Announcements

Thank you for your interest in the Peabody.  We are no longer accepting volunteer applications for Summer 2013. The Volunteer Office will be closed from June 3, until September 3,2013. We will respond to applications for long-term volunteers when we return.  Emails and phone messages will be checked only occasionally during the summer months. Inquiries about Summer Camps should be directed to Josue Irizarry at 203-432-3776 or peabody.events@yale.edu.  For information about the Peabody On The Road program, please contact Elizabeth Steele at 203-432-3775 or peabody.ontheroad@yale.edu  

Becoming a Volunteer

Volunteers are vital to the success of the Yale Peabody Museum and active in every part of the Museum. We simply can’t do what we do without you!

If you have skills, background or interests to share, the Museum welcomes you! It’s a great way to reach out to our community, meet friends, learn something new, develop skills and help with scientific research. Become a Peabody Volunteer and find out why over 200 individuals offer their time and talents to this institution year-round!

Acceptance into the volunteer program is contingent upon successful application and interview. Please understand that the Museum always has more applications for positions than we are able to fill.

Application

Download and print an application to become a Yale Peabody Museum volunteer [PDF 168 KB] and fax or mail your completed form to the Volunteer Office

Parental Consent Form

Parents of volunteers under 18 must complete a Consent to Treatment form [PDF 105 KB]

Adobe Acrobat Reader

You may type your information onto these PDF forms with the latest version of the free Adobe Acrobat Reader®

Benefits to Volunteers

• Free admission to the Museum
• Subscription to the Explorer membership newsletter
• Attend programs and lectures sponsored by the Museum
• Invitation to annual volunteer bus trip
• 10% discount at the Museum Store

Contact Information

Are you interested in becoming a Peabody Volunteer? If you have questions after exploring this web site, please contact Mary Anderson, Volunteer Coordinator, at the Volunteer Office.

Telephone (203) 432-3731
Fax (203) 432-3731
Email address peabody.volunteers@yale.edu

Mailing address:
Volunteer Office
Peabody Museum of Natural History
Yale University
P.O. Box 208118
New Haven, CT 06520-8118

Training

No prior museum experience is expected. Training will be provided for all volunteers in departments throughout the Museum.

• Docents: Classes are held once a year at the Peabody. The series of classes meets every fall, on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. for 4 weeks. Registration is required. This in-depth training focuses on our most requested exhibit — The Dinosaurs of the Great Hall. All docents begin with this training program, which include teaching techniques that will help you lead informal education programs for school classes. Once docents have this initial training, they can also be trained and begin teaching about other exhibits in the museum. Go to Docent page to learn more

• Highlight Tour Guides: Someone interested in becoming a Highlights Tour guide begins by shadowing a Highlights Tour. You will be provided with written material and encouraged to take the Museum’s audio tour. After reviewing this information, the candidate will lead a tour in the company of an experienced guide. The experienced guide will serve as a support during the tour and will also give comments and suggestions to the candidate. When the candidate feels ready they take a Museum educator on a Highlights Tours to demonstrate their readiness to lead a tour on their own. Go to Highlights Tours to learn more

• Discovery Room and Fossil Cart: Training is offered on an ongoing individual basis through the Public Education Department—approximately 1 hour. Volunteers in the Discovery Room will be given a handbook specific to that area of the Museum. Go to Discovery Room or Fossil Cart to learn more.

• Peabody on the Road: Training for either the Natural History and Anthropology kits (1 ½ hours) or the Rocks and Minerals Kit (2 hours) is scheduled several times during the year. Go to the Peabody on the Road page to learn more

• Collections: Training by departments is individual and ongoing and will be specific to the tasks you are assigned. Go to Collections to learn more.

Click here for the Volunteer Handbook

Update Your Volunteer Profile Here

If you have a change of address, email or phone, have changed volunteer assignment, are taking a leave of absence or are no longer volunteering, please let the volunteer office know your:

Click here to update your volunteer profile