Scholarship Opportunities
Need financial assistance to attend the Annual Meeting? TAM Affinity Groups and the Regional Museum Associations are offering generous scholarships to encourage professional development. Many scholarships are designed for first-time attendees. Deadlines are approaching and application instructions vary, so please read carefully and respond promptly!
The Glenda Morgan Scholarship Fund is offering one $200 scholarship to the 2011 TAM Annual Meeting. For over 30 years the Glenda Morgan Scholarship Fund has been used to underwrite educational training costs for Texas museum professionals. This scholarship award may be used to cover the expense of TAM Annual Meeting registration, travel, and/or lodging. Interested applicants must hold a current individual TAM membership to be eligible. (Previous recipients are not eligible.) To apply, send a resume, references, and a one-page letter stating reasons for applying for the scholarship to admin@texasmuseums.org. Letters should include a clear statement of how attending the meeting will benefit the applicant’s professional development. Application deadline is February 3, 2012. Email applications are preferred.
TAM Affinity Groups
The following TAM Affinity Groups are offering scholarships to the TAM Annual Meeting. To apply please send a resume, references, and a one-page letter stating reasons for applying for the scholarship to admin@texasmuseums.org. Application deadline is February 3, 2012.Email applications are preferred.
Art Affinity Group (AAG) is offering one “complete package” registration scholarship valued at $375. Applicants must be a member of TAM and AAG. Recipients will be responsible for their travel, lodging, and incidental costs. This is a first-time scholarship.
Collection Managers Committee (CMC) is offering two “complete package” registration scholarships valued at $375 each. Applicants must be a member of TAM and CMC. Recipients will be responsible for their travel, lodging, and incidental costs. Previous recipients are not eligible.
TAM Diversity Committee (previously Multicultural Initiatives Committee) (TAM DivComm) is offering one “complete package” registration scholarship valued at $375. The DivComm scholarship will be awarded to a minority professional currently working in a Texas museum. Applicants must be a member of TAM and DivComm. Recipient will be responsible for his or her travel, lodging, and incidental costs. Following the meeting the scholarship winner will be asked to write an article for the TAM newsletter that offers observations on diversity in the museum field. Previous recipients are not eligible.
Historic Site/ House Affinity Group (HSHAG) is offering one “complete package” registration scholarship valued at $375. Applicants must be a member of TAM and HSHAG. Recipients will be responsible for their travel, lodging, and incidental costs. This is a first-time scholarship.
Texas Association of Museums Educators’ Committee (TAMEC) is offering one “complete package” registration scholarship valued at $375. Applicants must be a member of TAM and TAMEC and currently employed in an educational capacity at a facility in Texas. Recipients will be responsible for their travel, lodging, and incidental costs. Previous recipients are not eligible.
Regional Museum Associations
Several Regional Museum Associations are offering scholarships to the TAM Annual Meeting.
Application instructions vary so please read carefully.
Austin Museum Partnership (AMP) is sponsoring two scholarships to the 2012 TAM Annual Meeting in San Antonio, to a museum professional, who, due to financial constraints, would otherwise not be able to attend the TAM Annual Meeting. Two scholarships will be awarded to cover registration costs ($305). Scholarship applicants must be current AMP members or staff of current institutional members of AMP living in the Austin, Texas, area or surrounding communities (for AMP membership information, contact Lisa Worley, worley.lisae@gmail.com), be an employee of a Texas museum, or full time student engaged in a museum related course of study in Texas.
Only one applicant per museum per year is eligible. Applications must be received by February 3, 2012. Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted. Applications will be accepted via email only. (Subject line must include “AMP Scholarship—Your First and Last Name”) Application forms are available from Thao Votang, t.votang@gmail.com
Northeast Texas Museum Association (NTMA) is offering three $300 scholarships to the 2012 TAM Annual Meeting. To apply, send a letter explaining what you hope to gain from the TAM experience and a statement which demonstrates financial need (this might include a museum budget with little or no money for professional development). Applicant must be a member of NTMA. Send applications to Lacie Ballinger at lballinger@fwmsh.org, or 1600 Gendy Street, Fort Worth, TX 76107. Application deadline is February 3, 2012.
Northwest Texas Museum Association (NWTMA) is offering two reimbursement scholarships up to $500 for the 2012 TAM Annual Meeting. Scholarships are open to all individuals or organizations that are members of NWTMA. Official application forms are available from Deborah Bigness, 806-742-1116, or deborah.bigness@ttu.edu. Application deadline is February 3, 2012.
Southeast Texas Museum Association (SETMA) is offering a single $250 scholarship to the 2012 TAM Annual Meeting to eligible SETMA members. These funds will help defray the cost of meeting registration, travel, and lodging costs. Our scholarship is named in memory of Matt White, former director of the McFaddin-Ward House, SETMA president, and active member of TAM. Applicants must submit a letter of application and current resume. Letters should include a clear statement of how attending the meeting will benefit his or her professional development plus demonstrate financial need. Applicants must have current (2012) SETMA membership and must not have received the award in the past five years. Please send applications to SETMA Scholarship, c/o Carol Cuccio, McFaddin-Ward House, 725 Third Street, Beaumont, Texas 77701; 409-832-1906; ccuccio@mcfaddin-ward.org. Application deadline is February 3, 2012.
Exhibit Hall
Museum-related businesses and service organizations will showcase their products and services in the TAM Exhibit Hall at the El Tropicano River Walk. Booth spaces are still available. Reserve yours now. Application Deadline: March 5, 2012.
Exhibit Hall hours: Wednesday, March 28, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Thursday, March 29, 8:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
TAM Professional Development Certificate Program Information
The TAM Professional Development Certificate Program provides an incentive for Texas museum professionals to build their expertise by attending a series of educational programs in one of six areas of focus. Certificates reward participants’ dedication to improve their skills and knowledge of museum practice. Program participants will earn a TAM Professional Development Certificate for completion of a workshop and five annual meeting sessions relating to one focus area. Eligible sessions in the six focus areas will be noted in the program schedule: (A) Administration; (R) Resource Development; (E) Exhibitions; (C) Collections Management; (ED) Education/Outreach; (T) Trustee. Please note that workshops presented throughout the year by TAM and TAM Affinity Groups count towards the certificate. It is not necessary to attend a workshop in conjunction with Annual Meeting. Cost to participate is $25 per certificate. Participants must be current TAM individual members. Register for this program on the TAM Annual Meeting registration form.