Our mission is to inspire stewardship through educational experiences where history and rivers come alive. Enhancing the guest experience with objects our educators use for interpretation is just one way we do that.
What is an educational prop?
An educational prop is an item donated to the Education Department. These props may be used and handled by the general public. There is also no guarantee that the object will be displayed or kept indefinitely as we are constantly updating our educational programming.
We continue to welcome offers to donate objects across a wide range of topics as it relates to our mission. We collect a variety of items including objects, archival materials, and reference materials. An object must reflect one or any combination of the following criteria to be the most successful:
- “Does it have a Dubuque/Dubuque County connection?”
- “Does it have a story related to the Mississippi River or Upper Mississippi River culture?”
- “Is it related to specific educational programming or exhibit"
- “Is it in good condition?” (objects in moderate to good health are preferred, exceptions can be made)
Are you interested in donating an educational object?
Please review these frequently asked questions before submitting the form linked at the bottom of the page. For additional questions, please contact our Education Team at learning@rivermuseum.org.
We welcome object donation submissions but are unable to provide immediate response. Please anticipate a delay due to staffing availability. Acceptance of some objects may be limited based on current project work in storage and exceed a six month wait period.
Education Prop Donation FAQs
How can I submit a donation?
The fastest way to submit a donation is through the online form. Once submitted, a representative of the museum will contact you with the status of submission.
What happens if my donation is accepted?
If accepted, a staff member will set an appointment with you to schedule a time for dropping off the object(s). Please plan for at least 5-10 minutes at this appointment. Along with transferring the object, you will be asked for additional information to begin the official donation. This includes the best contact details, a brief description of the object, and permissions given to the museum. Once the prop is reviewed and added to the education collection both parties will sign the Education Collection Donation form and a copy will be provided to the donor.
What happens if my donation is not accepted?
All requests will be responded to regardless of acceptance. If the donation is declined, we will often provide alternative suggestions for organizations that may be able to pursue them.
A primary reason a donation is not accepted is if it does not meet our mission focus. Storage concerns, hazardous materials, existing duplicates, and care requirements can also be barriers to acceptance.
Can I donate without submitting an object for review?
Objects are not automatically donated. Our collection policy requires every object to be reviewed and approved before donation. Please do not drop off or mail objects to the museum without providing a return address. The museum is not responsible for objects without a record of custody.
What will happen to my object donation?
Objects are first processed into the education collection. From there the object is stored at the museum until it can be used in programming, exhibit, or presentation.
What happens after I submit a donation form?
All donations are reviewed by members of the Education Team. If there is a need for the object to used at the museum or at the Mathias Ham Historic Site for programming purposes our team will reach out.