Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteering for the Museums as Progress (MaP) Community offers a chance to collaborate with passionate museum professionals, gain valuable insights into the museum sector, and develop new skills in a supportive environment. Volunteers help community members and institutions cultivate a deeper understanding of their audiences through community programs and events.
Volunteer Roles
Welcome Committee members foster belonging in the community. A Welcome Committee volunteer always asks: How can we make better beginnings? The question applies to new members and seasons — How can we improve the new member experience? How can we welcome members (new and old) to a new season of learning and connection?
The Member Progress Committee supports community members as they try to achieve their goals. MPC volunteers listen to members, learn what matters to them and what prevents them from achieving their goals, and create new programs that help members overcome those challenges.
Program Facilitators are also focused on member progress but deliver a single program or series of events. This role allows for creativity and imagination within the constraints of a single program type. This role is for you if you can think of a dozen ways to facilitate a book club or a hundred variables that you could play with to improve a member meetup.
While the Welcome Committee is focused on better beginnings, the Unconference Committee looks for ways to create better endings. In addition to developing MaP & Tell Unconference sessions, these volunteers look for ways to improve the end-of-season experience for members.
All volunteer roles require a mixture of invention and execution. We encourage volunteers to experiment and try new approaches to achieving desired outcomes while learning what’s worked in the past and carrying tried-and-true practices forward.
Time Commitment
A community volunteer may spend 2 to 5 hours each month supporting the community and its members. The estimate includes time for monthly debriefing and collaboration sessions where volunteers and admins share learnings and collaborate to identify improvements we can make for members.
Term & Seasons
The MaP Community operates on a seasonal basis. For members, a season is about five months long, with a one-month break in between. Volunteers often meet in the interim month, though, as the off-season is a good time for reflection and planning.
Volunteers must commit to their role for at least one season (6 months). At the end of the first season, you can decide whether to continue in the role for another season. You can serve in the same role for up to three seasons (18 months). If you want to continue volunteering at the end of the third season, you can choose a different role or committee.
Application Process
After you complete the application form, current committee members will review your submission, and we’ll invite you to a call to discuss your role and how a volunteer position can support your goals. Then, you can decide if/how you’d like to proceed.