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Goals

The purpose of the project is to-the-point and well explained, quickly conveying the needs

identified and how this grant project would address them; moreover, supporting details deftly

elucidate the historical and present-day circumstances justifying the digitization and public

access of these materials. However, the project needs a more focused goal (as discussed in

response to the question, “How will the project address the goals of this program?”); as well as to

identify specific objectives, which are currently not mentioned. As outlined in the Museums for

America NOFO, there needs to be one goal chosen from amongst Lifelong Learning,

Community Engagement, and Collections Stewardship, and then the grant project aligned with

one or more of the outlined objectives.

Implementation

The steps taken to plan, implement, and track the progress of the grant project are

thoughtful and clearly identified, especially in terms of digitizing the archival materials and how

progress will be evaluated, meetings with the team handled, and information distributed. The

development of the online exhibit and K-12 educational materials is a little less clear—these
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steps are not addressed by what risks might need to be accounted for nor is the creation of the

exhibit and these materials addressed in the budget justification. Without many details about

what the exhibit design would entail (beyond it being a digital exhibit with supporting

educational resources), it feels like this grant might benefit either from shifting focus solely to

digitization, where the bulk of the research and justification lies, or towards more fully

expanding upon what might be entailed when creating the exhibit and curriculum and how this

exhibit and curriculum would be created, what it would cost, etc.

Results

This section is very well organized with the intended results of the grant, tangible products

to be created, and changed knowledge/skills/etc. efficiently and clearly outlined, making it very

easy to read through and understand the prescribed goals. But I am somewhat concerned by the

relative lack of mention of any inclusion or input of the present day Fort Sill Apache Tribe, given

that representation of Native Americans is one of the three main intended results. While there

might possibly be a reason for not seeking out this population during the digitization process

itself (and if the exhibit and educational curriculum is expanded upon, their input there could be

discussed), it is also not mentioned that the project’s results would be shared with Apache

community members—unless this is implied by “respective networks and audiences,” which

may very well be the case, but could be clarified in the narrative itself. With increased public

access and awareness, including of a historical event involving so many Native Americans and

an important figure such as Geronimo, and better representation of the local Apache, as two of

the main needs to be filled and and goals to be attained as part of the grant project, it would be a

good opportunity to more directly include the indigenous communities whose history is being

digitized and exhibited.

Score: Very Good