National World War I Museum And Memorial

Exhibitions and collections management (see schedule o): exhibitions and collections management :the national wwi museum and memorial is the nation's only museum solely dedicated to preserving the history and examining the personal narratives of the great war. The museum and memorial holds the world's most comprehensive collection of world war i (1914-1919) objects, artifacts and documents, from belligerent nations across the globe that were involved in the conflict. It is the second oldest wwi collecting institution in the world. And presents a comprehensive global interpretation of world war i and its enduring impact.the museum and memorial's collection includes more than 380,000 world war i historical objects and artifacts. In 2024, the museum accepted 205 new accessions into the permanent collection, each of which contains at least one object, with some containing hundreds of objects. Collection priorities respond to immediate research and exhibition needs, as well as unique opportunities that arise. The museum and memorial works to ensure that the stories of minorities, women and indigenous peoples who served in wwi are collected and told through a dedicated collecting initiative launched in 2020. In addition to its permanent exhibitions, the museum and memorial features several special exhibitions every year, and partners with other institutions with exhibition loans. 2024 exhibitions featured: sacred service, the little war and war toys: ukraine. Virtual reality experiences called war remains and choctaw code talkers 1918 continued to be offered as well.in summer 2023, the first of many infrastructure improvements began, kicking off a multi-year initiative to address deferred maintenance both indoors and out of doors. Campus-wide restoration, renovation, maintenance and improvements will continue into 2026.

Global education initiatives (see schedule o):global education initiatives : for the past decade, the national wwi museum and memorial has initiated a variety of strategies to share its rich collection and interpretation to a global audience through digital learning technologies. The museum and memorial launched a new website in early 2022 to update the dated design and improve the user experience. The platform integrates video content, offers translation into a variety of languages and streamlines content to make it more available and accessible. For on-demand learners, the museum and memorial uses a variety of tools and partners to reach a digital audience including social media, youtube, its online collections database, educator resources, 22 online exhibitions and more. The museum and memorial continues to expand content and diversify platforms, including a partnership with google arts and culture to meet the ongoing needs and interests of core audiences. Through youtube and other platforms, global audiences from 140 nations engaged with museum and memorial content online during 2024.the museum and memorial offers a diverse range of public programs open to all ages to educate about the enduring impact of wwi on the global community. Its programs explore the legacies of wwi in dynamic and thought-provoking ways and include a range of topics like photography, religion in wwi, black service in wwi, war & morality, and support of freedom and democracy throughout the world. Many programs are presented in partnership with the region and nation's most vibrant and respected cultural organizations.community events on the museum and memorial grounds, like the stars and stripes picnic or the commemorative ceremonies for memorial and veterans days, highlight the museum and memorial's unique place as "kansas city's front porch". Images, livestreaming, and other tools are utilized to engage with global audiences, including in connection with community events.