa.

Our Museum continues to attract a fair number of persons of color.

We recently had a charter (early opening) for a children's ESOL program offered by our county school system. 60 students and their parents visited as part of a language immersion program designed to address the very issue of cultural awareness you raise here. As part of the cost of the program, each child received a book from our gift shop.

Wesley

Stationary Steam · **Posted:** Fri Apr 13, 2007 8:40 am

Perhaps its a local phenomenon that only exists in the more depressed areas of the country which I live. The rust belt.

Wesley, I must be living under a rock but what is a language immersion program? Whats an ESOL?

What was the purpose of that program? What main points did it hope that the students learned from it? How were they able to tie language and culture into industrial heritage?

Sully · **Joined:** Thu Dec 01, 2005 2:24 pm **Posts:** 76

Quote:

Has anyone thought of the ramifications of our nation's population having increasing numbers of people who do not share our heritage or an appreciation of our heritage?

I think you have a good point, but I'd caution you to try to think a little broader... I don't have any relatives that I know of who built the Great Wall of China, or the Greek Acropolis, but I'd still like to visit them and marvel at their signifigance in history.

Quote:

How can you market to a target audience that couldn't care less about industrial heritage? Heck we are having enough trouble getting people in the doors who do have a connection to American industrial heritage.

I think there are fewer of those that seek the typical history museum history these days, and more that enjoy an enjoyable and still educational family trip to ride the train, trolley, or whatever...

Sully

cjvrr · **Posted:** Fri Apr 13, 2007 9:50 am

S Steam,

You kind of answered you own question. Who has the time to visit the museum and who has the disposable income to do so? Most immigrants, including my grandparents, didn't have the time or money to do so. This new wave of immigrants is in the same position, but their kids and grandkids will hopefully be in a better position to enjoy some extra money in their pockets and free time. Hopefully they will find RRing an attractive hobby.

In NJ we have growth in the Russian and Asian immigrant population as well as the explosive growth of the Hispanic Population.

CV the civilE in NJ

Stationary Steam wrote:

Has anyone thought of the ramifications of our nation's population having increasing numbers of people who do not share our heritage or an appreciation of our heritage?

What will the end result be of the influx of mexicans/latinos into the country? Do they as a group share the same appreciation of American history that native born Americans have? In all my years attending museums the vast majority of museum patrons, at least in this part of the country, are white families. Particularly middle class and upper middle class and usually one family member has worked in the industry. Most minority groups do not feel to be a part of the common experiences and traditions that have woven our country together for 200 years and thus have no interest or appreciation for a history that is not their own.

How can you market to a target audience that couldn't care less about industrial heritage? Heck we are having enough trouble getting people in the doors who do have a connection to American industrial heritage.

cjvrr · **Posted:** Fri Apr 13, 2007 9:55 am

S Steam,

In NJ the ESL programs are "English as a Second Language" and are taught in grade schools and all grades in the inner city schools to attempt to migrate all non - English speaking students into English speaking students.

Language immersion is one of those techniques. Place the child or person in an English only environment, which forces them to learn and speak it.

Chris

Stationary Steam wrote:

Wesley, I must be living under a rock but what is a language immersion program? Whats an ESOL?

Tom Cornillie · **Posted:** Fri Apr 13, 2007 9:59 am

Quote:

How can you market to a target audience that couldn't care less about industrial heritage? Heck we are having enough trouble getting people in the doors who do have a connection to American industrial heritage.

In general, I think it is a good idea for a museum to rotate interpretive exhibits on a regular basis. Including exhibits based on topics relevant to the local population (for example, an exhibit on the history of the National Railways of Mexico) would be a way to reach out to a population segment that 1) may not have an initial interest in the museum and 2) may be finding that there are few other organizations in their respective area that express an interest in their culture. If nothing else, hosting such an exhibit would provide something different to the present/predominant long-term-resident population.

Carrying this out, however, depends on whether or not a museum has the ability to include interpretive exhibits that are not directly tied to rolling stock.

Tom Cornillie