In collaboration with the Southeastern Museums Conference, the Smithsonian’s Our Shared Future: Reckoning with Our Racial Past (RWORP) initiative is pleased to make four (4) funds available to support museum professionals who have a professional focus or interest in the U.S. Latino museum audiences, content, and programming. All are welcome to apply. This opportunity supports attendance at the 2025 SEMC Annual Meeting (October 20-22) in Montgomery, Alabama. Valued at $1400: Early-Bird Annual Meeting registration ($400) plus travel and accommodation (up to $1000).

Available funds are intended for a student or a museum professional with a professional focus or interest in interpreting U.S. Latino art, history, and culture via content, programming, and audiences in the southeastern museum field, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Instructions:
a) Complete the online application form below
b) Complete the narrative questions below
c) Attach your resume
d) Attach one letter of support from a professor, work supervisor, museum director, OR similar museum stakeholder/supporter.
e) Incomplete applications will not be considered. All parts of the application must be sent as a single submission online package.

Criteria:
The Committee considers the following factors:
(a) How attending the Annual Meeting will be beneficial to their professional development in interpreting U.S. Latino art, history, culture via content, programming, audiences, and/or the overall Southeast, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands museum field.
(b) Financial need (not exclusively institutional)
(c) Applicant must be employed (full-time or part-time) by a museum/historic site/arts or cultural organization. Volunteer experience is also accepted.
(d) Dedication to the museum profession in the Southeast, Puerto Rico, and/or the U.S. Virgin Islands
(e) Professional reference
(f) Distance from the conference location

Deadline and Notification:
Applications must be submitted online by 11:59 PM CST on Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Members of SEMC, the Reckoning with Our Racial Past initiative, and a Smithsonian Latino Initiative Pool representative will review applications. All applicants will receive email notifications by August 8, 2025.

Upon conclusion of the Annual Meeting, the successful applicant(s) will be required to complete a brief survey of their conference experience.

Questions? Contact RWORP public programs manager, Patty Arteaga, arteagap@si.edu

This program received federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the National Museum of the American Latino.