Amy Miller joined the Museum as a special project volunteer in the Education Department in August of 2022. “I sought out internship opportunities with the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum to gain hands on experience with public facing programs as well as the functions/roles of various departments in the museum. While I had solid academic knowledge, the closures of many museums and research facilities narrowed opportunities for me to gain the experience while I was attending grad school. The Education Internship was a perfect opportunity for me to gain valuable experience while also applying my strengths in working with school-aged children and various programs.” Amy’s MA in Public History, experience working in schools, and talent as an educator made her the right fit for the Museum’s community programs.
During her internship, Amy had many opportunities to work with the public and support our programming efforts. She helped to plan and prepare activities for Fiestas Patrias, Day of Dance, Family Fall Crawl, and the Festival of Lights Family Fun Day. Amy was integral to the success of our fall school programs. She helped to update our Amazing Race middle and high school program and led Hands on History activity stations for hundreds of elementary school students. We also challenged Amy to develop two of the Museum’s History Detectives programs for visiting families. In reference to her work with elementary students, Amy shared, “I enjoyed witnessing the value of presenting history programs to school-age children in a way that is fun, educational, and relevant to their lives.”
Our department loved working with Amy! She is a talented educator and her passion comes across in her delivery of programs. She really excelled in her presentation of our Hands on History school programs, and in helping to coordinate and facilitate major events such as a the Festival of Lights Family Fun Day.
The Museum aims to launch a school outreach program for elementary classrooms in the fall of 2023. Amy’s ongoing project throughout her internship was to help lay the foundation for this project. Through her research, Amy reviewed existing outreach programs and came up with great ideas and considerations for our planning process moving forward. She also looked into logistical challenges, such as the access policies for different school districts. This critical information has set up our department for success!
While we are sad to see Amy go (and hope she might return to volunteer!), we are thrilled to hear about her exciting plans, “The future likely includes a move to a different state, and [I] would like to explore teaching opportunities at a community college level and museum positions. I want to expand [my] experiences in the areas of Indigenous studies, archival research, collections, and development.”
Amy is married to Isaac and has two amazing daughters – Lorin is 25 years old and lives in San Diego, CA, and Emily is 21 years old and lives in Colorado Springs with her husband. In July, Amy became a proud grandmother of their son, Miles (pictured to the right). She has two rescue terriers, Bear and Izzy, who keep her on her toes and active! She is an Air Force Veteran who loves to read and collect antique books. “I believe that you are never too late or too old to seek out new opportunities, pursue dreams and continued education. I also believe that there is always room for a plot twist.”
Thank you and Congratulations, Amy!
Meg Yevara, CSPM Program Coordinator
Interested in being a Volunteer at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum? Learn more and apply today.
719.385.5631 | Meg.Yevara@coloradosprings.gov