Developing History’s Leaders Since 1959

Apply to the 2027 HLI Seminar

Click here to learn about the topics and sessions from 2026.

History Leadership Institute Seminar

The History Leadership Institute Seminar is a meaningful and transformative professional development opportunity for mid- and advanced-career professionals at history organizations of all types and sizes. Meeting May through August—with a two-week, intensive, on-site experience in early June—a cohort of about 20 fellows dives deep into a broad range of current and future national issues facing the history and museum field to help them lead with purpose, relevance, and impact.

Through workshops, discussions, activities, and site visits facilitated by nationally-recognized thought leaders, HLI Fellows tackle the most pressing challenges confronting history institutions and develop pragmatic strategies for addressing them. Topics covered in the seminar include human-centered work culture, inclusive practices, facilitating change, navigating politics, centering values, and much, much more. Fueled by new ideas, fellows engage in self-reflection and develop a new personal vision that guides them in working towards tangible changes they want to see in the field.

During the program, fellows are given intentional space to develop bonds with new colleagues, developing a trusted support network that remains active long after the program ends. Beyond their cohort, fellows become part of a network of over 1000 HLI alums from around the country – an impressive group of leaders who work in every facet of public history.

The Seminar takes place at the Minnesota Historical Society in Minneapolis, Minnesota (hosted at the MNHS Mill City Museum). The Seminar is led by director Andrea Jones, who has more than 20 years of experience working in the museum and public history fields and is known for her creativity, advocacy for non-traditional learners, and her commitment to diversity and inclusion. The program is supported and guided by a diverse coalition of institutional partners, listed below, that are committed to excellence and professional development.

Applications for the 2027 Seminar are being accepted from November 13, 2026 through January 11, 2027. If you have additional questions, please contact John Marks.

  • Dates: May 31, 2027–June 11, 2027. Shorter, mandatory virtual sessions will be held both before and after the program in June, July, and August.
  • Location: Mill City Museum of the Minnesota Historical Society (Minneapolis, Minnesota) and online.
  • Lodging: Fellows will be provided lodging in one bedroom/one bathroom hotel suites near our host site.
  • Cost: $4,027 (members, including staff of institutional members); $4,337 (nonmembers). Fees include both tuition and lodging.
  • Scholarships: Several full-tuition scholarships are available each year. See below for more information.

Who should apply?

  • Mid-career public history leaders of all types, and from any size organization, who are devoted to the field of public history and have an authentic desire to make create positive change in our sector.
  • Being a “leader” in this context, means having a track record of creating impact in the field of public history – often through holding a leadership position in a public history organization but can be through driving innovation in the field (thought leadership, participation in professional organizations, publishing, influencing, etc.)
  • Professionals with 6+ years of full-time work experience in in a non-profit organization focused on history, such as a museum, library, archive, historical society, historic site, or historic preservation organization.
  • Has firm grasp on basic public history/museum best practices and current trends.
  • Willing and able to commit to attend the full 2 weeks of seminar activities (May 31 – June 11) and up to 8 virtual sessions through the end of August 2027.
  • The best applicants are curious, open-minded, self-reflective, and working for the common good.
  • HLI is not designed for staff who are new to the field or students and faculty at academic institutions.

Applying to the Seminar

Click here to access the 2027 HLI Seminar Application

Applications are scored by an admissions committee made up of HLI alumni and other experienced colleagues. Final decisions are made by John Marks and Andrea Jones. Applications are scored (1-10) in each of the 3 criteria below:

Qualifications and experience

  • Mid-career public history practitioner (not academic) with track record/position of leadership
  • Demonstrates basic knowledge of public history issues facing the field today

Potential to contribute to HLI Seminar

  • Brings a valuable perspective to the group
  • Open, curious, thoughtful
  • Wants to explore human-centered and purpose-driven work

Potential impact of Seminar on applicant, and by extension, the field 

  • In a position to create change or impact
  • Demonstrates good communication/interpersonal skills 
  • Articulates a vision for how they might use this experience or why it’s important
  • At a meaningful time in the trajectory of their career for a potentially transformative experience

Required materials:

  • Personal statement (300 words), describing how you meet the above 3 scoring criteria; and confirming you can commit to participate in the Seminar on the given dates if accepted.
  • Resumé or CV (two pages maximum).
  • Letter of support from your institution’s director/CEO or board chair (if you are director); we may also accept a letter of recommendation from a professional colleague if necessary.
  • Scholarship request (optional).

Scholarships

Applicants to the History Leadership Seminar can indicate their desire for consideration for several different scholarship opportunities. All scholarships cover the full program cost. Applicants who wish to be considered for the scholarships listed below will be asked to provide an additional letter outlining their eligibility as part of their application package. The following scholarships are available:

  • Denny O’Toole Scholarship: This need-based scholarship is offered to at least one Fellow each year. It is intended to facilitate the participation of a promising leader working at an institution who cannot otherwise fund their attendance in the program.
  • Diversity Scholarship: The HLI Diversity scholarship is offered to at least one applicant who represents a background or perspective that is underrepresented in the history field.
  • Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko Memorial Scholarship: In memory of Cinnamon and her generational impact on museums, historic sites, and public history, AASLH has created a special scholarship fund in her name to advance her legacy of transformational change across the museum community. Eligible applicants include those working in small museums, as either full-time or part-time paid or volunteer employees and who are institutional or individual members of AASLH; and Indigenous persons and those employed as staff members with a tribal organization, program, or collection.

Accessibility

If applicant is accepted, AASLH will make every effort to accommodate accessibility needs when feasible. 

Here is a basic description of the daily routine and space. If you need more information about accessibility before applying, contact John Marks.

  • Walking: Fellows stay at the Residence Inn hotel, and walk back and forth daily 0.3 miles to the location of the seminar at the Mill City Museum. Terrain is flat and sidewalk accessible. Fellows can walk back to the hotel for lunch or bring their lunch and eat in the classroom. Group attends field trips at locations TBD and walks along with the group. Accessibility considerations for those locations will be provided. Transportation for field trips may be available, TBD. 
  • Daily classroom: 900 square feet, located in Mill City Museum (6th floor, elevator accessible). We use the “ADM” Conference Room. About 20 participants are seated in rolling chairs around a tables in a “U” formation with a white board and projection screen at the front. Small group activities are common. This may require moving to another nearby room. Sound amplification sytems in main classroom. Bathrooms are next door. Classroom fridge available to store lunches. Museum café is open Wed-Fri. 
  • Documents/Slides: Readings and other documents provided ahead of time when possible. Some handouts may be given without notice. All documents stored on Google Drive. Slides are not usually provided ahead of time. 
  • Focus aids: Fidgets, coloring pages, and other focus-related items available in the classroom. Self-care encouraged.

Seminar is from 9:00 am to 5:00pm each day, unless otherwise noted in the schedule. (90 minutes for lunch)

Since 1959, the History Leadership Institute (HLI) has helped history professionals develop the tools, ideas, and connections they need to enhance their ability to lead institutions and the field. Through a range of programming—the HLI Seminar, Executive Insight Circle, conference sessions, and more—HLI supports the ongoing development of leaders in the history community to build stronger, more effective institutions.

The HLI Seminar has been operating since 1959, always with the goal of equipping the field’s leaders with the skills, insights, and connections they need to become better leaders. Through virtual sessions and an intensive, two-week residential seminar at the Minnesota Historical Society, the Seminar is the premier professional development opportunity for the field’s emerging leaders. The Seminar takes place each summer, with applications due in early January.

The Executive Insight Circle offers an opportunity for established executive leaders at history organizations to join a small cohort of peers for structured problem solving, professional learning, and engagement with critical issues in the field. The current Executive Insight Circle cohort will run from September 2026 to June 2027. Applications for the 2027–28 cohort will open in Spring 2027.

Please use the menu to the left for more information about these programs.

Executive Insight Circle

AASLH now offers a new program under the umbrella of the History Leadership Institute: the Executive Insight Circle (EIC). The EIC is a year-long, cohort-based leadership program for chief executives and senior leaders at history organizations—history museums, historical societies, and related institutions. Through monthly virtual sessions and regular conversation with a small group of your peers from across the country (maximum of 12), you will gain an opportunity to deeply consider major issues facing the field and deepen your leadership capacity.

The Executive Insight Circle seeks to:

  1. Support bold, effective leadership through reflection and collaboration, building capacity to lead amid rapid social, political, cultural, and financial changes.
  2. Foster a trusted peer network by providing a confidential space for history leaders to build relationships, share candid insights, and offer mutual support.
  3. Explore emerging trends and disruptions within and beyond the history field through facilitated conversations with experts and engagement with new research.
  4. Facilitate problem solving through structured peer consultations and dialogue.

Structure

The EIC program runs for 9 months, from September 2026 through June 2027. This includes:

  • An in-person kick-off meeting at the AASLH Annual Conference in Providence, Rhode Island (optional but recommended)
  • Monthly virtual discussion sessions (two hours), during which participants will engage in collective problem solving for issues brought by their peers and structured discussion of current challenges, issues, and trends in the field.
  • Ongoing engagement throughout the program, through a private email listserv for cohort members.

For 2026–27, AASLH will offer two different EIC cohorts:

  • CEOs / Executive Directors Cohort: Facilitated by renowned consultant, designer, and facilitator Andrea Jones, this cohort will exclusively serve CEOs, executive directors, and other primary directors at history organizations. The CEO / Executive Director cohort will also include a one-on-one coaching session with Andrea!
    • Member rate: $3,150
    • Nonmember rate: $3,900
  • Senior Leaders cohort: Facilitated by long-time AASLH staffer and historian John Garrison Marks, this cohort will serve senior leaders who report directly to their organization’s CEO or executive director, including vice presidents, deputy directors, and other similar staff.
    • Member rate: $2,750
    • Nonmember rate: $3,500

Questions? Contact John Marks ([email protected])

Alumni Testimonials

Note: The alumni testimonials below may refer to the program under its previous name, “Seminar for Historical Administration,” or “SHA.”

Testimonials from members of the Class of 2024, submitted anonymously

“This is the kind of experience I’ve been waiting for my whole professional life. I needed this more than I can say…This was transformative. I will never forget this experience.”

“Participating in the HLI program has been a transformative experience that equipped me with essential leadership skills necessary for guiding my team effectively.”

“I left HLI filled with gratitude, inspiration, and fresh ideas.”

Testimonials from members of the Class of 2023, submitted anonymously
I think the most helpful thing about this workshop was getting to know our cohort and building a connection of peers to share our challenges, as well as our experiences. I also loved the focus on DEAI, and how it can look in museums was a timely topic for our cohort. Andrea tied all the sessions nicely together. She also recognized when our cohort needed moments for pause and reflection, which I found very useful. I appreciated her insight and all the planning that went into the four week program.

The workshop and its speakers gave me language towards things I was “feeling” about the museum field but didn’t know how to fully describe. I am going to be speaking at my institution in a series of learning lunches about what I learned from this experience, and I fully believe that the information shared will help to better our institution and any institution I may work with in the future. Andrea was an excellent facilitator and really humanized the program. She was respectful of our time and responded to how the group was feeling at all moments. The speakers she organized were all informed in their areas and awesome to listen to/speak with. She truly seemed invested in wanting to help us grow and really take what we learned and start to apply it. I truly valued her style of leadership with the program and think she created an environment where we could talk about all topics, good and bad.

Christopher Miller (Class of 2016), National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

My experience…reinforced my perspective on the value of public history. History is a weapon that empowers us to be courageous and inspires us to guard our collective hope for a greater future. Through this immersive experience with like-minded colleagues, I was able to understand my role as a steward of history’s authentic truth.

Chris Goodlett (Class of 2016), Kentucky Derby Museum

[This program] is the single most profound experience I have had in my professional career. Intellectually, it provided the necessary time to step outside of the everyday work schedule and reconnect with why I found history so essential in the first place. The faculty challenged us daily to think about the history profession in different ways. Additionally, the chance to share this experience with peers across the country is invaluable. Daily opportunities to discuss the myriad of issues in all our institutions, whether to stand in solidarity amidst common problems or help each other provide solutions, is possibly the primary benefit of SHA. Even after returning home, I find myself relying on members of my SHA class to offer necessary insight, something I’m quite certain I’ll do for the remainder of my career.

Jennifer Niemi (Class of 2014) Minnesota Historical Society

The spring of 2014 I found myself at a professional crossroad. It felt like any minute I was going to be discovered as a fraud in my position as the program manager at Split Rock Lighthouse. I was questioning my every idea and decision. When I saw the all staff email looking for internal applicants for the 2014 cohort it felt like a sign. I would either apply and be found out for the sham I was or maybe someone would see something I was not. Much to my surprise I was chosen as one of two staff members given the go ahead to submit a formal application to the AASLH Seminar for Historic Administration (SHA). My time at SHA felt like a re-commitment to my job, the history field and myself. It reaffirmed that the work I was doing was relevant, alive and meaningful.

Aimee E. Newell (Class of 2013), Luzerne County Historical Society

Within the first hours of the SHA experience, I knew that it would be incredible, largely due to my classmates. Here was a group of people who shared my enthusiasm and passion! Like me, they wanted to make the field better, starting with their own institutions. For me personally, I loved the opportunity to learn and think about leadership and what it means for the history museum field. When I went home after the three weeks, I wanted more. Almost four years later, I am halfway through an MBA program (where I am learning more about leadership, entrepreneurship and finance) and five months into my first job as Executive Director. I am still in touch with many of my classmates, several of whom were instrumental in encouraging me take the leap to ED. They cheer on my successes and help me problem solve when I need it.

Jessica Ellison (Class of 2012), Minnesota Historical Society

Leaving my husband and three small kids for three weeks to attend SHA was not easy, but the best things in life rarely are. SHA provided a rare opportunity to be immersed in thoughtful, complicated discussions about relevant issues in my field; for a person who never takes a lunch break, it was miraculous! But perhaps the greatest benefit is your cohort of fellow history professionals, people you continue to connect with and learn from for years after SHA.

Ryan Spencer (Class of 2012), The Henry Ford

For me, SHA was the perfect professional experience at the perfect time in my career. I had finished grad school in Museum Studies four years prior. SHA helped me take the theoretical knowledge I gained from school and attach it to my experiences in the trenches, as it were. SHA also connected me with a much wider professional network than I had known before. Suddenly, my eyes weren’t fixed solely on growth at The Henry Ford, but growth within the larger field of Public History and Museums. Since SHA in 2012, I have blessed by three promotions and increased responsibility. I believe SHA helped prepare me for these new roles.

Jamie Glavic (Class of 2011), National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

SHA is more than professional development – it’s a career builder. From expanding my history network, to the friendships I share with my cohort, SHA has been pivotal in my professional growth and has presented me with opportunities I would have never thought possible. If you’re not sure what you next step is, or should be, apply for SHA. This program guided and helped me create my professional roadmap.

Rebecca M. Slaughter (Class of 2009), Las Cruces Museum System

I am incredibly grateful for time in Indy! I attended SHA at a moment of crisis in my career. I was struggling with the “where do I go from here” question. My classmates were brutally honest when I voiced my concerns and hopes for the future and I ended my three weeks a better museum professional with a new set of vibrant colleagues stretched across the country. I came home from my three weeks away with an infusion of hope and excitement about our work which still drives me today.

Richard Josey (Class of 2008), Collective Journeys, LLC.

One of the most transformative moments in my life was the moment when I attended the Seminar for Historical Administration. Leaving SHA was like leaving church on Sunday; I was filled with a renewed spirit, sense of purpose, and new thoughts to consider in my future work. Now, 9 years later, I’ve continued to build on those lessons and have been an advocate to send several of my colleagues. SHA Alumni are like a family that keeps growing year after year.

Michelle Moon (Class of 2007), Lower East Side Tenement Museum

In midcareer, it often seems a mystery how the leaders of the field got from where we are to where they are ‐ how they developed their scope of knowledge about administration, purpose, and the issues of public history. SHA demystifies this process concentrating years’ worth of mentorship into a rich, intensive three weeks. Nowhere else will the midcareer professional find the breadth and strong grounding in leadership basics in such an efficient package.

Contact Information

Use the information below to get in touch with any questions about the History Leadership Institute, including both the Seminar and the Executive Insight Circle.
Director: Andrea Jones, Peak Experience Lab ([email protected])
Program Administrator: John Marks, Director, Public History Research Lab and Senior Advisor to the President & CEO ([email protected])

Advisory Board Partners