Volunteering

gallery

Gallery education volunteers create a welcoming environment for visitors and groups in our gallery spaces by sharing knowledge, answering questions about exhibits, and monitoring exhibit functionality. They enjoy connecting with people and are passionate about science, technology, cultural heritage, the environment, and engaging visitors with our hands-on exhibits.

Gallery volunteers are excited to start a conversation, are always willing to learn more, and look forward to helping our visitors have the best possible experience while they’re here.

STEM

STEM education volunteers lead interactive hands-on activities about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) topics, igniting visitors’ curiosity and learning. They interact with visitors on the Museum & Science Center floor using prepared learning kits as teaching tools.

STEM volunteers inspire unique learning experiences by encouraging visitors to predict, question, and iterate through activity experimentation. STEM volunteers are knowledgeable about science, technology, engineering, or math, ready to add to their body of knowledge, and passionate about sparking enthusiasm about these topics in others.

Docents share their knowledge and passion of the RMSC’s collections and exhibits through school programming and guided Museum & Science Center experiences.

As volunteers who are trained to further the public’s understanding of science, technology, the natural environment, and our region’s cultural heritage, docents lead visitors of all ages on tours throughout the Museum & Scinece Center and teach specific school programs. Docents are outgoing, enthusiastic communicators, and are willing to learn about exhibits and collections.

Comprehensive training is provided and includes support from an experienced docent mentor. Association meetings, lectures, and workshops are all a part of the regular docent experience.

Founded in 1941, the RMSC Council is a volunteer service organization that supports RMSC by organizing special events and fundraising activities. The Council provides its members the opportunities for educational growth and social interaction. A few of the activities that the Council organizes are the annual Fantastic Findings, Beautiful Blooms, and Holiday Bazaar Arts and Crafts sales.

The RMSC continuously explores ideas to create new hands-on, interactive experiences. This requires a wide range of technical expertise beyond current staff capacity. The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) helps fill that gap with volunteers who have experience in building, engineering, and science trades by partnering with RMSC Exhibits staff to conceive, design, review, recommend, and construct new hands-on exhibits that captivate the imagination while educating.

TAG membership includes a wide array of backgrounds drawing from the considerable technical skill base of the community–including scientists, electricians, hobbyists, engineers, science teachers, carpenters, university faculty, and students.

Science on a Sphere (SOS) volunteers provide additional engagement for visitors traveling through the SOS Data Theater. SOS explore and present the capabilities of the Sphere including navigating weather and climate data from NOAA, space data from NASA, and designing and delivering extended programs on select days.

The RMSC understands the importance of access to internship opportunities for high school and college students. Career readiness experiences are extremely valuable to students and young adults. We offer paid internships on a limited basis, and non-paid, for-credit internships on a seasonal basis.

The Joe Wilson Science Consultant Program (JWSCP) is a volunteer based program that places science experts in classrooms to lead interactive programs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), igniting students’ curiosity in these fields.

Our consultants collaborate with classroom teachers before every visit. With a library of over forty hands-on programs, consultants ensure each program supports class curriculum and inspires a life-long passion for STEM.

RMSC Curiosity Camps Youth Volunteers (ages 15-17) are essential to the educational mission of the RMSC’s camp program. They’re energetic, enthusiastic, and hardworking. Volunteers support paid staff in camp classrooms by helping campers with projects and play, assisting with science experiments, and preparing the classroom and supplies each day. Volunteers help provide a fun and safe camp experience while sharing in the exploration of science!

Families and individuals can come join us in Naples, NY to participate in a small volunteer project! Most projects last two hours and have a role for everyone from a young kiddo to an experienced adult. Volunteers receive free admission to the Cumming Nature Center.

Throughout the year, the RMSC organizes fundraising and community events that help carry out our mission. Volunteers help with events such as the After Dark social hours or United Way Day of Caring.

Garden areas include, Learning Garden, Kearns Garden, Garden of Fragrance, and miscellaneous grounds in need of assistance. Assistance needed includes watering, weeding, trimming, and other general garden upkeep. If you’re a gardener, or have an interest in learning more about gardening, we’d love to have you join the team as a Garden Volunteer!