Post-secondary students throughout our region are engaged in challenging and important work in southeastern museums. They are doing research, producing exhibits, conducting oral history interviews, creating content for websites, and developing public programs. SEMC is committed to recognizing and rewarding excellence in museum work done by students through the annual, juried Spotlight on Student Work in Museums (S.W.I.M) program.

What do S.W.I.M team members get once they are chosen?

Once chosen, members of the S.W.I.M Team present their work during the SEMC’s 2025 Annual Meeting in two formats:

• Poster Sessions: During daily coffee breaks at the annual meeting, presenters share their projects with attendees in the form of a poster. S.W.I.M participants can share their work through one-on-one discussions, which can be especially useful for works-in-progress, and may be a particularly appropriate format for presentations where visual or material evidence represents a central component of the project.

• Presentation Session: S.W.I.M participants will show their work in a presentation session. Each participant or group will give a short presentation during the same 50-minute block. The duration of each presentation will be about 10 minutes, though this depends on the number of projects. Here, the S.W.I.M team gets the chance to have experience with presenting at a professional conference for future colleagues. Note that at the discretion of the co-chairs, presenters may be limited based upon the number of successful projects. All S.W.I.M Team Members take part in the Poster Session.

These varied formats, along with Annual Meeting attendance, allow participants the chance to:

• Showcase projects and research professionally.
• Obtain new insights, share ideas and projects, and network with museum colleagues in an informal setting.
• Learn about emerging trends and gain professional development.

S.W.I.M Team Members are provided free registration to the Annual Meeting. At least one team member must be present at the Annual Meeting to take advantage of S.W.I.M and receive the award. Note that collaborative teams are limited to two registration slots, though all members will receive credit, and all are welcome to participate if they join the meeting through other means.

Evening events and receptions are included with the registration. Professional Network and Affinity lunches, the Annual SEMC Awards Luncheon, and any pre-conference or post-conference tours are not included and must be paid for out-of-pocket when you register for the conference. Accepted S.W.I.M Team Members must register for the conference by October 1.

Who is Eligible to Apply?
• Currently enrolled higher-learning students at any accredited college, university, or other postsecondary school.
• Recent graduates whose graduation date is within one year of the 2025 Annual Meeting.
• Higher-learning students who participated in an applied internship, practicum, integrated program, experiential learning assignment, research endeavor, or activity at a museum in the SEMC region.
• Note that hypothetical coursework or theoretical research is not eligible. Projects must be applied to or conducted within a museum setting.
• Both individuals and collaborative teams are welcome.

Group proposals must include names, majors, and intended degrees of all group members, but designate one person as the primary session contact.

When is the Poster Session and Presentation?

The poster sessions will take place during SEMC’s annual meeting in Montgomery, AL, October 20-22, 2025. Specific details will follow.

Be prepared to submit:

• Contact information.
• A brief (maximum 300-word) explanation of your project.
• A one-page resume for each collaborator.

Applications are due August 30, 2025. You will hear back about the status of your proposal by early September 2025.

Questions? Contact 2025 S.W.I.M Session Chairpersons’ Lana Burgess (lburgess@mailbox.sc.edu) or Katy Malone (kmalon15@utk.edu)