Dr. Sharon Shaffer
Early Learning in Museums, Principal
Sharon Shaffer is a leading expert in the field of early learning in museums and works with schools and museums nationally and internationally. She is the Founding Director, Emeritus for the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center [SEEC], the Smithsonian Institution’s model lab school for young children. In 1988 she was hired by the Smithsonian and tasked with the responsibility of creating a national model focused on museum-based education for young children using the rich resources of the Smithsonian’s collections. Dr. Shaffer developed the model, leading the program until her retirement from the organization in August of 2012.
Dr. Shaffer is currently engaged in consulting for a new initiative, Early Learning in Museums, that continues her passion for connecting young children to museums, objects, and art through inquiry-based learning. She is a recognized expert based on her experience of the past 25 years which includes consulting for museums and schools in more than ten countries as well as 30 states across the nation.
In addition to her consulting relationships with museums and schools, Dr. Shaffer teaches graduate courses at the University of Virginia [UVA], a position that she has held for the past ten years. She earned her Ph.D. in Social Foundations of Education from UVA and focused her research on preschoolers in the traditional art museum. She contributes to the education field through conferences and professional writing with publications that range from authoring articles for national journals to serving as guest editor for the Spring 2012 issue of the Journal of Museum Education, Early Learning: A National Conversation. She is currently writing a book on children and museums that explores the history and practice of learning in museum settings.
Sharon Shaffer, Ph.D sharonshaffer.consulting@gmail.com
www.earlylearninginmuseums.com
571.236.2349