Clio Foundation

CONNECTING COMMUNITIES: A NO-COST PLATFORM FOR HOSTING VIRTUAL MUSEUM AND SITE TOURS [OUR TEAM WILL EXPAND CLIO?S VIRTUAL MUSEUM AND SITE TOUR FEATURE TO BETTER SERVE OVER FIVE HUNDRED ORGANIZATIONS THAT BEGAN USING THIS PLATFORM IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19. EACH NEW FEATURE WILL BLEND LESSONS LEARNED WITH THE REQUESTS OF SCORES OF ORGANIZATIONS TO BUILD A DIGITAL PLATFORM THAT ASSISTS MUSEUMS AND SITES AS THEY REOPEN. OUR TEAM WILL ALSO WORK WITH THREE AREA MUSEUMS TO CREATE INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL TOURS THAT ENHANCE IN-PERSON VISITATION AS MODELS, ALONG WITH GUIDES, VIDEOS, AND ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT FOR ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING EMPLOYMENT AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR TEAM OF RECENT GRADUATES, THIS PROJECT WILL SUPPORT HUNDREDS OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT WOULD LIKE TO USE CLIO TO INTERPRET THEIR COMMUNITIES, MUSEUMS, COMPLEXES, OR CAMPUSES. OUR FREE EDUCATIONAL PLATFORM WILL SERVE THE PUBLIC AND NUMEROUS SMALL MUSEUMS BY REPLICATING MANY OF THE FEATURES OF HEADSETS, KIOSKS, AND OTHER SHARED DEVICES AT NO COST TO THE USER OR ORGANIZATION.] [PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS GRANT IS TO DEVELOP A VIRTUAL TOUR PLATFORM FOR USE BY MUSEUMS, INCLUDING MODEL TOURS OF THREE WEST VIRGINIA MUSEUMS. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL EXPAND THE VIRTUAL MUSEUM AND SITE TOUR COMPONENTS OF CLIO?S ONLINE PLATFORM. AS A PART OF THE PROJECT, CLIO WILL WORK WITH THREE AREA MUSEUMS TO DEVELOP VIRTUAL INTERPRETIVE FEATURES AND CREATE THREE VIRTUAL LOCAL MUSEUM TOURS, WHICH WILL INCLUDE NARRATION FROM STAFF, IMAGES, MULTIMEDIA, 360-DEGREE VIEWS FROM GALLERIES, AND LINKS TO INFORMATION AND RESOURCES. CLIO WILL ALSO PROVIDE ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT FOR ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT WOULD LIKE TO USE CLIO TO INTERPRET THEIR COMMUNITIES, MUSEUMS, COMPLEXES, OR CAMPUSES. EXPECTED OUTCOMES: CLIO FOUNDATION?S DIGITAL PLATFORM HELPS REDUCES EXPENSES AND ELIMINATES TECHNOLOGICAL BARRIERS THAT HINDER MUSEUMS FROM OFFERING DIGITAL CONTENT. EXPANDING THE ONLINE PLATFORM WILL ALLOW CLIO TO SUPPORT OVER 1,000 MUSEUMS AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS AS THEY REOPEN. THE NEW VIRTUAL TOURS WILL ENHANCE IN-PERSON VISITATION AS MODELS, ALONG WITH GUIDES, VIDEOS, AND ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT FOR ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY. CLIO WILL CREATE JOBS FOR TWO RECENT HUMANITIES GRADUATES, PROVIDING EMPLOYMENT AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATES. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: CLIO?S VIRTUAL PLATFORM WILL HAVE BROAD IMPACT ON MUSEUM STAFF AND VISITORS. MUSEUM STAFF WILL BENEFIT FROM THE ONE-ONE-SUPPORT AND VIRTUAL PLATFORM OFFERED BY CLIO. THE VIRTUAL TOURS WILL BE USEFUL FOR FAMILIES AND SCHOOL GROUPS WHO WISH TO VISIT MUSEUMS BUT CANNOT DO SO IN PERSON. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE RECIPIENT DOES NOT INTEND TO SUBAWARD FUNDS.]