THE STUDENT MUSEUM ADVISORY NETWORK TO LEVERAGE ENGAGEMENT (MANTLE) DRIVES MUSEUM OUTREACH AT THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY

The Student Museum Advisory Network to Leverage Engagement (MANTLE) is a newly formed organization collaborating with on-campus museums at The Pennsylvania State University, namely the Earth and Mineral Science (EMS) Museum & Art Gallery and the Frost Entomological Museum. MANTLE is run and shaped by students, acting as an interface between the museums and interested undergraduate and graduate students. Prior to 2024, there were minimal opportunities for students to gain exposure to museum professions at Penn State. MANTLE bridges this gap by allowing participants to engage in various facets of museum work, including educational outreach, exhibit development, and behind-the-scenes collections management. With the organization’s start in the fall 2024 semester, MANTLE has already achieved significant success through various events. Highlights include Earth Science Week (160 participants), Haunted-U (550 attendees), and Trick-or-Treat Night (150 children). The organization has also supported educational tours for approximately 400 fourth-grade students in collaboration with the EMS Museum & Art Gallery, with plans to hold tours for roughly the same number of students this coming spring. Students have also gained direct experience with natural history collections by contributing to exhibit creation and interning at the EMS and Frost collections facilities. MANTLE occupies a unique niche on a campus with over 50,000 students and more than 1,000 student organizations through its commitment to educating students of all ages in museum work and fostering a deeper appreciation for museum collections. Looking ahead, MANTLE aims to continue developing new ways to get students involved in museum operations.