Students gain valuable experience from new collaboration between Canadian Museum of History and Carleton University

A group of graduate students at Carleton University are getting an exceptional learning opportunity, thanks to an innovative collaboration between the university and the Canadian Museum of History. The students — enrolled in the Master’s Program in Public History at Carleton — are participating this fall in the development of the Museum’s signature gallery, the Canadian History Hall. Scheduled to open in 2017, the Hall will be the largest and most engaging exhibition about Canadian history ever produced.

Interacting with Museum curators and other professional staff, the students will conduct research and submit proposals relating to the exhibition’s content as part of the requirements for the Museums, National Identity and Public Memory course, taught by Carleton History Professor David Dean. The students will have an opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills to a project of national significance, and the Museum will benefit from the students’ research and perspectives.

“The Canadian Museum of History is pleased to partner with Carleton University on this exciting initiative,” said Mark O’Neill, President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of History. “Through this collaboration, we are helping to prepare a new generation of scholars for the vital task of preserving and telling our national stories in museums and other public history institutions across the country.”

“Carleton’s History Department has partnered with many national and local museums over a number of years, but rarely have we had the opportunity to collaborate on curatorial projects at such a key stage in the evolution of a national museum,” said Professor Dean. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our students to experience first-hand the challenges and advantages of curating the nation’s past.”

Content for the Canadian History Hall is being developed by a multidisciplinary team of curators and researchers at the Canadian Museum of History, with assistance from advisory panels of outside scholars and other experts. The Carleton students will contribute ideas and research within that framework that may be used in the Hall, while gaining invaluable hands-on experience in the field of public history.

The Canadian Museum of History is a leading centre of historical research and a champion of museological excellence throughout Canada. The MA in Public History at Carleton University is among the most respected programs of its kind in the country. ** About Carleton University: ** Located in the nation’s capital, Carleton University is a dynamic research and teaching institution with a tradition of leading change. Its internationally recognized faculty, staff and researchers provide ** more than 28,000 full- and part-time students ** from every province and more than 100 countries around the world with academic opportunities in more than 65 programs of study, including public affairs, journalism, film studies, engineering, high technology, and international studies. Carleton’s creative, interdisciplinary and international approach to research has led to many significant discoveries and creative works in science and technology, business, governance, public policy and the arts. As an innovative institution, Carleton is uniquely committed to developing solutions to real-world problems by pushing the boundaries of knowledge and understanding every day. _ Located on the shores of the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec, the Canadian Museum of History is Canada’s largest and most popular cultural institution, attracting over 1.2 million visitors each year. The Museum’s principal role is to enhance Canadians’ knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the events, experiences, people and objects that have shaped Canada’s history and identity, as well as to enhance Canadians’ awareness of world history and culture. _