 A new crop of docents are recognized at the Volunteer Appreciation Celebration in November 2008. The event featured a Latin Jazz theme, spicy food, and a live jazz band.
Above: A new crop of docents are recognized at the Volunteer Appreciation Celebration in November 2008. The event featured a Latin Jazz theme, spicy food, and a live jazz band.
 A volunteer explains how to sort letters on a Railway Mail Service train car.
Above: A volunteer explains how to sort letters on a Railway Mail Service train car.
 Owney the Dog is a favorite for many museum volunteers who enjoy sharing his story with visitors.
Above: Owney the Dog is a favorite for many museum volunteers who enjoy sharing his story with visitors.
 Visitors display “mail art” postcards created at a museum workshop.
Above: Visitors display “mail art” postcards created at a museum workshop.
 Students mailed their docent a giant package of thank you notes after visiting the museum.
Above: Students mailed their docent a giant package of thank you notes after visiting the museum.
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Volunteer Positions
Docents
Share stories of American history with drop-in visitors and scheduled adult tour groups.
Participate at least once a month. Weekday or weekend positions are available.
Family Event Volunteers
Join a small, creative team in a national institution!
The Smithsonian National Postal Museum presents about 40 public programs each year for different audiences, many of them for families. Family Day and Family Festival programs connect visitors with postal history, philately (stamp collecting), and cultural heritage in fun and educational ways.
Past family days have included: Latin Jazz Celebration, Politics and the Post, The ABCs of Stamp Collecting Workshop, Victory Mail Family Day, and Postal Inspectors: the Silent Service.
As a family program volunteer, you will play a vital role in providing these fun and educational opportunities to families. Volunteers greet visitors, direct hands-on family activities, guide art activities, and facilitate exploration of museum objects.
Volunteers gather before programs for training and orientation. These sessions prepare volunteers to master the activities they lead and make them their own. After programs, volunteers gather again to share their experiences and suggest changes. Staff takes volunteer feedback and input very seriously!
Family programs take place on week days and weekends throughout the year and usually last between three to four hours. Education volunteers commit to volunteering at 12 programs each year.
Intermittent volunteer opportunities and projects are also available for teen Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts and other teen volunteers should commit to volunteering at three programs each year.
Take a peek at highlights from recent public programs: www.postalmuseum.si.edu/museum/1l_what'snew.html
Find out about upcoming public programs: www.postalmuseum.si.edu/museum/1b_calendar.html
Student Tour Docents
Lead fun, hands-on tours on weekday mornings for school groups from preschool through
sixth grade. Participate at least once a month during the school year.
The Arago Volunteer Researcher Program is a volunteer program at the National Postal Museum and is administered in coordination with the Smithsonian Behind-the-Scenes Volunteer Program. It provides volunteer researchers the opportunity to share their specialized knowledge and cumulative research with a vast audience.
General Volunteer Information
Volunteer Benefits
In exchange for your valuable contribution of time and expertise you will receive:
- 20% discount at all Smithsonian Shops
- Opportunities to take free or discounted courses offered by the Smithsonian Associates
- 10% discount on items at the National Gallery of Art and the Kennedy Center shops
- Behind-the-scenes access to the Museum
- Invitations to special programs and events
How to Apply
Trainings for all volunteer positions above are held in March and September. Applications are due January 31st
for the March training session and July 31st for the September training session.
You may fill out a Volunteer Application online. For questions about the Museum's volunteer program,
call 202-633-5534 (voice) or 202-633-9849 (TTY).
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