The volunteer and docent corps of the Upcountry History Museum are essential in ensuring that the Museum meets its mission. We are continually looking for individuals who will help us better serve the community. UHM volunteers have the unique opportunity to support the arts while learning new skills and meeting people with similar interests.
Volunteering at the Upcountry History Museum is a fun way to support your community and celebrate our history, and we have a variety of opportunities to fit your schedule and interests! Whether you enjoy working with the public at our front desk, assisting with special events, doing research or teaching children about history, there’s a place for you here. Descriptions of our various volunteering opportunities can be found below.
How to Apply
Volunteer applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Beginning in July 2009, all who have submitted applications will be invited to attend an orientation session, which offers a general understanding of the Museum’s history, operations and programs. Orientation sessions will be held once every three months. Volunteer assignments are made based on the needs of the Museum and the applicant’s interests and skills. Volunteers can choose long-term assignments or may select different activities as detailed in the Museum’s monthly e-blast newsletter.
Upcoming Orientation Sessions
October 29, 2009
January 28, 2010
May 6, 2010
Orientation sessions are held at 10:00am and 5:30pm each date and last approximately one hour.
Download a Volunteer Application or contact us at 864.467.3100 to receive an application by mail. Mail your completed application to:
Volunteer Program
Upcountry History Museum
540 Buncombe Street
Greenville, SC 29601
Administrative/Clerical
It is the behind-the-scenes work that truly makes the exhibitions and programs at the Upcountry History Museum possible. Assist our staff with clerical tasks, such as filing, photocopying, typing and bulk mail projects. Administrative volunteers are always needed on a periodic or on call basis to help with these kinds of tasks. If you have office experience, or are interested in learning basic office procedures, and are available during regular business hours (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday through Friday), this area is a huge help to the Museum staff!
Visitor Services/Museum Shop volunteers also help out with administrative tasks.
Visitor Services/ Museum Shop
The Museum Shop and Information Desk is seeking volunteers who love to interact with the public. Staffing the Information Desk is a great way to meet and greet both locals and visitors to our region: you’ll be amazed at what a hub of activity the Museum is and enthused by a chance to help customers browse the great selections of the Museum Shop. Friendly, enthusiastic, outgoing people are encouraged to apply! Visitor Services/Museum Shop volunteers are responsible for answering incoming calls to the Museum, operating the cash register and helping customers in the Shop. Computer and cash register experience is helpful.
Museum Floor Guides
Even though not all visitors want a guided tour, many of them still have questions during their visit. If you are an outgoing person who enjoys engaging others in conversation, this may be a great spot for you. Weekends present our greatest need for such volunteers who will be stationed either upstairs or downstairs to move throughout the galleries and assist visitors by answering questions, providing directions or simply offering a friendly smile and a hello. These volunteers are also important sets of extra eyes and hands during a time when the Museum relies heavily on front desk staff. Floor staff/guides also receive a shortened version of our docent training to provide the necessary background to answer visitor questions.
Special Events/ Hospitality
Special events keep the Museum hopping, from gala evenings to afternoon and evening receptions to major weekend events like our Veterans Day Celebration. The volunteers who help us keep our busy schedule going are an eclectic group who’d rather not be tied down to a set schedule. It’s great fun to be behind the scenes at Museum parties and we always have a range of dates and activities available. Volunteers assist with various aspects of event preparation, set-up, clean-up, refreshment service and guest registration, among other duties. Plus, volunteers at special events always get in for free!
Maintenance/ Physical Labor
Think there is no way that you can contribute to the Museum as a volunteer? There are many ways that you can help here! Have you noticed just how many light bulbs are in our facility – changing light bulb is one way you can help out. We also need periodic help moving large items within the building, setting up for exhibitions or events, and a variety of maintenance tasks. If you have time available on the weekends and are both able willing to climb ladders, stairs, and carry heavy objects, this assignment is for you!
Photography Volunteer
This is a great opportunity to help the Museum while building your professional experience and portfolio. All levels of skill are welcome. Opportunities include photographing at special events and programs or documenting special exhibitions and the building. Volunteers provide their own camera equipment and the Museum reimburses development costs. Photographers receive credit when their images are used in promotions for the Museum.
Teen Volunteer
For teens ages 16 and older. The Upcountry History Museum is a terrific place to complete community service requirements while learning about careers in the history and museum fields. Teens are given the opportunity to shadow museum employees and train with staff and adult volunteers and docents to build organizational and interpersonal skills. An application with references is required for these placements.
Education Department
Adult Programs Volunteer: Assist with the many adult education programs offered to visitors, including lectures, workshops, and Lunch & Learn sessions. At lectures, films and workshops, volunteers greet and direct guests, handle registration, assist with audio/visual equipment, serve refreshments and assist with set-up and clean-up, and/or staffing a membership table.
Research Assistant: Can you be described as a life-long learner? Just love history? Then we may have a project for you. A great deal of research goes into our exhibitions and our educational programs for adults and children. If you can devote time to reading, searching out resources, and compiling your research then this may be the right fit for you. Research assistants go through an interview process to ensure a good fit with the project and the staff member(s) with whom they will be working. These placements are periodic and may last several weeks.
Docent Program
Leading group tours as a docent is a rewarding and wonderful way to share your love of history with community members of all ages. A Docent is a volunteer guide trained to support visitors as they look and learn about history, the artifacts, and our community. The Upcountry History Museum’s docents are a vital link between visitors and the Museum, reaching thousands of adults and children each year.
The Museum’s Docent program accepts new recruits twice a year: in the fall and in the spring. New docents undergo a rigorous training process, learning not only history but also the most up-to-date techniques for giving tours and working with children and adults. It’s a wonderful opportunity to keep learning and to share knowledge with others. Docents commit to touring 40 hours each year and attending 12 hours of continuing education/ training through lectures, behind-the-scenes tours of new exhibitions and workshops.
We understand that not everyone is comfortable giving tours to all age groups. Therefore, we offer three opportunities within our docent corps for working with groups of children and adults.
Guided Tours for Adults:
These docents provide tours for business and professional groups, senior adults, and other groups of adults who wish to tour the museum. Adult groups may request a particular focus for their visit and often spend as much as two hours touring the galleries with their guide. These groups often visit on weekends. Adult tours are about give and take – we often learn new things about our local history from long-time residents who come to the Museum.
Guided Tours for Children:
Enthusiasm, creativity and flexibility required! If you enjoy seeing the Museum in a whole new light each time you walk through it, then you may be a perfect fit for providing tours to school groups. The Museum offers programs for students from Kindergarten through high school, though our target grades are 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 8th. These tours begin at 9:30 or 10:00 a.m., so docents must be available beginning at 9:00 a.m. on weekdays during the school year.
Classroom Programs for Children:
School groups who visit the Museum typically split their time between a tour of the Museum galleries and a hands-on activity in the classroom. Again, enthusiasm, creativity and flexibility are required! Prior classroom teaching experience is preferred but not required. Museum programs address the state curriculum standards while offering students an experience they generally do not have in a typical classroom setting. Our goal is for learning and fun to go hand-in-hand in these programs. Programs begin at 9:30 or 10:00 a.m., so docents must be available beginning at 9:00 a.m. on weekdays during the school year.
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