CC BY
0"SAMARKAND CHILDREN'S MUSEUM: SUGGESTION PLAN
AND FUTURE VISION"
1Ulugova Zilola, 2Mohamed Ahmed
1Master's student at the "Silk Road" International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage, An English Teacher at Samarkand State Public school 60 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11217593 Abstract. This research paper proposes the establishment of first Children's Museum in Samarkand, marking a significant milestone in Uzbekistan's museum landscape. Drawing from the city's rich historical and geographical tapestry, the museum aims to provide an educational and exploratory space for children, blending tradition with modernity. The study methodology comprises three key components.
- Theoretical framework: Grounding the concept of the Children's Museum serves as a foundational aspect of the research, introducing a novel proposition to the museum community in Samarkand.
- Statistical analysis: A comprehensive assessment of the local community's needs through field surveys involving students, teachers, and researchers provides insights into the demand for a children's museum in Samarkand.
- Practical proposal: The research presents a detailed plan for the museum's vision, mission, and operational framework, including site selection and building design.
By addressing the gap in existing literature, this research contributes to the field by offering a holistic approach to establishing, constructing, and operating a children's museum in Samarkand.
Keywords: museum; School; Museum Education; Children; Samarkand; Teachers; Operations Policy.
INTRODUCTION
Rooting and Significance of the Suggestion of Samarkand Children's Museum
Attempting to root museum education is an exceedingly challenging task. However, what can be affirmed is that museum education is closely related to the inception of museums themselves. Education has been a fundamental pillar in museum work, with a significant function linked to the existence of museums since their inception and throughout their history (Curran 1995:5).
Despite the fact that the target audience for the Children's Museum is children at various stages of age, its benefits extend to both adults and children alike. It contributes to the valuable cognitive integration of the individual, known as the individual's knowledge tree, which grows with them throughout their life by acquiring knowledge and experiences in their educational and professional stages. Furthermore, this museum also assists in educational support for both families and schools, making it multidimensional in its benefits for children, families, and educators working in educational institutions. This is especially significant considering that the educational process itself is a cumulative, constructive process, where knowledge accumulates and proliferates exponentially. This wealth of knowledge associated with the presentation of information accompanied by various integrated and impactful museum display methods. All the principles of the educational process in children's museums are based on the child being the center of the educational process (Helawa 2003:16,17,19).
One of the necessities of building a children's museum in Samarkand is the museum's ability to instill in children a sense of pride in their identity along with a fascination for the world. For a world devoid of wonders is a world unworthy of effort for growth, and this sense of wonder is evident in the lives of young children. If you know a child under the age of five, they are naturally filled with wonder, curiosity, and questions, seeking to learn through exploration, creativity, experimentation, and practice. Therefore, the museum education environment is an ideal setting for early childhood education. Educational museum programs always aim to achieve sustainable education, which can be measured by several indicators, including:
- The level of engagement of the target audience of children and their families.
- The ease of flow of educational activities.
- The participation rates in museum activities and the full effectiveness during children's presence in the museum.
- Monitoring and evaluation of the educational process in the museum, measuring responses through parental surveys, and assessing their responsiveness.
- Measuring the achievements of activities and outputs of the educational process for permanent and changing museum educational practices (Bowers 2012:40,43)4
Methodology
Statistical Study of the Current Situation and the Necessity of Establishing Samarkand Children's Museum
In the initial stages of this research study, the researcher conducted a survey to gather opinions from specialists and children alike, aiming to assess the readiness of the surrounding environment for establishing a children's museum in the city of Samarkand. The survey included various age groups and consisted of specific questions directed at measuring the level of interaction of the local community in Samarkand in the event of building a children's museum. This survey aided the researcher in gaining a better understanding of the surrounding community environment and provided precise measurements of the surrounding climate's nature and the effectiveness and success of operating a children's museum if established in Samarkand.
The survey was translated into three languages (English, Uzbek, and Russian) to ensure clarity of the questions among the public, as well as ease of their response and interaction with this survey. The survey results were extremely compelling, surpassing all initial expectations regarding the research topic. Participants from all age groups in the survey expressed positivity and great enthusiasm towards the idea of inaugurating the first children's museum in the city of Samarkand. Moreover, the responses demonstrated their eagerness to volunteer within this museum.
The proposed vision and mission for the museum:
The researcher proposes short-term goals as a vision for Samarkand Children's Museum, and long-term goals as a mission for the museum. These serve as a practical and professional guide for building a comprehensive operational plan for the museum and launching educational programs for it9.
Vision: "To inspire a lifelong love for learning, exploration, and creativity among the children of Samarkand, fostering a vibrant and innovative community".
Mission: "Samarkand Children's Museum sparks curiosity, fosters creativity, and empowers children to explore. We offer enriching experiences that stimulate growth, promote cultural understanding, and inspire innovation. Our mission is to catalyze positive change locally and globally, competing as a leading center for childhood innovation in Central Asia".
Proposed Policy and Operational Plan for the Children's Museum:
The proposed policy and operational plan for the museum serve as an administrative tool to set objectives, define tasks, clarify decision-making processes, motivate decision-making, and evaluate outcomes. It enhances operational efficiency, visitor satisfaction, educational impact, external support, professional standards, and sustainability (Stapp 1992:14). Establishing a highlevel committee resembling a museum board of trustees with diverse educational expertise is essential. The museum policy should encompass infrastructure, operational capacities10, volunteer management11, exhibit development, target audience12, languages13, resources14, roles, partnerships, marketing strategies, and evaluation methodologies (Stapp 1992:15,16). The policy of the Samarkand Children's Museum should be include some principles, which I learned from schools and families activities in the British Museum (Woff 2013:18,19): Fig. 1.
Principle Implementation in Samarkand Children's Museum
Rich and :traordinary :periences Design immersive and interactive exhibits that captivate children's imagination and curiosity. Offer hands-on activities, storytelling sessions, and interactive workshops.
Flexible learning opportunities Provide customizable educational programs and workshops tailored to different age groups and learning styles. Allow for self-guided exploration and discovery within the museum's exhibits.
Integration into school experiences Collaborate with local schools to integrate museum visits into their curriculum. Offer educational resources and materials for teachers to prepare students before their visit and follow-up activities afterward.
Importance of teachers Train museum staff to engage effectively with visiting teachers and provide them with resources and guidance to enhance the educational value of their visit. Offer professional development workshops for educators.
Increased expectations Continuously innovate and update exhibits and programs to meet the evolving needs and interests of children and families. Regularly solicit feedback from visitors to improve the museum experience.
Varied and active engagement Offer a diverse range of interactive activities, including hands-on experiments, games, role-playing scenarios, and multimedia presentations, to engage children actively in learning and exploration.
Stimulus to attract new audiences Organize special events, themed exhibitions, and outreach programs to attract diverse audiences, including underrepresented communities and visitors from different cultural backgrounds.
Extension and enrichment for audiences Develop partnerships with other cultural and educational institutions to offer joint programs, tours, and collaborative projects that extend and enrich the museum experience for visitors.
Fig. 1. A sample of Principles and intends to offer of Samarkand Children's museum. ©
Mohamed Ahmed
Implementing these principles will ensure that the Samarkand Children's Museum effectively meets the needs and interests of its young visitors while fostering a love for learning and exploration.
Proposed Museum Building:
The researcher aimed to achieve a balance between authenticity and contemporaneity, as well as simplicity and contemporaneity, when selecting the proposed location for Samarkand Children's Museum. The choice was made for a historical building in the city that meets all the basic requirements to present a comprehensive proposed vision for Samarkand Children's Museum. Situated in the central area of Samarkand, it is easily accessible by both private and public transportation, catering to the needs of the local community, including school-going children. (Ahmed 2024).
The proposed building for the museum is the historical National Bank in Samarkand, which has been repurposed into the "Art Residence". Currently, it functions as a center for modern art activities and accommodates several temporary galleries within a limited space of the building. However, if utilized as a Children's Museum, the available space will be maximized, sustainability will be ensured, and the benefits from the building's capacity will be optimized. The Art Residence is under the administration of the "Silk Road" International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage in Samarkand. In my view, this location is ideal for the Samarkand Children's Museum. It not only preserves a part of the city's historical identity for our children but also occupies a central location in the city. Moreover, it provides all the necessary facilities for the museum's operational plan and aligns with the strategic vision of the design makers at the Ministry of Tourism in Uzbekistan (Ahmed 2024).
Fig. 2. Parts of the yard of the proposed building for Samarkand Children's Museum and its
construction units. © Mohamed Ahmed
Fig. 3. The internal facade of unit A; the large unit as a main museum exhibition hall will be
located. © Mohamed Ahmed
Fig. 4. Unit A; parts of museum exhibition halls will be located. © Mohamed Ahmed
CONCLUSION
Given the current situation in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, there is an urgent need for concerted and swift efforts to establish a Children's Museum. This museum should serve as a center for creativity and innovation and a beacon for non-formal education in the country. The community, including children, families, and education stakeholders, crucially requires such a museum. The study confirms the openness of elements within the Samarkand community to the idea and their full support for it. Therefore, efforts should be directed towards inaugurating the Samarkand Children's Museum in line with ambitious visions and goals, adhering to specific operational plans. Through the proposed programs of Samarkand Children's Museum, we can offer a sequential education targeting local children who are frequent visitors to the museum but in an informal manner, unlike the structured educational stages followed by schools. Additionally, there should be general, non-sequential, and informal educational programs within the museum targeting children visitors from all backgrounds. In this regard, the researcher recommends establishing a register specifically for children who are regular museum-goers, as well as a separate record for consecutive school visits to the museum. This aims to establish robust databases about children within the museum, enabling the study and tracking of their activities, development, and interaction with the museum's activities and programs. These databases will empower the museum to select and launch activities that align with children's preferences and the museum's vision and mission.
REFERENCES
1. Ahmed, Mohamed. (2024) 'Field Visits to Administration Archive of "Silk Road" International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage', Samarkand.
2. Ahmed, Mohamed. (2024) 'Field Visits to Art Residence building and making official interviews with Mr. Excellency A.A. Abdukhakimov-The Minister of Tourism in Uzbekistan, and The Rector of Silk Road University', Samarkand.
3. Bowers, Castle, M. Christine. (2006) 'Blending Pedagogy and Content: A New Curriculum for Museum Teachers', Journal of Museum Education, 31 (2) 123-32.
5. Curran, Emily. (1995) 'Discovering the History of Museum Education', Journal of Museum Education, 20 (2) 5-6
6. Helawa, Mohamed El-Sayed. (2003) 'Educating the Child Between the Library and the Museum', Cairo: Dar Al-Alamia.
7. Stapp, Carol B. (1992) 'The Articulation of Museum Education Policy in America and Britain', Visual Arts Research, 18 (2) 1-19.
8. Woff, Richard. (2013) 'Schools and families', unpublished lecture, London: The British Museum-ITP Classes.
