Whistle while you work: The impact of working in a children's museum on teenagers' self-confidence

Abstract

Teenagers are often hired to work at children's museums, where they interact with visitors, play with children, and generally keep the museum operating day-to-day. Research shows that participating in programs in museums positively impacts teenagers, but there is little research on the impacts of teenagers working in museums. This study explored how working in a children's museum impacts teenagers' self-confidence. Surveys were completed by 12 teenagers who worked at one of two children's museums, and interviews were conducted with 7 of them as well as 2 museum directors who supervised teenagers. Results show that teenagers felt more confident overall, in their communication skills and in their job readiness skills. These impacts on teenagers' self-confidence were influenced by children's museums being a happy space, teens feeling a sense of accomplishment from their workspace, and from their coworkers and management. Findings from this research have implications for all museums that work with teenagers in supporting teens both within the museum and with their transitions into adulthood.