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Become a Kelsey Attendant or Docent

Kelsey Attendants

Becoming a Kelsey Attendant is a great way to be involved with the Kelsey Museum!

What do Kelsey Attendants do?

  • Discovery carts
  • Family Day
  • Special projects in the Education Department

Being a Kelsey Attendant requires no specific time commitment—it’s a great option if you have a busy schedule but still want to share your love of the ancient world with visitors. Training and feedback will be provided for all Kelsey Attendant positions.

All Kelsey Attendant positions that involve interaction with the public require the individual to be at least 18 years old and to pass a criminal background check.

Docents

What is a docent?

Kelsey Museum of Archaeology docents are community members who have completed training in museum education techniques and mastered content related to the Kelsey Museum collections from Greece, Rome, Egypt, and the Near East. Serving as a vital connection to the Museum, they present interactive gallery tours and related activities to K–12 field trips, University of Michigan students, families, seniors, and special groups. These tours educate, engage, and further the Museum’s mission and vision. Docents are ambassadors in the community and an important part of the Kelsey team.

Docents also interact with visitors in an informal experience called “Ask Me,” where they answer visitors’ questions and offer them insights into the artifacts on display.

While docents are not paid, their time and expertise is invaluable to the Kelsey Museum.

Benefits:

  • Extensive training in museum education techniques
  • Extensive and wide-ranging background information about ancient Mediterranean archaeology presented by experts
  • Access to U-M libraries to check out books and access online journals and databases
  • Permission to audit (for free) selected University classes that relate to the Kelsey Museum’s collections and research. (Classes may only be audited with the permission of the education and academic outreach coordinator and the university instructor)
  • Invitations to members-only events
  • Opportunities for behind-the-scenes experiences
  • A complimentary copy of the Kelsey Museum Newsletter (biannual)

Requirements:

  • All docents must be over 18 years old
  • All docents must pass a criminal background check every 2 years
  • All docents must commit to a minimum 20 hours of tours per year for a minimum of 3 years, as well as a minimum 10 hours of continuing education per year beyond the initial training period. Continuing education includes monthly docent meetings, attending lectures, auditing U-M classes, and more
  • All docents must have a working email address

2023 Docent Recruitment

The Kelsey Museum is training a new round of docents throughout the summer of 2023. If you are interested in applying to be a docent, you will be considered for the next round of training.