Biography
It will be a great day when our schools get all the money they need and the airforce has to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber.
Claudia Ocello, currently an independent museum consultant, was most recently Associate Director of Education and Public Programs at Save Ellis Island. Claudia began her career in the field of education and museums teaching in schools and working in museums in NY and NJ . After completing her Masters in Museum Education at Bank Street College of Education and becoming certified to teach grades PreK - 6, Ms. Ocello interned at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu, CA, and went on to become Education Coordinator at the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, CT. While in Connecticut she completely revamped the education programs to be more child-centered, theme-based, and hands-on; started a regular schedule of family programs; organized several family festivals around current exhibitions; and became the state’s first museum to employ Americorps members. In 1996, Ms. Ocello joined the staff of The New Jersey Historical Society as Curator of Education, and hired and oversaw staff and new programming in a new building in downtown Newark. During her 10-year tenure, she instituted new curriculum-based, interdisciplinary, hands-on education programs for school groups, families, and adult audiences. Ms. Ocello served on various state-wide committees regarding curriculum and history organizations. In 2002, she won an award for Excellence in Programming from the Education Committee of the American Association of Museums for the Historical Society’s multi-visit program, Partners in Learning: Teen Parents and Their Children at Museums. In 2005 she was promoted to Director for Programs and Exhibitions and researched, curated, and oversaw the installation and opening of an award-winning exhibition and co-curated another exhibit, both in the span of one year. Ms. Ocello then joined the staff of SEI where she developed, planned, and taught workshops for teachers; trained docents for public tours; designed and taught hands-on, curriculum-based school programs; and assisted and advised on public issues (including Universal Access issues) related to exhibits and programs on Ellis Island’s south side. In 2008, Claudia received the Excellence in Practice Award from the Education Committee of the American Association of Museums.