The Special Interest Groups  (SIG) initiative serves multiple purposes. It aims to stimulate and sustain collective reflection among members across the year, while also enabling those who are unable to attend annual conferences to participate remotely in focused discussions on topics of interest. SIGs further enhance the interactivity of CECA’s annual meetings by contributing discussion groups grounded in the work and exchanges carried out during the year. They also help identify specific skills and expertise related to key themes, enriching CECA’s training offer within regional and annual workshops. In addition, SIGs support the development of practical tools and educational resources for the museum community, including shared materials, published articles, and recorded podcasts that raise awareness of key issues in museum education.

Currently, the following Special Interest Groups are active:

• Professional Development of Museum Educators
• Surveying audience of educational and cultural programmes
• Universal Accessibility – The Inclusive Museum
• Museum Education and Decoloniality
• Sensory Mediation
• Young Members Network

 

Through these activities, the Special Interest Groups actively support the vision, mission, and values of the ICOM Strategic Plan 2022–2028 by contributing to the following objectives:

• Global positioning: ICOM is recognized as the trusted, objective, international voice of the sector
• Diversity: ICOM’s global diversity is represented across all components and activities of the Association
• Leadership: ICOM develops a museum leadership culture which is inspired, innovative and progressive in the face of change 
• Decolonisation: ICOM leads a global forum to clarify the issues and identify best practice on decolonising museums.

The Special Interest Groups are coordinated by museum education professionals from around the world. When planning to join an open online session, participants are encouraged to consider the group’s main working language (English, Spanish, or French), the availability of Zoom’s translated subtitles, and the meeting start time in their own time zone. Some SIGs also host closed working or sub-groups that meet more frequently to collaborate on specific projects aligned with the group’s core agenda. Those interested in joining a working group are invited to contact the relevant SIG coordinator directly.

The concept of online meetings through Special Interest Groups (SIGs) was first introduced in 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative was designed to strengthen networking and promote continuous dialogue among CECA members throughout the year, rather than limiting engagement to the annual conference alone.