Jan. 20, 2005

The Michigan Historical Museum in Lansing invites people with a passion for history to sign up for docent training.  The free program offers docent trainees the opportunity to learn about Michigan history and then share it with others as museum volunteers.

The training program takes place on 11 consecutive Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., beginning Feb. 3 at the Michigan Historical Museum.

"Museum docents ‘tell it like it was,'" said Tami Averill, curator of education for the Michigan Historical Museum.  "They are an integral part of the museum experience for schoolchildren, senior groups, families and other visitors."

People from all walks of life become museum docents.  Some become docents after retirement, while others make time to volunteer while still in school or in the workforce.  The time commitment is just 100 hours a year, served in easy-to-manage, three-hour segments.

What does a docent do?  After successfully completing the training program, docents most often provide guided tours to museum visitors.  Docents interested in other opportunities provide vital volunteer hours at the Michigan Historical Museum Store, the museum information desk and at the State Archives of Michigan, a sister agency of the Michigan Historical Museum.

While helping others appreciate their Michigan heritage, docents expand their own base of knowledge through the initial docent-training program and subsequent optional workshops and field trips.  Docents receive complimentary issues of Michigan History magazine and a 10-percent discount at the Michigan Historical Museum Store.  Several times a year, docents get together for social gatherings that range from the informal to the formal.

For more information on how to become a docent, contact Tami Averill by telephone at (517) 241-4060 or by e-mail at averillt@michigan.gov.

The Michigan Historical Museum is located inside the Michigan Library and Historical Center, 702 W. Kalamazoo St., two blocks west of the State Capitol in downtown Lansing.  The main entrance and visitor parking are located north of Kalamazoo Street, just east of M.L. King Boulevard.  Museum hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. The museum is closed on official state holidays.

For more information visit www.michiganhistory.org or telephone (517) 373-3559, TDD (517) 373-1592.

The Michigan Historical Museum System is a division of the Michigan Historical Center, an agency of the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries, whose mission is to enrich the quality of life for Michigan residents by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity. The department also includes the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, the Library of Michigan, the Michigan Film Office and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries.