In light of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on health, well-being, and social justice, the role of the museum educator is ever changing in terms of community engagement and support, educational content, and material resources. Recognizing there is a unique opportunity to contribute to improved mental health and well-being of diverse communities through object-based experiences, the book outlines how a museum educator can lead, develop, broadly deliver, and assess wellness programs for museums of all disciplines. The contributors have developed and honed customized, impactful workshops serving 8,000+ participants over the past five years blending on-site and virtual formats allowing reach beyond local communities.
The workshops, which incorporate narrative medicine practices and collaboration, are accessible to a range of diverse participants including, but not limited to, visitors focused on enhancing their well-being through on-site workshops, medical students examining biases and empathy through object-based curriculum, and individuals coping with heightened mental health challenges.

Elizabeth Lahti is a clinical hospitalist and Director of Narrative Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University(OHSU). In 2013, she developed the Reflective Practice and Narrative Medicine curriculum funded by an American Medical Association grant. Lahti is a two-time OHSU Educator Innovation Grant recipient.

Lisa Abia-Smith holds a joint appointment at the University of Oregon as the Senior Director of Education, Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, and Senior Instructor I in the College of Design. She is nationally recognized for her research and teaching on arts in healthcare. Before her hire at the UO, she was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Art Education at SUNY Buffalo State College (BSC), where she was hired to create the nation's first concentration program in Museum Education for Special Needs for the Master's Degree of Art Education.