The aims of our present project were the following: - to develop the competences of our employees in live interpretation, exhibition arrangement for different audiences (with the inclusion of new media), organization and management of community activities (meaning under this term volunteer activities as well), and visitor research - to develop the linguistic competences of employees - to acquire good examples in the abovementioned topics - to form new professional connections - to increase employee motivation - to create higher quality activities and exhibitions for adult visitors (in the long term).
The Hungarian Museum of Trade and Tourism, a state-funded museum with collections from all over the country is active in the field of adult education as well. The museum’s purpose is to educate all age groups about the history of trade and hospitality. We grouped the adult educational opportunities provided by our museum into the following 5 groups: - informal learning process aided by the exhibitions; - eventful, entertaining learning through the programs offered by museum educators for adults (historical re-enactment, reminiscence or investigative/mystery solving activities); - learning from tours led by museologists or from public educational activities; - gaining new skills and knowledge through volunteer work as a special way of cultural learning; - gaining experiences, skills, and knowledge through projects organized for intergenerational or special needs groups. With our project, we wished to provide the opportunity for our employees to develop themselves in the above-mentioned areas, encounter present European trends and achievements, and to form new connections and cooperate with European museums concerned with similar topics to those of our collections.