Volunteer Opportunities

The National Building Museum, created by an act of Congress in 1980, is America's premiere institution dedicated to exploring and celebrating architecture, design, engineering, construction, and urban planning. Through engaging exhibitions and education programs, including innovative curricula for school groups and stimulating programs for teens and adults, the Museum is the forum for exchanging information and ideas about such topical issues as managing suburban growth, preserving landmarks and communities, and revitalizing urban centers.

The Museum is currently recruiting dedicated volunteers who are eager to explore the world we build for ourselves.  We offer a variety of volunteer opportunities working along the side of staff or directly with our visitors. Here is a list of current openings:

Behind the Scenes
Collections
Docent Program
Information Desk
Membership
Museum Shop
Outreach Programs
Public Programs

Behind-the-Scenes

The National Building Museum's behind-the-scenes volunteer program offers a variety of opportunities for those who seek challenging alternatives while working along the side of staff and other volunteers. Behind-the-scenes volunteers who contribute their time and knowledge in this area volunteer both part-time and full-time depending on the selected project.  As opportunities and projects become available, the listings below will be updated. Requirements: weekday availability.  Our current behind-the-scenes opportunities are as follows:

Collections: Cataloging the Museum's Architectural Toy Collection

There are no open positions currently available.

Docent Program

Become a Junior Docent! (For ages 10-18 only)
The National Building Museum's Junior Docent Program is designed to provide young learners from ages 10 - 18 with the skills necessary to discover and connect with architecture by leading tours of the Museum's historic home.  Our museum educators will use an inquiry-based approach to teach our Junior Docents the skills needed to describe, analyze, and interpret architecture.  When training is complete, the Junior Docents will use the same approach to engage young museum visitors in a conversation about architecture; encourage young learners to think in new directions about architecture and its relationship to their own lives; increase their ability to discover and derive meaning from architecture; and help them build their own interpretation of the world around them.

Training: Junior Docents will be required to participate in five training sessions from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm on the following weekdays:

Thursday, July 8, 2010; Introduction to the Museum
Thursday, July 15, 2010; Architecture: What does it Mean to You?
Thursday, July 22, 2010; Understanding the Tour Process and Testing it Out
Thursday, July 29, 2010; Writing Your Tour
Thursday, August 5, 2010; Testing Your Tour

Once training is completed, Junior Docents will have 3 months for self-study.  After self-study, Junior Docents will test their tour in front of a live museum audience.  Junior Docents are asked to lead one tour a month.  To apply, please scroll down to the bottom of the page for a volunteer application. 

Information Desk

Our information desk volunteers are often the only representatives from the Museum with whom visitors have contact. Volunteers at the information desk orient visitors on Museum exhibitions, programs, events, and our surrounding neighborhood. Our volunteers also promote our daily activities such as tours and our family-friendly offerings.

Membership

Membership volunteers help promote Museum membership at lectures, family programs, festivals, and other events. 

Museum Shop

Shop volunteers have an opportunity to work in one of Washington's most recognized and distinctive museum shops—recently voted as "Best Museum Shop in the DC area"—shop volunteers assist Museum visitors by answering questions and ringing visitors up at the register.

A young girl receives instruction on hammering at the Miller & Long nail driving competition held during the Festival of the Building Arts.

© Peter Cutts

Outreach Programs

Youth programs at the NBM inspire students to examine the people, processes, and materials that create buildings and places. Outreach programs are seeking volunteers for each of the Museum’s multi-session design-based teen programs: CityVision, Design Apprenticeship Program (DAP), Investigating Where We Live (IWWL). Volunteer faculty members take on important instructive roles in outreach programs. While developing student design sensibility and helping participants to assess and manage the parameters of the project, volunteer mentors will also teach technical skills and assist the participants in preparing their final projects. To learn more about the specific programs, visit the Teen and Young Adults pages.

Public Programs

The museum's public program volunteers help facilitate the Museum's popular daytime and evening lectures. Volunteers assist with on-site registration, visitor services, and occasionally lead question question & answer sessions for programs.

Acceptance, Placement, and Training

Volunteer acceptance and placement is determined by matching volunteer qualifications, backgrounds, knowledge, interests, and availability with project and program requirements.  Once a volunteer is accepted into the program, a $15.00 processing fee is due.   

All volunteers undergo a personalized orientation session. Docents participate in a one to three-month initial training program consisting of two to four hours of training per week.  Docent training hours vary depending on the selected docent program. 

Ongoing training occurs throughout the year with curatorial overviews of new exhibitions, enrichment trips that are mission related, as well as volunteer continuing education. 

Commitment

"I enjoy volunteering as a docent since I get to talk to people about this Museum's unique mission. It's a great feeling to enhance the visitor's experience as they learn about the Museum, exhibits, and the history of Washington, D.C." -Jim Garcia, 12 year volunteer and Volunteer Advisory Board Member

Volunteers are an integral part of the National Building Museum's daily operations. In fact, the Museum began as a volunteer organization, and through these efforts the Museum continues to grow. Volunteers collectively contribute each year the equivalent of approximately six full-time staff members. In our fiscal year 2008, the museum's volunteers contributed a total of 11,488 hours. 

Volunteering at the National Building Museum requires a commitment of time, enthusiasm, and interest. All applicants must be willing to commit to two shifts per month, or a minimum of 20 shifts per year (for most assignments), one annual training session, and at least one year of service.

Benefits

Volunteers receive a variety of benefits, including:

• Complimentary individual membership (includes subscription to Blueprints , the Calendar or Events, invitations to exhibition openings, and a discount in the Museum Shop and cafe)
• Free admission to public programs 
• Educational opportunities such as monthly enrichment trips, volunteer continuing education, and curatorial overviews and tours
• Annual volunteer appreciation dinner and awards ceremony
• Access to the Museum’s volunteer lounge and library

Additional Requirements

The National Building Museum requires all paid staff and volunteers involved with the museum's youth programs to undergo a DC criminal background check and be tested for Tuberculosis. Employment and involvement is subject to the successful passage of such checks. More information about the process for both of these requirements will be available upon acceptance of your application. An interview is also required.

To Apply

Please review the volunteer opportunities listed above before submitting your application.  You will be contacted within two weeks upon receipt of your application.   

Questions? Contact the Volunteer Manager at 202.272.2448, ext. 3302 or e-mail volunteer@nbm.org.