A sustainable, strategic education program is within reach.
Turn your mission into measurable impact through comprehensive museum program assessment and design services
Chose Clarity Over Chaos & Strategy Over Stress
360° Program Evaluation & Design
Customized Evaluation and Design Solutions on Your Terms
Maybe your team is quietly frustrated by clunky logistics and unclear objectives.
Maybe your Board is looking for data on outcomes that you don’t actually have.
Maybe you’re spinning your wheels, making surface tweaks (like swapping out activities or adjusting timing), without ever fixing the deeper misalignment that keeps your programs from reaching their full potential.
Does your “signature” program feel more like a patchwork quilt than a powerhouse program?
Picture your programs at their full potential.
Imagine museum education programs that rise above the routine and inspire confidence in funders, deliver visitor-centered results, and position your museum as a community leader … all without staff burnout.
The ripple effect of a comprehensive program evaluation and design includes:
✅ Energized staff who are supported by clear, realistic program structures.
✅ Inspired audiences who walk away engaged, connected, and eager to return.
✅ Confident Boards and bosses who see measurable impact supported by data.
✅ Mission-aligned programs that match your goals and your real-world resources.
✅ Research-grounded results that give your team clarity, credibility, and confidence in what’s working.
When education programs are systematically evaluated and redesigned with data, the results aren’t just vibes— they’re visible and measurable.
In 2021, I took one of my museum’s long-running field trip programs through a full evaluation cycle for the first time: gathering both qualitative and quantitative data, critically examining the themes and activities, and analyzing what was falling short and what was worth keeping. Using those insights, I redesigned the program with a creative direction that was both mission-aligned and audience-responsive.
👉 The result? A new program that met our mission, resonated more deeply with our community, won an Award of Excellence, and generated a 7,000% increase in revenue.
💡 So if you’re wondering, “Can Rachel really do this?, the answer is yes.
I’ve done it before, and now, as I complete my PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy with a research focus on children’s engagement in museums, I bring both proven museum experience and cutting-edge scholarship to every project.
Put my signature evaluation system to work for you … and move beyond the guesswork.
This isn’t a cookie-cutter audit. This is a research-driven, fully customized partnership that ensures your programs are measurable and mission-aligned, functional and funder-friendly. With both lived museum experience and doctoral-level scholarship behind the system, this is the only service designed to give small and mid-sized museums the clarity, credibility, and confidence usually reserved for larger institutions.
Maybe you’re thinking “We can’t afford this.” Or maybe, “We don’t have time for this.”
Let’s back up and reframe this:
You’re already spending precious time and resources on programs that aren’t meeting your objectives.
A 360° Program Evaluation & Design gives you a research-backed roadmap that saves staff bandwidth, strengthens your case for funding, and ensures every effort pays off in mission-aligned impact.
A 360° Program Evaluation & Design is the only only end-to-end service, especially for small and mid-size museums, that combines museum know-how, visitor-centered research, and strategic alignment into one seamless process.
What to Expect
Phase 1
Discovery & Design Scope
Discovery Call – You explain everything you are looking for, I ask questions, and we decide if this is the right fit, right now.
Proposal & Scope Finalization – You receive a detailed proposal outlining the work, timeline, and deliverables.
Agreement & Kickoff Call – We sign the contract, schedule key dates, and dive into context: goals, audiences, needs, known challenges.
Outcome: You’re clear on what we’re tackling and what success looks like—for you, your team, and your community.
Phase 2
Deep Dive & Development
Evaluation & Audit – I review your existing programs, materials, logistics, staff feedback, and visitor input.
Strategy & Redesign – I tease out the gaps, align your goals to the design, and begin co-developing the refreshed or new program elements.
Drafting & Collaboration – I share drafts, frameworks, and content with room for your team’s input and iteration.
Outcome: You have a fully customized, research-backed and reality-tested program suite ready to pilot or roll out.
Phase 3
Delivery & Activation
Final Deliverables – You get all custom materials, implementation guides, and an executive-ready summary of the work.
Staff Training – I lead a practical, empowering session (or, more likely a series) to prepare your team to facilitate with confidence.
Follow-Up Support – Scheduled check-ins to support implementation, answer questions, or troubleshoot surprises.
Outcome: You have everything you need to confidently run a program that’s clear, compelling, and aligned with your big-picture goals.
What’s Included?
👉 Comprehensive Program Evaluation & Strategic Planning We’ll take a deep dive into your existing programs using a research-backed framework to identify strengths, gaps, and strategic opportunities aligned with your museum’s mission and audience needs. This can includes conversations with your staff, deep evaluative analysis of audience feedback, and an analysis of your actual capacity. We will make sure this program overhaul is sustainable within your constraints.
👉 Custom Educational Materials Creation As we develop your new program, we’ll also can new, original materials designed to enhance engagement and learning outcomes. This can include both audience-focused and staff training guides. We’ll make sure you have everything you need to put your program plan into action.*
👉 Targeted Staff Training & Capacity Building Once your program is ready to implement, we can conduct interactive training sessions designed to equip your educators and front-line staff with the skills and confidence to deliver the new programs effectively.*
*Museum-Ready Materials and Frontline Focus Trainings can be added — or not — as your budget allows.
Because sustainability matters as much as strategy, I’ll also include:
⭐Mini-Eval Toolkit for Internal Use You won’t just walk away with a finished program. You’ll also get a pared-down version of my evaluation framework, customized for your team to use on future projects. It comes with ready-to-use templates, question prompts, and a quick-start guide so your staff can keep evaluating and improving without outside help.
⭐Voice-of-the-Visitor Snapshot Report Even if you only collect light qualitative data, I’ll create a themed summary of what your visitors are saying, pulled together in a way that’s useful for internal communications, grants, and advocacy and highlights patterns, quotes, and tone, giving your team a clear sense of how your audiences are experiencing your programs.
⭐ Board-Ready Presentation Deck Along with your full visitor report, you’ll also receive a polished slide deck version of the key findings and strategy behind your new programs. It’s clean, branded, and designed to highlight impact, mission alignment, and strategic vision.
Investment for Data Collection, Analysis, and Program Development: $150/hour*
Each project is scoped based on your specific needs, and we’ll map out the hours and deliverables together so you know exactly what to expect.
Customized Packages can also include Museum-Ready Materials and Frontline Focus Trainings to round out your program development.
*While some consultants chose not to disclose their pricing online, I believe in transparency and giving you as much information as possible upfront.
Imagine the possibility of your museum education programs.
Increase Your Impact Strategically
Simply fill out the form to pick a time on calendar to talk about your program evaluation and design needs!
FAQs
I know you’ve got questions. Probably a lot of them.
Let’s clear a few of them up.
The best way to get your specific questions answered is to snag a spot on my calendar and just ask.
I promise — no hard sales and no hard feelings, if this isn’t the right choice for your museum right now.
Reach out and let me know how I can support you today.
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The investment is $150/hour for data collection, analysis, and program design. Program materials and trainings can be added to your package.
Every project is scoped to your specific needs so you’re only paying for the hours and services that move your program forward.
I put pricing right here on my website because I believe in transparency—you deserve to know what to expect.
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It depends on scope and your timing requirements, but expect this process to take us several months of working part-time together.
We’ll map out a clear timeline together so you know exactly what’s coming and when.
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Not at all. Sometimes a smart evaluation and a few targeted changes are all it takes. We’ll focus on the changes that will have the highest impact without overwhelming your staff or your budget.
We will map out the full scope of your project together, so you know exactly what to expect.
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Not at all — in fact, the goal is for your team to feel energized by this experience! My process is designed to be collaborative but stress-free. I’ll gather input and insights in efficient ways so your staff feels supported, not buried.
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Field trips, tours, workshops, family programs, signature experiences—you name it. If it’s part of your museum’s education offerings, I can evaluate, align, and redesign it.
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Yes! Whether you’re starting with a half-finished idea or even a blank page, I can build a program from the ground up.
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You’ll leave with polished materials, trained staff, and a toolkit for future evaluation—plus, I don’t disappear the day you launch. I stay available for short-term support if you’ve got a board meeting, funder conversation, or implementation surprise.