Thank you for your interest in joining our team at the Science Museum of Western Virginia. Did you know that the museum sees over 90,000 students, patrons and visitors a year? We believe in empowering our community through experimental learning and cannot achieve our mission without the support of our incredible volunteers!
New Volunteers
Prior to starting to volunteer at the Science Museum, you must complete the New Volunteer Application below. This is your first step to joining the SMWV Team! Following this, you will be asked to complete a Virtual Orientation where you will receive all of the information you will need to succeed in any role at the museum.
Ready to join our Volunteer Team?
To start the process, please contact us at 540.342.5710 or email us at [email protected].
- Free parking in the Center in the Square garage during volunteer hours
- Flexible scheduling and duties to best suit the individual
- 2 free admission tickets after the first 10 hours of volunteering
- Free Individual Membership after 50 hours of volunteering
- Free Passport Membership after 100 hours of volunteering
Volunteers must be at least 14 years of age, although some roles require a minimum age of 18 years. A Liability Waiver must be signed and an adult Background Check must be completed prior to volunteering at the museum. Volunteers must also uphold the mission of the Science Museum and complete a Virtual Orientation.
Volunteer Positions
Explore the volunteer positions below to see what might interest you. Each positions has specific requirements that can be found in the Volunteer Handbook in the Volunteer Portal. If you don’t find a position you think is right for you, reach out to our Manager of Visitor Services, Mae Early Wilmer, to discuss how we can find the best role for you.
Work with guests and assist them in their interactions with exhibits, answer patron questions, act as a greeter, maintain cleanliness of museum areas, and communicate with museum staff about issues with exhibits.
Help our Living Collections department care for our feathered, and reptile friends. This role includes interacting with animals to provide enrichment, interacting with guests, and tending to enclosures.
**Please note that this role requires volunteers be 18 years or older. Volunteers with experience and/or knowledge of animals is preferred.
Help execute various types of museum-sponsored events. This can include tasks such as running the box office, setting up and breaking down for the event, or greet event guests.
Help with administrative tasks for museum leadership. Tasks for this role will be assigned based on a volunteer’s experience. Office Assistants may help with filing paperwork, making membership packets, inputting data into a computer program, working on promotional materials and social media, and other various forms of administrative tasks that may be assigned by department heads.
Assist educators in facilitating Summer Camp programming (June – August). Volunteers will work directly with groups of children from preschool to middle school ages. They will provide program support to Summer Camp Educators and assist in ensuring the children’s safety. Summer Camps take place both in the museum and offsite at other locations, including outdoor areas and other educational facilities.
Help our Visitor Services Associates run the front desk by responding to patrons’ questions, answering phones, running the Rock Sluice, and providfing. Volunteers at our front desk are the first faces patrons see when entering the museum. They will work with the Visitor Services team to provide each museum patron with the utmost standards in customer service.
Help with various artistic needs. Being a creative position, there are endless possibilities in this role. Volunteers acting as creative contributors will work directly with a department head or our Executive Director to help facilitate everything from museum decor, exhibit creation, graphic design, photography, signage, and so much more.
Assist in basic maintenance of the museum and its exhibits. This can include painting and minor repairs to museum structures, as well as working with our Exhibit Technician to create or repair exhibits.