Museum Center Volunteer - General

Dickinson Museum Center Volunteer Docents assist with school and other tour groups;
Docents may also assist in the Gift Shop or with Museum Center special events including public programming, open houses, fund-raisers, etc. Docents are trained by and work under museum staff appropriate to the task, program or event.

Essential Duties

• Follow all safety, health, and environment rules
• Work as part of a team or individually on tasks as assigned
• Perform tasks as directed by museum staff
• Follow project priority as set by museum staff
• Be courteous and respectful to all Museum Center visitors, volunteers, and staff members

Relation to Others

• Position requires regular contact with the public and employees; must be able to communicate effectively.
• Communications may be one-on-one and in small groups
• May assist with orientating new volunteers to the Museum Center

• Docents will be trained by staff and assigned tasks and projects commensurate with exhibited skills at the discretion of staff.
• Docents should be able to communicate effectively with individuals or small groups
• Clear speech habits, eye contact and attention to detail will help provide an enjoyable experience for the patrons
• Use of a tour script is essential until such time as docents become familiar with tour information and are comfortable speaking off-the-cuff.
• Listening to patrons is essential – answer questions if you can; if you cannot, offer to find an answer for them or direct them to museum staff for further assistance.

• Work is performed within a routine office-type environment with minimum exposure to hazardous or unpleasant conditions. When appropriate the Museum Center will provide personal protective equipment (PPE) and training.
• This volunteer position typically requires: standing, walking, climbing, talking, hearing, and seeing. Medium work:
  Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally in special event settings or exerting up to 20 pounds of force frequently in the Gift Shop setting.