ADVOCACY

Governor Shapiro signed the 2025-26 Pennsylvania budget on November 12. The budget includes funding for the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission's (PHMC) Cultural and Historical Support Grants program at the $4 million level that PA Museums had been working towards. This represents a victory for all museums as we face a backdrop of funding challenges this year.

The Office of the Budget has posted the enacted budget in full here. You can also have a look at Senate Bill 160 here to see the bill's history.

PA Museums, led an advocacy effort to protect the PHMC's Cultural and Historical Support Grants program. Museum leaders came together to develop a strategy to ensure that this funding did not go in reverse and remained a $4 million appropriation. Our strategy was simple and direct, and we are proud of our success and grateful to all who supported this work. PA Museums thanks our membership and our professional advocacy consultants--Chris Dezzi and Mike Oscar-- for working with us in a focused, bipartisan effort. And we should all thank the lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in both chambers who heard and supported us. And thanks to Governor Shapiro for signing and finalizing a budget that provides this meaningful funding to so many institutions and organizations.

From the American Alliance of Museums (AAM)

AAM distributed an Advocacy Alert on November 14 that encouraged Americans to contact members of the United States Senate regarding its consideration of funding bills including one that would provide support for the Institute of Museum and Library Services ((MLS). The Senate is expected to return after the Thanksgiving holiday to work on this so if you have not already contacted your elected officials about it, use AAM's easy-to-use message to support IMLS.

AAM is organizing its annual Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. for February 23-24, 2026. You can find more information here.

PA MUSEUMS CONFERENCE

Save the date for PA Museums' next conference. We'll be in Centre County, April 19-20, 2026.

We are planning reception for the evening of April 19 at the Centre County Historical Society; programming the next day will take place at the Wyndam Garden State College. We have arranged for a room block there, and you can use this link to book your stay.

We are looking for a few more specific sessions to round out our program. Our members and attendees are interested in hands-on sessions around collections care, exhibitions media/tech, and museum education. We are reopening session proposals. Please click here to submit a proposal. The deadline to submit is December 12, 2025.

MEMBERSHIP

PA Museums updates our jobs page regularly, and we posted six new opportunities since Sunday. If your organization has a position to post, you can complete and submit your job posting on our easy-to-use form. Job postings are free for PA Museum members as a membership benefit.

Museum Store Sunday returns on November 30, 2025. Please click here to learn more and participate.

Judges are needed for National History Day in PA's State Finals. Judging will take place on April 25 and26, 2026 in Scranton, PA. For more information, please contact sean.brennan@scranton.edu.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is actively seeking Philadelphia museums that are interested in partnering with its Career Path Program that provides job shadowing, paid internships, and employment opportunities for its cohort of participants. If your museum is interested, please email us, and we can connect you to CHOP's Career Path Program staff to learn more.

PA MUSEUMS IN THE NEWS

WHYY explored The Young Philadelphians Continental Congress scholarship program's launch with Philadelphia institutions Carpenter's Hall, the National Constitution Center, the National Liberty Museum, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and the Museum of the American Revolution.

CBS reported that the Senator John Heinz History Center is now home to a Welcome Center through a partnership with VisitPittsburgh.

The Philadelphia Art Museum named its next Director and CEO according to WHYY.

The Standard-Journal had a look at new exhibits at the Lewisburg Children's Museum.

The end of the federal government shutdown made headlines for Pennsylvania's National Parks and Sites from Western PA to Philadelphia.

ExploreJefferson covered the Jefferson County History Center's receiving grant funds to update and add historic panels in Brookville.

The Valley Ledger shared that the National Canal Museum received a large gift to support its operations.

PhillyVoice reported on the Mütter Museum's plans to expand.

Congratulations to the Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center on its being awarded an Inspire! grant from IMLS. Congratulations, too, to the Senator John Heinz History Center on its reaccreditation from AAM.

PROGRAMS OF INTEREST

In collaboration with the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), Wiki Education launched a new series of editing courses to teach history professionals how to contribute to Wikipedia, engaging their knowledge and collections across galleries, libraries, archives, and museums. To date, the courses have gathered participants from 43 states (and counting!), bringing together experts from across the U.S. to improve Wikipedia’s coverage of their local history in celebration of the country’s upcoming 250th birthday. The next program is scheduled for December 3 at 1 p.m. eastern. Please click here to learn more and register.

The Institute for Moravian History and World Heritage invites submissions for its inaugural conference at Moravian University, Bethlehem, PA, November 12-14, 2026. Following the 2024 UNESCO World Heritage inscription of Moravian Church Settlements, we're exploring Moravian history and heritage in a global context. Submissions Welcome: Papers • Panels • Workshops • Lecture-Recitals • Digital Demonstrations • Posters

Deadline: December 15, 2025

Submit to: worldheritage@moravian.edu

Visit the link to learn more: https://www.moravian.edu/institute.../inaugural-conference

The Rural History Confederation (RHC) is presenting a half-day workshop at Pennsbury Manor on February 7, 2026 designed to help rural and local history organizations navigate and interpret the complex—and often uncomfortable—topics of race, religion, and nation-making in ways that are thoughtful, honest, and community-centered. Please click here to learn more or register.

The Small Museum Association's Annual Conference will be in York, PA, February 16-18, 2026 Please click here for lodging and registration information. 

AAM's 2006 Annual Meeting and Museum Expo will be in Philadelphia, May 20-23, 2026. The theme will be The Museum Odyssey. AAM has established an open admission program to connect local museums with conference attendees; if your organization would like to participate, please click here.

The Association of African American Museums is planning to convene its 48th Annual Conference in Philadelphia, August 19-21, 2026 and is inviting session proposals from its members.

SUPPORT FOR YOUR MUSEUM

The National Endowment for the Humanities is issuing a call for proposals for Celebrate America!, a new initiative to recognize the nation’s semiquincentennial on July 4, 2026. Through this program, NEH will award 250 challenge grants of up to $25,000 each for projects that focus on the founding of the American nation, key historical figures, and milestones that reflect the exceptional achievements of the United States. This special NEH grant program is accepting and reviewing applications on a rolling basis throughout 2025.

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Preservation and Access is accepting applications for the National Digital Newspaper Program. This program creates a national digital resource of historically significant newspapers published between 1690 and 1963. The Library of Congress (LOC) maintains this freely accessible, searchable online database. Grants are due January 15, 2026.

The Society of American Archivists (SAA) Foundation Catalyst Grant Program (formerly the Strategic Grant Fund) provides funding to support complex archival projects, such as processing collections, digitizing materials, developing policies or best practices, and other initiatives that enhance archival access and care. Grants typically range from $500 to $5,000 and do not require matching funds, making them accessible to a wide range of archival institutions and organizations. Deadline: January 31, 2026

RECOMMENDED


The American Library Association (ALA) announced a legal victory against the administration's attacks on IMLS.

AASLH published some of the findings from its National Survey of History Practricioners.

AAM highlighted some of the data from its 2025 Annual National Snapshot of United States Museums survey.

SUPPORT PA MUSEUMS AS PART OF YOUR YEAR END GIVING

PA Museums, like the institutions that make up most of our membership, is an independent nonprofit 501 c3, and our members' support and donations from people like you who care about museums directly benefits the museum community all year long. PA Museums needs and is thankful for your support, and we ask that you consider us as you make your plans to support organizations as the year comes to a close by clicking the link above to make your contribution securely online.

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