Discovery Ambassador Volunteer

Mission: The mission of Cleveland Museum of Natural History is to inspire, through science and education, a passion for nature, the protection of natural diversity, the fostering of health, and leadership to a sustainable future.

Position Summary:  The goal of the volunteer's role is to enhance and improve all Museum visitors’ experience. Volunteers will help visitors navigate the museum and help facilitate family-friendly activities. Visitor Experience Volunteers help with wayfinding, lead activities, greet visitors, welcoming them to the Museum, and help to shorten lines by scanning tickets when the Museum is busy. 

Volunteers can volunteer every day the Museum is open to the public Tuesday- Sunday 10am-5pm.  We especially need volunteers help during weekends, and breaks such as Winter break and Spring break, when the Museum welcomes many more visitors through its doors.

Responsibilities:

• Engage with families in a proactive way by welcoming them into the Museum and sharing what's happening today. 
• Introduce an activity table such as the leaf rubbing cart and encouraging kids or adults to join.
• Offer wayfinding and problem solving
• Represent the Museum in a professional and friendly way at all times.
• Familiarize yourself with the Museum’s schedule of daily animal shows and other fun family friendly things to do to help answer visitors' questions.
• Volunteers can sign up to help with any of the activities below to improve and enhance Museum visitors’ experience:
  • Floor Ambassador - Focused in a major intersection of the Museum to encourage attendance to shows and current science, direct visitors to restrooms, travelling exhibits, lactation station, gift shop and live animals outdoors.
  • Floor Activity Facilitator - lead a leaf rubbing activity or other activities with visitors.
  • Museum Greeter –greeting visitors upon arrival and helping them feel welcome.  Sharing information about fun activities and helping to orient them as they arrive and answer questions. 
  • Ticket Scanner- Use iPods to scan visitors' tickets and verify documents qualifying visitors for discounts shorten the admission line on busy days.
• Volunteer shifts are typically 2-4 hours long. We require all of our volunteers to use the Museum’ volunteer database system called Better Impact, to sign up for shifts and record their hours.  Volunteers can sign up and log hours on the “My Impact’ phone app, the Museum iPad, or on their personal computers.

Requirements:

• A professional, friendly personality to greet the Museum’s guests and guide them through the Museum.

Skills Needed:

• Communication: Able to engage in clear, concise and effective communication to varied audiences; able to empathize with others’ needs and respond sensitively; able to use good judgment when responding to objections successfully. Will communicate immediately with supervisor any issues that arise while volunteering.
• Initiative: Able to adapt old methods for new uses or seek continuous improvement in procedures. Able to conceive more effective/efficient ways of completing tasks.
• Professionalism: Able to remain calm and professional through stressful or ambiguous circumstances; able to objectively and calmly interpret information and solve problems.
• Teamwork: Able to show team spirit and treat team members with cooperation and respect; able to share useful information with team members; able to support and comply with decisions.

Physical Volunteering Conditions:

• Reasonable accommodations available for all physical requirements.  

Requirements for all Volunteer Positions:

• All volunteer positions require a minimum age of 16.
• All volunteer positions require a 3-month commitment. Unless otherwise stated.
• Volunteers need to complete all training sessions or orientations.
• Attend required continuing education seminar(s) each year.
• Fingerprinting and/or background check is required for all volunteers.
• A commitment to maintaining confidentiality of all privileged information to which they are exposed to while volunteering, whether this information involves a single staff person, or another person, or involves overall museum business.