Mission Statement

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WHAT IS THE STERNBERG MUSEUM?

The dual functions of the museum are:
 1.) Public education & University support, and

 2.) The focus of the museum is the Great Plains.

TOWARD THESE ENDS, THE MUSEUM WILL

1. Collect and properly preserve, curate, and conserve scientific specimens of plants and animals (both living and extinct) and geological and archaeological objects to serve as the focus for other activities of the museum (new historical and ethnological materials are to be accepted only when relevant to the environmental history of the Great Plains)

2. Provide educational exhibits are programs, based at least in part on the collections of the museum, for the enrichment of students, children, and adults of all ages

3.  Conduct scholarly research, both applied and pure, based at least in part on the collections of museum

4. Employ the collections as a teaching resource in both undergraduate and graduate education

5.  Offer informal training programs for students who wish to pursue careers in preservation, maintenance, exhibitions, and administration of museum collections, and

6.  Provide service to the citizens of western Kansas and to society at large based on the collections and the expertise of their curators and staff members.