Career & Volunteer Opportunities

Description: Collections Volunteer, Exhibits help to identify artifacts for upcoming exhibits, complete historical research on these artifacts and prepare them for display or return to collection storage.

Requirements: Volunteers must be thorough, detail-oriented individuals. Previous museum experience is desired. Volunteers do receive training on the Museum’s procedures and on general artifact handling. Some knowledge of DuPage County history is helpful and appropriate related history readings will be required.

Time Commitment: 9 hours per month. Volunteers should be able to work during museum opening hours. Schedule will be coordinated with curator.

Description: Research volunteers assist the staff with questions and inquiries regarding genealogy, DuPage County history, land use, photographs, maps and much more.

Requirements: Volunteers must have exceptional customer service skills. Experience with research and archives are desired.

Time Commitment: 9 hours per month. Volunteers should be able to work during museum opening hours. Schedule will be coordinated with curator.

Description: Education Volunteers work with the Museum Educator in the presentation of participatory programs. This includes a wide range of ages, abilities and interests. Programs range from school and scout groups, birthday parties, tours, lectures and family programs. Volunteers will greet visiting groups; demonstrate the program activities, work with individual participants and other tasks. In addition, the volunteers answer general questions about the Museum and provide supervision. Must be flexible and able to easily adapt to different assignments and circumstances.

Requirements: Educational Volunteers must be out-going; people oriented, and interact well with children of all ages. Volunteers are expected to be able to vary presentation style to suit both adults and children. Previous educational experience would be useful. Some knowledge of DuPage County history is helpful and appropriate related history readings will be required.

Time Commitment: 9 hours per month. Volunteers should be able to work during museum opening hours and/or during evening events.

Description: Docents are responsible for leading groups on guided tours. These tours will include the history of the building, architecture, permanent exhibits, as well as changing exhibits. Tours will last approximately 60 minutes (45 minute tour with time for questions) and docents will be responsible for follow up questions and needs of the group.

Requirements: Although docents will go through extensive training, previous knowledge of DuPage County history will be helpful. Docents must be comfortable speaking in front of large groups. Docents must be able to adjust tours to the needs of the different groups (i.e. school children versus a group of seniors). Occasionally, tours will be altered to visitors requests, and docents must be able to adapt (i.e. church groups may be particularly interested in the history of religious life throughout the County). Advanced notice of these situations will be given so that docents can adequately prepare.

Time Commitment: 9 hours per month. Volunteers should be able to work during museum opening hours and/or during evening events.