Scotlands Culture

Group for Education in Museums Scotland (GEM)

An image of a girl in a museum with the GEMS logo to the right

Group for Education in Museums (GEM)

GEM is a membership organisation for everyone concerned with the importance of learning through museums and galleries. GEM represents more than 2,000 education, learning and access professionals in museums, galleries and other cultural organisations in the UK and worldwide.

What GEM does

GEM aims to: 

  • promote education as a core function of museums
  • encourage the exchange of information, ideas and research relating to the practice of museum education
  • foster the highest standard of educational practice
  • promote the role of museums in formal and informal learning
  • promote professionalism in the educational work of museums.

GEM achieves these aims through: 

  • working closely with relevant organisations such as Museums and Galleries Scotland and the Museums Association
  • helping members to establish partnerships with other education providers through advice and dissemination of good practice
  • offering an excellent network and support system for museum educators and professionals involved in education work.

Continuing Professional Development

GEM provides training opportunities through an annual conference focusing on a particular current education theme, a programme of training days throughout the UK and regular area meetings that explore relevant issues and developments and encourage networking.

Publications

GEM produces a variety of publications including GEM News - a quarterly magazine, JEM - the annual Journal of Education in Museums and the Museum Education Bibliography.

Who belongs to GEM

GEM membership is open to all those interested in advancing learning through museums and galleries.  Members are working in museums, galleries, country houses, heritage sites, urban and countryside interpretative centres, science centres, schools and universities. They may be full-time educators or other staff with an educational role. They interpret the environment, sites and collections in a wide variety of ways, promoting and exploiting their full potential as learning resources.