Quoted Text

The Junior Docent Program at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science is a long-standing summer volunteer program for students who are entering eighth grade through twelfth grade in the coming fall. Students learn public presentation skills, customer service skills, and science content while they work as educators in the Museum's exhibit halls.
Junior Docents discover that they are part of a large number of students throughout the area who are interested in science and education. Junior Docents are introduced to a wide variety of science and museum-related career possibilities and leave the program with a wider appreciation for and support of science.
The only requirements to being a Junior Docent are the willingness to learn, to participate fully in the program, and to volunteer 35 hours over the course of the program. Participants attend a week’s training in the beginning of the summer, volunteer for the course of the summer, and are given the option of volunteering on Saturdays during the school year.
Our Junior Docent Program provides a comprehensive, hands-on, minds-on museum experience for middle and high school students. Junior Docents gain natural history and science content knowledge, communication and interpretive skills, and provide our visitors with an enhanced museum experience. Students learn about the nature of museums as places of education and entertainment, and the many museum career opportunities available. A key feature of the program is the opportunity to work with volunteer adult mentors, museum scientists and educators while learning about the importance of community volunteerism.
Since this program began in 1991, more than 750 young people have gone through the program, representing over 40 schools and homeschool cooperatives in the area.
Registration for the 2010 Junior Docent Program is now full. For more information about next summer's program, please contact Brianne Sisneros, Volunteer Coordinator (505) 841-2877 or brianne.sisneros@state.nm.us.

Quoted from KimWagner

The Natural History museum will take children volunteers in the naturalist room, starting at age 7 or 8.
Mom or Dad have to do the training and be there too, but it is a great start!

Kim