Bidirectional Learning with Youth in Museum-Based Public Health Fellowships: A Case Study

Abstract

Youth programs in museums have traditionally aimed to provide teens and young adults with opportunities to learn new content, develop skills, and have positive socio-emotional experiences. While these qualities are essential for positive youth development, learning is often unidirectional and led by program staff. This approach to youth programming can inadvertently limit youth from becoming active contributors who shape programmatic goals and outcomes. Positioning youth as experts of their lived experiences in youth programming can lead to a bidirectional exchange of knowledge benefitting both youth and museum staff. This case study examines how high-school and college-aged museum workers participated in annual out-of-school-time fellowships to explore public health concepts and integrate their lived experiences when designing research instruments, workshop activities, and exhibit experiences for fellow youth.

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