BECOME a VOLUNTEER
Adult Volunteers (ages 18+) and Junior Historians (ages 12-18) are a huge part of the visitor experience at the Root House Museum. Volunteers share the history of the house, garden, Root family, and life in Marietta during the 1850s.
ADULT VOLUNTEERS (Ages 18+)
QUALIFICATIONS: Docents should be outgoing and confident speaking in front of an audience, enjoy interacting with the public, and have a working knowledge of 19th century and local history (training is available). Period costuming is an option, but never a requirement.
RESPONSIBILITIES: Volunteers at the Root House help in many capacities. These include conducting tours of the museum, facilitating field trips and group tours, answering visitor questions, supervising the museum and its collection during special events, and maintaining the cleanliness of the museum campus. There are also behind-the-scenes opportunities like docent cleaning days, training in-services, and committee memberships (i.e. education, furnishings, collections, etc.).
TRAINING: To get started, docents are required to attend a two hour training session with museum staff. These are arranged directly with the Program Coordinator during our regular operating hours (Wednesday – Saturday, 10:00am – 4:00pm). After the initial training, volunteers can begin signing up for volunteer shifts as they become available. These are typically communicated by email. Additional training sessions are scheduled throughout the year for all volunteers on an as-needed basis.
TIME COMMITMENT: Volunteers are asked to volunteer at least 10 hours per calendar year. Flexibility it one of the great benefits of volunteering at the Root House. We understand that our volunteers all have different availabilities and do not require volunteers to have a set shift/schedule. Some volunteers prefer our daytime opportunities during normal museum hours (Wednesday – Saturday, 10:00am – 4:00pm) and some prefer our evening/weekend special events. Our volunteer shifts are typically 3-4 hours for special events and 1-2 hours for field trips/group tours.
BENEFITS: Volunteers receive free admission at the museum and 20% off in the museum gift shop.
QUALIFICATIONS: Docents should be outgoing and confident speaking in front of an audience, enjoy interacting with the public, and have a working knowledge of 19th century and local history (training is available). Period costuming is an option, but never a requirement.
RESPONSIBILITIES: Volunteers at the Root House help in many capacities. These include conducting tours of the museum, facilitating field trips and group tours, answering visitor questions, supervising the museum and its collection during special events, and maintaining the cleanliness of the museum campus. There are also behind-the-scenes opportunities like docent cleaning days, training in-services, and committee memberships (i.e. education, furnishings, collections, etc.).
TRAINING: To get started, docents are required to attend a two hour training session with museum staff. These are arranged directly with the Program Coordinator during our regular operating hours (Wednesday – Saturday, 10:00am – 4:00pm). After the initial training, volunteers can begin signing up for volunteer shifts as they become available. These are typically communicated by email. Additional training sessions are scheduled throughout the year for all volunteers on an as-needed basis.
TIME COMMITMENT: Volunteers are asked to volunteer at least 10 hours per calendar year. Flexibility it one of the great benefits of volunteering at the Root House. We understand that our volunteers all have different availabilities and do not require volunteers to have a set shift/schedule. Some volunteers prefer our daytime opportunities during normal museum hours (Wednesday – Saturday, 10:00am – 4:00pm) and some prefer our evening/weekend special events. Our volunteer shifts are typically 3-4 hours for special events and 1-2 hours for field trips/group tours.
BENEFITS: Volunteers receive free admission at the museum and 20% off in the museum gift shop.
JUNIOR HISTORIANS (Ages 12-18)
QUALIFICATIONS: Junior Historians must be 12 years old and/or in sixth grade (or above) to join the Junior Historians. This program is FREE to all Cobb Landmarks members. This annual fee of $50/individual or $75/family helps to cover the cost of the monthly activities and training provided to the Junior Historians. Join online here.
RESPONSIBILITIES: Junior Historians conduct tours of the Root House for visitors, volunteer at special events, and gain valuable skills—all while dressed in period costume. In addition to their volunteer duties, Junior Historians meet one Saturday a month to expand their knowledge of the 19th century through hands-on history activities and lessons. Our high school age Junior Historians further develop their historical skills through a curatorial project of a temporary exhibit at the Root House Museum. The students collaborate on what to include in the exhibit, research all aspects of the exhibit, choose the objects to be displayed, and write the accompanying text labels.
TRAINING: The Junior Historians meet one Saturday per month from August through May. All Juniors meet from 10am to 12pm on the specified Saturday. High school students may stay for an extra hour from 12pm to 1pm to work on their curatorial project.
TIME COMMITMENT: The volunteer requirement is 25 hours per academic year for middle school students and 35hours for high school students. Monthly meetings count toward this total. Other volunteer hours can be served through volunteering at special events, giving guided tours, and helping at summer camps.
BENEFITS: Teen volunteers gain valuable public speaking skills, earn community service hours for high school graduation requirements, and build their resume through our Junior Historian program. They also receive free admission at the museum and 20% off in the museum gift shop.
QUALIFICATIONS: Junior Historians must be 12 years old and/or in sixth grade (or above) to join the Junior Historians. This program is FREE to all Cobb Landmarks members. This annual fee of $50/individual or $75/family helps to cover the cost of the monthly activities and training provided to the Junior Historians. Join online here.
RESPONSIBILITIES: Junior Historians conduct tours of the Root House for visitors, volunteer at special events, and gain valuable skills—all while dressed in period costume. In addition to their volunteer duties, Junior Historians meet one Saturday a month to expand their knowledge of the 19th century through hands-on history activities and lessons. Our high school age Junior Historians further develop their historical skills through a curatorial project of a temporary exhibit at the Root House Museum. The students collaborate on what to include in the exhibit, research all aspects of the exhibit, choose the objects to be displayed, and write the accompanying text labels.
TRAINING: The Junior Historians meet one Saturday per month from August through May. All Juniors meet from 10am to 12pm on the specified Saturday. High school students may stay for an extra hour from 12pm to 1pm to work on their curatorial project.
TIME COMMITMENT: The volunteer requirement is 25 hours per academic year for middle school students and 35hours for high school students. Monthly meetings count toward this total. Other volunteer hours can be served through volunteering at special events, giving guided tours, and helping at summer camps.
BENEFITS: Teen volunteers gain valuable public speaking skills, earn community service hours for high school graduation requirements, and build their resume through our Junior Historian program. They also receive free admission at the museum and 20% off in the museum gift shop.
