Bilingual Exhibits: Current Practices, Collective Knowledge, Outstanding Questions

Abstract

The Bilingual Exhibits Research Initiative investigated the current state of bilingual exhibits in informal science education by conducting exploratory research in two areas (1) professionals’ current practices related to bilingual exhibition production using English and Spanish; and (2) Spanish-speaking visitors’ perceptions and use of bilingual exhibits. Interviews with staff from a variety of informal science institutions across the country demonstrate that these professionals hold great collective knowledge, yet many questions remain related to the creation of welcoming, accessible learning environments for diverse audiences, and how to create bilingual exhibits with limited resources of staff time, money, and physical space. Staff at organizations without a formal commitment to bilingual exhibits spoke more about costs and logistical challenges. Staff at organizations with a policy or explicit strategic plan affirming an institutional commitment to bilingual exhibits spoke more about their audiences and the means by which they learn about their audiences. Some practitioners reflected that their efforts to serve culturally diverse communities resulted in visitorship of greater cultural diversity.