Overview
Museo de las Américas is a Denver cultural institution on Santa Fe Drive dedicated to Latino American art, history, and culture, with youth-facing education programs at the heart of its community work. As those programs grew, Museo wanted a clear picture of what was working, where the gaps were, and how to strengthen delivery for the long term.
Museo partnered with Upskilling U to assess its youth program design, enhance its curriculum, and build staff capacity.
The Challenge
Museo’s education team faced two connected challenges:
1. Limited Evaluation Data: Data collection and evaluation practices weren’t consistent enough to show impact or guide program decisions.
2. Delivery Consistency: Staff needed stronger curriculum materials and facilitator tools to deliver programs consistently across sessions and staff members.
The goal was to ground program improvements in real input from the people closest to the work.
The Solution & Strategy
Upskilling U led a full program design and evaluation engagement built around three core pillars:
Listening First: Focus groups and feedback sessions with staff, youth participants, program directors, and leadership surfaced key gaps and themes.
Curriculum & Tools: Upskilling U reviewed and enhanced Museo’s curriculum and built facilitator guides and presentations staff can keep using.
Staff Development: Professional development facilitation helped staff build skills, alongside strategic planning for staff upskilling and long-term revenue growth.
The Results & Impact
40-Page Findings & Recommendations Report: A comprehensive roadmap of gaps, themes, and recommendations to strengthen Museo’s youth programs. 120-Page Facilitator Guide: Enhanced curriculum materials that support consistent, high-quality delivery.
Stronger Staff Capacity: Professional development that strengthened program design, delivery consistency, and evaluation practices.
Looking Ahead
This partnership shows how listening to youth, staff, and leadership can turn a good program into a stronger, more sustainable one.
Upskilling U continues to partner with cultural institutions and nonprofits to design, evaluate, and strengthen programs that serve their communities.
