​Our Vision

The Virtual Museum of Public Service (VMPS) will 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. In an environment in which the valuable contributions and personal sacrifices of tens of millions of public servants are often invisible or misunderstood, the VMPS will underscore 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

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​ Over 30 million Americans currently work in the public service - in the military and in federal, state, and local government. But 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 visitors will be surprised to learn how much their fellow citizens accomplish in service to the public despite relatively sparse funding and resources. Multimedia exhibits will highlight their positive roles in delivering on pledges to the public. Exhibits will emphasize how individual public servants and groups have significantly improved our quality of life across health, education, criminal justice and emergency services, the arts, parks, and dozens of other services that build social capital.

 

Each exhibit in the museum's collection will be accompanied by extensive materials and multimedia links related to online resources.  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.

 

The failure to celebrate the work of public servants has had the debilitating effect of deterring promising students from careers in the public sector. VMPS will work to reverse those trends, speaking to and inspiring public and nonprofit employees, high school students  fulfilling community service requirements, college students who are committed to pursuing post-graduate careers in public service, 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.