Mission Statement:

The Virtual Museum of Public Service (VMPS) aims to educate and inspire present and future public servants by celebrating public service as a force for creating a better, more equitable, and more democratic world. At a time when the valuable contributions and personal sacrifices of millions of public servants are often invisible or misunderstood, the VMPS aims to highlight the value of public service and the integrity of those who deliver on their government’s promises. It will highlight the critical work and quiet pride of public servants in service to their fellow citizens, reminding and informing the public about the scope, range, and ethos of public service

 

Over 30 million Americans currently work in the public service. However, we define public servants broadly: elected officials in all branches of government, their nonprofit partners and private sector contractors, and their allies — investigative news media, artists, and countless volunteers who contribute to accomplishing society’s missions. The museum will serve as a vehicle through which all of these change agents may celebrate the legacies of colleagues who risked their lives and careers to ensure the equitable delivery of supportive services.

 

In contrast to stereotypes about bureaucratic gridlock and agency inefficiency, VMPS seeks to illuminate how much public servants accomplish in service to the public despite relatively sparse funding and resources.  Exhibits will highlight their roles, and emphasize how public servants have improved quality of life for all across health, education, criminal justice, and emergency services, the arts, parks, and dozens of other services that build social capital.

 

VMPS will utilize its connections with public service-oriented academics and practitioners to produce high-school and college-level lesson plans related to museum holdings. In this way, the museum will act as a novel resource for students, educators, researchers, policymakers, and policy implementers.

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The failure to celebrate the work of public servants deters promising students from careers in the public sector. VMPS works to reverse those trends, speaking to and inspiring young people interested in becoming more engaged citizens, members of the media who are often public servants, de facto, and volunteers who carry out the work of governments and nonprofits.