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Expert Profile
Jennifer Heim
Pronouns:
she/her/hers
Availability:
Available
Contractor/Consultant
Position Type:
Saint Louis
Missouri
United States of America
Email:
Years in the field:
26+ Years
Areas of Expertise
Education, Exhibits development, Guest/Visitor Services, Senior Leadership, Outreach and Public Engagement, Partnerships, Project Management, Professional Development, Research & Evaluation, Strategic Planning
Early in my career I managed a living history site, The 1840 House, at the Baltimore City Life Museums. There, I wrote plays performed in the house, with the audience following the story from room to room. Seeing the powerful connections with history created by these plays, I wanted to work with narrative in other formats to create similarly impactful experiences. As an exhibit developer at the Missouri Historical Society, I used this three-dimensional medium to connect audiences with the history of the St. Louis region and with their own, personal histories.
Throughout my career, I have brought audiences into the development process. At the Saint Louis Science Center, I initially worked as an evaluator, conducting front-end and formative evaluation studies for exhibits and developing a comprehensive program evaluation process. After moving to a strategic planning role at the Science Center, I led the creation of the monthly First Friday program, working with individuals and community organizations to use popular culture to connect people with science. In addition, I facilitated institution-wide strategic and interpretive planning, leading teams in creating alignment around goals, evaluating options, and determining the best process to achieve these goals. I have also conducted team development, helping teams communicate and collaborate more effectively.
My work currently focuses on three areas:
1) Writing and editing
o Exhibit scripts and interpretive labels
o Educational publications
o Plays and performances
2) Audience engagement
o Community input and co-creation
o Visitor feedback and evaluation
3) Project development and facilitation
o Exhibits and programs
o Interpretive and strategic planning
o Team development