Leading equity-focused professional development program finds ideal partner in the museum’s IDEAL Center
St. Paul, MN – The Science Museum of Minnesota today announced it has acquired CCLI (Cultural Competence Learning Institute), a premier professional development program that has helped museum leaders advance equity and inclusion efforts for over a decade. CCLI’s comprehensive curriculum, research and resources will be integrated into the programming of the museum’s IDEAL Center (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, Leadership Professional Development). The museum prioritizes equity and inclusion to re-imagine the scientific enterprise and continue to seek opportunities that support and encourage full participation in the vital work of connecting STEM and society.
Founded in 2013 by Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose, Association of Children’s Museums, Association of Science and Technology Centers and Garibay Group, CCLI has been at the forefront of supporting museums in their equity journeys. Through seven year-long cohorts, CCLI engaged 35 institutions and 125 individual participants in developing focused, systematic approaches to diversity, equity, access and inclusion work. The program also produced the landmark CCLI National Landscape Study, based on data from 580 museums nationwide, and created Actionable Insights, a 10-course digital learning program for museum teams.
“We are honored to take on the mantle of this groundbreaking work,” said Joanne Jones-Rizzi, Vice President of Science, Equity, and Education at the Science Museum of Minnesota. “CCLI has been an exemplar in the museum industry for years, setting the standard for equity-focused, cohort-based professional development. We look forward to building on all the learning from CCLI’s pioneering work and leveraging our IDEAL Center’s proven leadership model of supporting museums to leverage new strategies to become inclusive institutions.”
The IDEAL Center helps professionals who are serious about equity and inclusion develop the abilities, strategies and will to make their organizations more just and open. Through scientific mindset and research-proven teaching and facilitation practices, the Center helps participants become agents of change.
“The Science Museum of Minnesota is the perfect partner to carry CCLI forward,” said Marilee Jennings, Executive Director at Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose. “Their demonstrated commitment to equity work, their national influence in the museum field, and their innovative IDEAL Center programming align perfectly with CCLI’s mission and values. We are confident that CCLI will thrive and reach new heights under SMM’s stewardship.”
The Science Museum will have full access to CCLI’s extensive assets, including cohort curriculum, the National Landscape Study, Actionable Insights learning modules and other research and resources. The four founding CCLI partners will continue to support the program in an advisory capacity.
