August 2015 – A small group of six Directors/Heads of Education came to the Kress Foundation to meet with representatives from the Association of Art Museum Directors and the Association for Art Museum Curators to investigate the concept of forming a single-focused professional organization. It was determined during those discussions that greater input was needed to further explore.

October 2016 - With support from the Kress Foundation, a convening was held with almost 30 Directors/Heads of Education from around the United States to discuss the development of an organization and define its mission.

March 2017 – The original group of six discussed the notes and feedback from the October convening and decided FLAME would:
• be a professional leadership program that includes both formal and informal convenings and activities to advance the art museum education field and help to cultivate the next generation of art museum leaders.

FLAME would not:
• be a professional membership organization
• be a 501c(3) organization with a board and executive director
• duplicate the work conducted by NAEA Museum Education Division and/or EdCom

January 2018 – The first convening was held at the Crocker Museum of Art in Sacramento, California, based on Simon Sinek’s Start with Why, for about 27 Directors/Heads of Education.