The Museum of Kansas City - Itzel Garcia-Hernandez, Week 1

      Hello, everyone! I officially started my internship on July 8th, and these past few days have been fulfilling and very informative. The Museum of Kansas City is the "The home of the whole story", it aims to tell the stories of everyone from Kansas City, where they come from, what they have contributed, and the impact they have had in this city's history. During this week, I have had the pleasure of getting a peek behind how this mission is upheld, getting to know the people who work towards it, and getting to see the impact this mission has had on the community. So... without any further ado here is the story of my first week as an intern at the Museum of Kansas City. 

July 8

    This is the day I first entered the museum and met with my supervisors. I got a tour of the museum and had the opportunity to wonder around on my own. I was able to better understand the mission of the museum and the history behind it. This is also when I was able to talk to my supervisors about my interests and what I expect from this internship.

July 9

    On Wednesday, my supervisor and I finalized my schedule. After that, I was able to get a behind the scenes look at how a museum is made, the planning that goes behind it, and the people who work behind the curtain to make it happen. 

    The Museum of Kansas City is an entire estate that used to be owned by a wealthy family and as such there are many buildings on the property. Currently, the main building is the only that has been filled with exhibits, and they are currently planning on the exhibits they want to have in another building on the property.

     I was able to be in a meeting where they discussed what their goal was for the building, how they would format it, the stories they wanted to tell. I witnessed the teamwork that goes behind it and the importance of having a variety of voices. Everyone during the meeting focused on different aspects of the history that will be told and provided their wisdom and ways to improve upon the product. It was truly amazing to see the wealth of knowledge and creativity that is behind the making of the museum. It was even more fulfilling to see the things I have learned during Washington Week about how museums are curated and getting to see them function in real time to create something that I will be able to experience in the near future. 

July 10

    This is the day that I was finally see the museum function on a regular day and how it helps support its community. I started my day at the front desk where I got training on how to work at it and was able to learn about how the museum treats its visitors. I was able to learn about the deep connection some visitors have with the museum as it has been open for years and it used to be a natural history museum before becoming what it is now. Most visitors are curious about the changes that have been made and quite a few visit from different states.

    That was the first half of my day, after that I was able to witness how the museum helps its community and inspires younger generations. An organization named History Co:Lab came to the museum and the focus of the group is on education and how to improve it. They got to have a tour of the museum and afterwards there was a panel where two young people, a new high school graduate and a rising high school junior, talked about their experiences and how they want the education system to be improved. 

Both students had gone through experience in which they felt like they were creating a positive impact on the world around them and they talked about how important it is for all teenagers to have that experience. It gives teenagers purpose and something to strive for in life, and it is organizations like the Young Ambassadors Program, Real World Learning, the History Co:Lab that provide these experiences, but wouldn't it be great if these experiences were already readily available at school?

   The panel was amazing, and it was inspiring to see people around my age who are also coming into adulthood wanting to create a positive impact on the world around them. I believe it perfectly described what every educational institution should hope to achieve, to inspire the younger generation to find that one thing they are passionate about leave a mark on it no matter how small it may seem presently. One of the examples that were given was through the form of artwork. After the panel, artwork by various students were displayed; it was demonstration of how young people are already creating an impact that will last through generations.

    To end off on this final day, I don't want to talk about the events or the work I participated in, but rather those moments in between where you are able to connect with the people you are with. The Museum of Kansas City has a wonderful work environment; everyone knows each other and is nice to each other. I don't think I have seen anything quite like it. It doesn't matter if you are a curator, a front desk employee, work at the cafe, work as a guard, or just do the cleaning around the museum; everyone has taken the opportunity to get to know everyone and build connections and it has resulted in a tight knit community that keeps the museum running like a well-oiled machine. It was in those moments in between where I was able to listen and have conversations with the people I was with that will stay in my memory. Everyone has a story to tell, and I have to say that the museum's mission is completely accurate; The Museum of Kansas City truly is "The home of the whole story" in every sense of the word, and I can't wait to add my story.