Karen Player - Australian Museum

Staff profile: Karen Player

Position title:: Coodinator - Museum Outreach
Section:: Learning Services
Branch:: Visitor Programs & Services
Division:: Public Programs & Operations
Phone:: 612 9320 6197
Email:: Contact Karen Player using the form below

Profile

The Museum in a Box program has been going since the 1960's and I have been the co ordinator since the January 2008. I have a background in environmental science and education and I am committed to promoting Museum in a Box throughout New South Wales

Background

I became a front of house volunteer at the Australian Museum in 1998 and I was involved in taking tours and running touch tables. In 1999 I started working in the Biodiversity exhibition in the Visitor Services department. I looked after the live animals in the exhibition, developed and implemented many environmental education programs and continued taking tours throughout the museum.

In 2005 I joined the Surviving Australia project team which was involved in developing the design and content for this new exhibition. Throughout the process I was involved in exhibition design, text writing and program development and the Surviving Australia exhibition was opened in July 2008.

During 2007 I was also working closely with the Science communication team to run the Science in the City, Science in the Suburbs and Science in the Bush events

In 2008 I began coordinating Museum in a Box and bring many years experience to this ongoing program. Since 2009 I have also been coordinated the Video Conferencing programs at the Museum. This has provided a great opportunity to have school with the physical object in class link up with a Museum educator. During 2010 we presented video conferencing events to 6500 students from 200 schools across the NSW. In 2010 the Museum in a Box program had 520 boxes of museum specimens and educational resources go to over 250 schools across NSW reaching over 60000 students.

In 2011 we received a NSW Environmental Trust grant to develop a community environmental education program on sustainability, climate change and biodiversity. Museum 2 You is being developed with community consultation and will be trialled in 2012.

These 3 program provide a great opportunity for regional NSW to get access to Australian Museum resources and expertise.