Become a Community Docent at the Kelsey Museum

Kelsey Museum docents are community members who have completed training in museum education techniques and mastered content related to our collections from Greece, Rome, Egypt, and the Middle East. Serving as a vital connection to the museum, they present interactive gallery tours and informal educational experiences that educate, engage, and further our mission.

Our volunteer docents are ambassadors in the community and an invaluable part of the Kelsey education team.

Please note: The community docent program is not open to undergraduates. For more information on student opportunities at the Kelsey Museum, see our For Undergraduate Students web page.

Benefits

Extensive training in museum education techniques.
Extensive and wide-ranging background information about ancient Mediterranean archaeology presented by experts.
Access to U-M libraries to check out books and access online journals and databases.
Permission to audit (for free) selected University of Michigan classes that relate to the Kelsey Museum’s collections and research. (Classes may only be audited with the permission of the education and academic outreach coordinator and the university instructor.)
Opportunities for behind-the-scenes experiences through our monthly continuing education classes.

Requirements

All docents must be over 18 years old.
All docents must pass a criminal background check every year.
All docents must commit to a minimum of 30 volunteer hours (15 hours of tours and 15 hours of in-gallery time per year for a minimum of three years), as well as a minimum of 10 hours of continuing education per year beyond the initial training period. Continuing education includes participating in monthly docent meetings, attending lectures, auditing U-M classes, and more.
All docents must have a working email address.

Already a docent? Click here for Volgistics.

Upcoming Docent Training: Fall 2026

We are currently accepting applications for the docent program. Docent training will take place on Monday afternoons starting in the fall 2026 semester.

Interested in becoming a docent? Apply here!

Questions?

Do you have questions about becoming a docent at the Kelsey Museum? Contact education team member Stephanie Wottreng Haley at stephkw@umich.edu.

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