We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024 AMM Awards! We look forward to celebrating their tremendous accomplishments during the conference in Indianapolis next week and virtual events to take place this fall.
Best Practices Award
Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA
In 2022, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh (CMP) and Hosanna House, a nonprofit with a mission to end a life cycle of poverty while helping individuals reach maximum potential, launched the Center for Aviation Technology and Training (CATT) and Tuskegee Airmen Museum at Hosanna House’s Sherwood Event Center. CATT was designed with the intention of inspiring children and youth to seek out careers in aviation and features STEM programming, such as drone technology literacy for teens through hands-on flight training and specialized training to prepare high school students to enter trade schools and colleges.
The success of CMP’s partnership with Hosanna House led to discussions between the two nonprofits of how each could capitalize off the success of CATT and create a future source of financial sustainability to fund important educational programming. Results of those discussions are an innovative new traveling exhibit called AIM HIGH: Soaring with the Tuskegee Airmen. Made possible by the use of CMP’s Growth Capital Fund, AIM HIGH is a shining example of CMP’s unwavering commitment to fostering dynamic community alliances that enrich the lives of residents across Southwest Pennsylvania. The traveling exhibit also serves as a groundbreaking model of financial sustainability, where the fruits of its success are equitably shared between CMP and Hosanna House, ensuring the legacy and financial sustainability of both nonprofits for years to come.
AMM looks forward to celebrating the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, their collaborative partnership with Hosanna House, and the success of AIM HIGH through this year’s Best Practices Award!
Groundbreakers Award
Detroit Historical Society
Detroit, MI
The Hustle: Celebrating Detroit’s Unsung Entrepreneurs was a two-year initiative at the Detroit Historical Museum that chronicled the inspiring Black Detroiters who rose to success in some unexpected industries, uncovering and documenting the stories of the men and women whose work has made everyday life in Detroit special while helping to create a deep sense of hometown pride. The Hustle was groundbreaking, because it did that by leaning into contemporary collecting and storytelling to uncover the stories of Detroit’s unsung black entrepreneurs, and bring them in droves to the museum to see those stories – their stories – represented.
Nothing expresses this more than a comment from Raphel Wright, owner of the Neighborhood Grocery, one of the project’s featured entrepreneurs: “I’m a kid from the eastside of Detroit who never would’ve thought in a million years I’d be moving the way I’m moving. More than that, you could’ve never convinced me that I’d be in a museum.”
The Hustle is the latest of the Society’s efforts to be intentionally inclusive in its storytelling, dispelling for good an old notion that the stories in its museums were only those of the industrialists who once made Detroit famous. The initiative included a series of quarterly exhibitions that were complemented by public events and education programs, celebrations, and a day-long resource summit. By the time it concluded in 2024, The Hustle had drawn over 73,0000 people to the Detroit Historical Museum, and thousands more participated in the project’s virtual programs and events.
AMM is thrilled to honor the Detroit Historical Society and The Hustle with this year’s Groundbreakers Award!
Collaborators Award
Birmingham Museum
Birmingham, MI
Concerned about the lack of documented evidence for the many legends about local Underground Railroad (UGRR) activity in their area, the Birmingham Museum initiated contact with four nearby historical societies to lead a collaborative pilot project to conduct research on their shared local UGRR heritage. With the museum’s professional leadership and exhibit design, consultant expertise, and use of trained volunteer research teams, this public history project offered a unique opportunity to conduct original research to establish previously undocumented local Black history and create a traveling exhibit to share the information with the public. As research progressed and evidence suggested that there were many more freedom seekers and abolitionists than originally anticipated, so did the news of the project and its findings in Oakland County community. Word of mouth drew additional skilled researchers to the expanding project, enhancing its cultural diversity and potential impact.
This multi-community collaborative approach brought together a collective of small organizations that are usually isolated from one another behind a common goal for the benefit of all. The research unearthed dozens of stories and hundreds of primary source materials to create an extensive database that will be made available to the public, and resulted in a traveling exhibit and public presentations that will be seen by thousands in the next two years. The project has resulted in some of the most important research findings in local Michigan Underground Railroad history, including complete narratives of twelve freedom seekers and eleven abolitionists, with additional research expanding into numerous other individuals. It has also strengthened support for all five organizations within their own communities and built a foundation for more joint projects in the future.
AMM is excited to extend special recognition to the Birmingham Museum as this year’s Collaborators Award recipient!
Distinguished Career Award
Cynthia Sweet
Iowa Museum Association
Cedar Falls, IA
Cynthia Sweet has served over 17 years as Executive Director for the Iowa Museum Association (IMA). As stated by her peers, “Cynthia is an energetic and empathic leader who provides unwavering, dedicated support and mentorship to positively impact Iowa museums, the professionals who lead them, and their communities. Like IMA’s stated vision, she has become an indispensable resource to Iowa museums and cultural institutions.”
Among Cynthia’s contributions to the museum profession are successful initiatives like Teaching Iowa History, a program that combined the power of authentic artifacts held in museum collections with Iowa history lessons to support Iowa educators as they implement new Iowa Social Studies Standards. A true collaborative partnership, Teaching Iowa History brought together Iowa museums, higher education institutions, Iowa PBS, and the Iowa Department of Education to successfully meet the goals of the program. Cynthia also implemented STEPS-IMA, a project that she long envisioned to provide mentorship and support to Iowa history organizations working through the AASLH STEPS program to grow toward best practices.
AMM looks forward to celebrating Cynthia’s leadership and impact through this year’s Distinguished Career Award!
Promising Leadership Award
Bethany Hrachovec
Indiana Historical Society
Indianapolis, IN
In just under 10 years, Bethany Hrachovec’s career journey has taken her from Family Programs Intern at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis to Director of Education and Engagement at the Indiana Historical Society. With a wide variety of operations and education experiences at art, history, and children’s museums under her belt, it is no surprise that Bethany has had a transformative impact on the staff and programs of the Indiana Historical Society.
Bethany’s skills as a leader have shined brightest through her service as coordinator of National History Day, during the museum’s pivot to virtual programs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the launch of a new Mobile Kitchen program, and her advocacy for a permanent young learner/family friendly area in the museum’s History Lab experience. Bethany is also a leader beyond the museum, serving on the Board of the Association of Indiana Museums and as a champion for the next generation of emerging museum professionals. As told through nominations from her peers, Bethany is “a compassionate and effective leader” and “untiring in her quest to improve her department, the IHS, and to keep the organization relevant in an ever-changing world.”
AMM looks forward to celebrating Bethany’s achievements and bright future as this year’s Promising Leadership Award recipient!