Culture and Heritage Site Management Students Preserve Our Identities

  • Added:
    Sep 26, 2013
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Culture and Heritage Site Management Students Preserve Our Identities Photo by Jason White

A blend of history and arts makes a great culture course. It attracts students who take a liking in preserving artifacts and memorabilia and showcasing them for the world to see. However, heritage management courses are more than the act of duration but the overall management of the items in heritage sites including facility management, ethical and sustainable factors, and sponsorships and donations. Centennial College takes a leap in this line of work by providing a two-semester program called Culture and Heritage Site Management (1832).

Centennial college's culture course explores the basis of an organization’s management, whether it be a museum or a zoo or a not-for-profit organization or historic site. As part of the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culture at Centennial College, the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) course is designed to prepare students to integrate customer service in the programming of the site. CRM software will be introduced to students, so they can manage visitor information and behavioural data to establish a sustainable sales strategy.

Most institutions and organizations that houses the cultural and heritage displays are in the not-for-profit industry. Therefore, the livelihood for these places is dependent on act of charity, including volunteerism and donations, and sponsorship from businesses. Grants, fundraising and sponsorship and careful financial management are critical to the maintenance of the sites. Students in the program will learn how the required bookkeeping and budgeting for museums and related organizations. Proposal writing and fundraising campaigns will be examined in detail to help future culture and heritage site specialists obtain donor leads and retain them.

The Culture and Heritage Industry is developing through technological advancements, political issues, and sociological views. The program will delve into issues facing heritage sites through a course of research and class trips to heritage sites. In addition, guest speakers will engage students in the classroom and provide them of real-life examples on their day-to-day jobs in the industry. Social media and other online resources and the digitalization of archives will have their effectiveness examined as students devise plans to promote the organizations and enrich visitor experiences which will increase donor leads and visitor counts.

A two-day placement weekly in the last semester will provide a first-hand look at working in the Culture and Heritage Industry, with students working in arts and cultural organizations, historic sites, museums, and galleries. Simultaneously, students complete management courses in cultural planning, keeping in mind the objectives of the government in relation to the promotion of culture and diversity and its effect on tourism. Since the industry relies heavily on volunteers, the Leadership in the Culture and Heritage Sector course, also taken in the second semester, will provide the human resources planning skills needed for site operations.

Culture and Heritage Site Management graduates will work within the industry with varying titles that can include Outreach & Learning Coordinator, Exhibit Associate, Museum Curators, Facility Coordinators, Collections and Exhibit Specialists, Office Coordinators, and Education Specialists. These positions are available in government sectors, institutions, and not-for-profit organizations. This program prepares students for the diverse needs in Canada’s heritage sites as well as the international market.

Author's Profile

The author here articulates about benefits of studying culture course in Toronto and further projects how this course provides you with opportunities in the museums and heritage sector.


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