Guides for Student and Youth Programs

Save to Favorites

PEM Guides for Student and Youth Programs are volunteer docents who support the PEM mission by engaging groups of students, teachers, and community educators in curriculum-based interactive explorations of art, culture, and ideas. PEM Guides for Student and Youth Programs facilitate discoveries of historic houses, special exhibitions, and the PEM collection during structured programs ranging in length from 30 minutes to two hours. Student and Youth Program experiences can include tours, art-making, gallery activities, sketching, games, discussions, and other interpretive techniques designed to celebrate creativity, build knowledge, enhance global understanding, explore creative expression across disciplines, and discover techniques for creative self-expression. Students range in age from Pre-K through university level, and represent a wide variety of interests, backgrounds, learning styles, special needs, primary languages, and abilities. The Student and Youth Program serves many different learning audiences, including school classrooms, afterschool and summer programs, university classes and programs, and community and youth groups.

Responsibilities include:

• Complete an Initial Training program, concluding with a qualification process certifying the Guide to lead programs with student groups
• Learn, practice, and deliver new programs, using observation, reflective experiences, peer support, and feedback from peers and staff members
• Attend monthly Team Meetings, participating in sharing, peer support and conversation about effective practice, and contributing creative ideas to the ongoing development of Student Programs
• Participate in continuous improvement, self-assessment, and program evaluation processes led by PEM staff
• Become proficient with a variety of learning experiences, including tours, art-making, conversation, use of touchable objects, gallery games, and other interpretive approaches
• Conduct preparatory research outside training hours to develop knowledge and keep up to date on new content
• Support PEM’s educational and interpretive goals and values, using interpretation and interpersonal communication approaches established by Education staff
• Communicate directly with teachers organizing school visits, and assist with program preparation tasks, as needed.

Guides for Student and Youth Programs: are interested in being a "guide on the side, not a sage on the stage"; sincerely enjoy working with students of all ages, abilities, learning styles, and backgrounds, representing the full diversity of young learners in our communities; show enthusiasm for sharing art, culture, and ideas, and a desire to help students explore the world of creative expression; are kind, patient, supportive, and respectful of all students and teachers, regardless of background and perceived ability; are flexible, able to build upon teachable moments and respond to changing conditions and group behaviors; adapt their approach to a very wide range of students, addressing the interests, skills, and developmental levels of their groups, from early childhood learners to primary, middle, high school, college and graduate students, English language learners, special needs students, and other audiences; use program outlines and prepared resources to reach PEM’s interpretive and educational goals and help students achieve outcomes; are good time managers, able to adhere to a program schedule and stay on track; are able to work with staff to continuously improve interpersonal and communication skills, learn new content and methods, and respond positively to coaching and critique; are reliable in fulfilling their commitment to the museum and its mission.

Commitment:

• Complete a one-time, intensive Initial Training program of 12-15 weekly 3-hour sessions covering basic program skills and content, leading toward qualification.
• Attend monthly 3-hour team meetings to learn new programs, explore content, practice activities and share ideas. Optional but recommended Enrichment sessions will also be offered each month.
• Attend quarterly 3-hour meetings with PEM Guides from all four teams. Receive updates on museum activities, hear new exhibition introductions, and access other useful information. TheseInformational gatherings are offered in both weekday and weekend sessions.
• PEM Guides for Student and Youth Programs deliver program experiences mostly on weekdays, with occasional exceptions. Demand is heaviest in the winter through late spring, though programs take place throughout the year, including the summer months.

Active PEM Guides for Student and Youth Programs are expected to contribute at least one 3-hour shift per week delivering programs to students.

To apply, go to http://www.pem.org/about/_employment/volunteer/ and download and complete the application and email it with a cover note indicating which team you are applying for, to Ellen Soares, Docent Program Manager, at ellen_soares@pem.org or by mail to Ellen Soares, Docent Program Manager, Peabody Essex Museum, 161 Essex Street, Salem, MA 01970.