Tips, Tricks, and Lists for the New Year
Most of the time, if you have a question or a problem, you can guarantee that someone else does too. When we’re lucky, we find that someone out in the universe has taken the time to compile or describe the solution or the answers.
This month, we’re sharing some tips, tricks, and lists we found recently that are helping us out in work and in life!
January Coffee Break Picks
KATIE’S PICK
Empowering Gen Z
“We’ve been using PowerPoint more and more for reporting, and I’m always looking for ways to make PowerPoint design simpler and more streamlined. I loved the tips that Nick Visscher shared in this video about how to use the PowerPoint add-in Brightslide to make creating reports and presentations easier. I’m just starting to dabble in Brightslide, but I’m especially excited about the auto-formatting options for charts and slides, as well as playing around with the waffle chart feature!"
STEPHANIE’S PICK
Add More Joy to Your Life
"Over the last nine months, we’ve had the privilege to work with the Mind and Life Institute. They recently hosted the Joy Summit, which was attended virtually by nearly 200,000 people around the world! I’m no Pollyanna, but the older I get, the more I seek contentment and joy. This short article summarizes the many speakers from the Summit with links to their work. For me, the most reassuring lesson is about the role of sadness in joy: ‘Sadness, for example, plays an important role in our lives, allowing us to slow down and reflect on what has real meaning.’ If nothing else, click the link just to see the image at the top, which I guarantee will make you smile."
LINA’S PICK
Crowdsourced Resources for BIPOC by BIPOC
"I recently found this great resource that compiles articles, publications, and tools meant for BIPOC workers that was put together by the Inclusion Team of the American Alliance of Museums. It’s a collaborative Google Sheet that has resources that cover things like how to respond to microaggressions in the workplace, how BIPOC voices are erased in majority white spaces, coping with racial trauma, and tips for finding community as a BIPOC. There’s even a column with tags that help you filter by what sort of resource you’re looking for, in addition to descriptions and excerpts for each resource. I’m so happy to have found this!"
What’s New At Kera?
We were busy this year! If you’re curious about more day-to-day activities, behind-the-scenes updates on projects, or want to know more about us, we’re active on LinkedIn! Follow us to stay up-to-date on all things Kera ✨🖥️
Amanda will be attending the Visitor Studies Association’s (VSA) board meeting this month. Amanda is the Chair of the Professional Development Committee for VSA, a membership organization dedicated to enhancing learning experiences in informal education through research and evaluation. You can learn more about VSA on their website.
Viewfinder, an online journal published by the NAEA Museum Education division that Hannah is co-editor-in-chief of, just published a new issue on connections between art museum education and contemplative practices. Viewfinder is focused on the intersection between social justice and art museum education. Read the new issue here!
Interested in how museums are tackling climate change? We recently wrapped up a project with The Wild Center to evaluate a climate change exhibition that presents climate solutions through place-based examples and storytelling. Check out the full project summary here.
Moment of Wonder
“I recently saw The Improvised Shakespeare Company perform in Washington, DC. Every show is unique—the actors take a suggestion from the audience for the name of a play then make up that play on the spot, in Shakespearean style. It was SO much fun to watch them create the plot and cast of characters right before my eyes. While there were some strange twists and turns (including a song by five ‘gondoliers’), I was super impressed how they fed off each other’s wacky suggestions and still managed to tie up all loose ends to create a complete story. As a planner by nature, it was a great reminder that sometimes you just have to trust the process. Plus, I’ve never laughed so hard!”
— Cathy
