Tomorrow’s museum: Multilingual audiences and the learning institution

Abstract

This article provides a case study that outlines the steps taken on an institutional path that began with a focus on one targeted audience and flourished, through reflection and learning, to become a gateway toward institutional cultural competence. Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose began its journey toward engaging multilingual audiences as an audience development initiative to bring more Latino visitors to the institution. Included are a series of questions to consider when engaging new communities, increasing organizational capacity, and increasing communication and cultural competence for staff.