The Harvard Extension School Student Museological Society (HESSMS) is a student organization dedicated to fostering an appreciation for museums, nature centers, botanical gardens, zoos and aquariums, and any nonprofit institutions that share the common goals, values, and missions of public service and education as outlined by professional organizations such as the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and the International Council of Museums (ICOM).

We are a group of over one hundred graduate students in the Harvard Extension school ALM Museum Studies program, and together we represent a wide variety of ethnicities, nationalities, creeds, and professional backgrounds. Our love of museological studies (that is, the study of museums) brings us together in service of complimenting our structured learning with professional networking, collaboration, and philanthropy.

Establishment

HESSMS was first conceptualized in the Summer of 2025. In the fall of that same year, we invited the Director of the Harvard Extension School Museum studies ALM program, Kathy Burton Jones M.A., to be our faculty sponsor, and she graciously agreed. From then, we began work on creating the foundation of what was to become our inaugural society.

In the Spring of 2026, we held our first official meeting, elected our first board of officers, and began planning our first events. Since then, we have hosted a variety of events including guest lectures from museum professionals, workshops on museum practices, and collaborative projects with local museums.

Mission Statement

To view our mission statement and values, please see Our Mission.