Minnesota Children's Museum

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Volunteer to Play!

Donate Your Time to Minnesota's Future

Spark children’s learning through play by volunteering at Minnesota Children’s Museum! There are a variety of ways for you to get involved. Discover how you can make a positive impact on children and their families and support the Museum by giving your time in one of the many available volunteer positions.

Whether you want to volunteer directly with Museum visitors by playing in the galleries or leading activities, or if you want to help behind the scenes in an administrative role, there is bound to be a position to match your interests.

Volunteers and interns receive free parking each time they volunteer.

Adult Volunteer Opportunities

There are a variety of ways for you to get involved and volunteer at Minnesota Children's Museum! Whether you'd prefer to lead art activities in the classroom, play in the galleries or assist behind the scenes in the office, we have a great opportunity for you to spark children’s learning through play Minnesota Children's Museum.

Play in the Museum’s seven interactive galleries with hundreds of children and families who visit the Museum each day. You’ll learn to facilitate a variety of activities each day. For example, you’ll help kids paint their own faces at the Spark Cart, organize a scavenger hunt for hidden animals in Earth World and be a Fun-stigator playing with kids as they arrive in the Museum’s lobby.

Playologists

Playologists do a variety of activities with the children and families who visit the Museum. For example, one shift could include facilitating the Spark Cart activity where children paint their own faces, time playing in our Earth World exhibit helping children navigate the Anthill and time in the lobby helping families and school groups check-in and find their way.

Curiosity Center Programs

Spark children's learning through play by leading fun and interactive programs in the Museum’s art classroom – the Curiosity Center. Families drop in to participate in a variety of activities, including painting, collage-making, sculpturing and sensory activities. Volunteers transform the playful activities into learning experiences through their interactions with children as they create.

Behind the Scenes

Use your unique skills to complete administrative projects, do research or help build and maintain exhibits. Volunteers can get involved in an almost limitless number of ways based on personal experience and skills.

Special Events

Would you love to volunteer at the Museum but can't commit to a regular weekly shift? The Special Events Squad is the perfect volunteer opportunity for people with busy schedules. As a Special Event Volunteer, you'll have the choice to sign up for event shifts when you have time.

How to Apply

Complete an online Adult Volunteer Application Form

Contact Volunteering/Internships online or call 651-225-6046 to have an application mailed, emailed or faxed to you.

Internships - Spring 2010

Minnesota Children’s Museum offers a variety of unique internships that are an opportunity for you to gain practical experience and develop workplace skills. Internships at the Museum are part-time (about 10 hours per week for 10 to 12 weeks). Applicants typically have completed at least one year of college and must be at least 18 years old.

The Winter Session application deadline is December 18. Shifts start early in March and runs through May 2010.

Please contact Volunteer Services at (651) 225-6046 or email Volunteering/Internships online for more information.

To Apply:

1. Submit an application online

2. Submit a cover letter and resume by email, fax or U.S. mail

3. Download and submit two reference forms

Contact Volunteer Services at 651-225-6046 or email Volunteering/Internships online

Volunteers and interns receive free parking or bus passes each time they volunteer.

Spring 2010 Opportunities:

Social Media and Promotions: Utilize Web 2.0 tools to communicate with the Museum’s friends and followers and assist with the fulfillment of cross-promotional partnerships.

Fundraising Events: The Grand Family Ball, held at Minnesota Children's Museum, is an all-inclusive family celebration that will take place on June 19, 2010, with the goal of raising $189,000 to support the Museum. The evening will feature visits with characters from the Wizard of Oz, dinner, dancing and raffle drawing. The person in this position will help with many aspects of planning the event.

Development Intern: Submit grants, perform prospect research and process donor acknowledgments. Learn to navigate and use the Raiser’s Edge database and experience the day-to-day operations of a non-profit organization with our fun, fast-paced Development team.

Educational Programs – Activity Facilitator: This intern is responsible for facilitating a variety of regularly scheduled educational programs and activities for Museum visitors. Programs include classroom art activities, sensory programs and interactive gallery activities.

Environmental Education Programs – Live Animals: Facilitate live and non-live animal education programs for Museum visitors The intern will use the Museum’s collection of live animals to spark visitors’ interest in the natural world. In addition to programming, the intern will assist in care of the Museum’s live animals.

Exhibit Maintenance: About 400,000 visit our Museum each year and we need your help to maintain and repair our exhibits! Help install new exhibits. Depending on skill and experience level, interns may build components for new exhibits.

Museum Operations: Gain experience with the daily tasks that are essential to running a large customer service department in a non-profit organization. This may include running reports, assisting with scheduling, updating spreadsheets and documents and other administrative tasks. This position is also part of the leadership team, which includes participating in department leadership meetings and coordinating projects and information for the floor staff.

Education Programs - Museum Classes: As part of their field trips to the Museum, some groups participate in Museum classes. The classes cover core curriculum areas such as science, language arts, social studies and health and fitness. This intern starts by assisting in the classroom and typically leads classes independently by the end of the semester.

Volunteer Recruitment: Recruit and interview new volunteers and check references of new applicants. This intern will also assist with event planning and program research.

Membership: Design, complete and implement surveys of the Museum’s membership. Assist in the development of our new Member Advisory Board. Also, assist with event planning and implementation.

Human Resources: Gain a variety of experience with Human Resources projects like Affirmative Action reporting and complete steps in the hiring process for job openings.

Marketing: Conduct market research, data management projects and complete projects in support of e-newsletter campaigns.

Information Technology: Assist with network needs, perform hardware and software upgrades and test software and web applications.

Corporate and Foundations Fundraising Intern: Assist the Grants Manager in writing and submitting grants (under $5,000), perform prospect research and assist with data management.

Youth Squad

The application period for our youth volunteer program has closed. We will begin recruiting for the summer session in March 2010. Please don't hesitate to contact us with questions about the program by calling 651-225-6046 for sending us an email.

Join the Youth Volunteer Team at Minnesota Children’s Museum!

PLAY! As a Youth Squad Volunteer, you’ll spend your time playing with children in the Museum galleries and leading creative arts programs. You’ll volunteer with other high school students from around the Twin Cities and meet lots of new people.

LEARN! Gain experience working with children and build your teamwork, communication and leadership skills. This is a great way to build your resume for scholarships, college applications, and future employment

SERVE! Support your community and the families who visit the Museum to play and learn by giving your time. You’ll be a positive role-model and make an impact on the lives of thousands of children.

Youth Squad Volunteers must be entering 9th-12th grades in the fall of 2009. Volunteers choose ten shifts between November 2009 and May 2010 based on their own availability. Shifts are typically four hours long, either 8:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. or 12:15 to 4:15 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and school holidays. Attending a series of monthly meetings to learn about early childhood development and leadership topics is also part of the commitment.

Current Youth Volunteers say,

"It’s a great way to hang out with friends from school and brand new friends. Other teens should volunteer here because it’s fun, entertaining and a never-boring way to be around kids."

"I think volunteering with the Youth Squad has taught me really important values such as patience, cooperation, team-building, responsibility and conflict resolution, among other things."

"Teens should come and be a part of the Museum to help out the community and do something fun."

Questions? Contact us at 651-225-6046 or email Volunteering/Internships online.