Volunteer at the bakken

THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING VOLUNTEERING AT THE BAKKEN MUSEUM

The Bakken Museum inspires a passion for innovation by exploring the potential for science, technology, and the humanities to make the world a better place. The museum features a world-renowned collection of artifacts; exceptional on- and off-site education programs; interactive exhibits exploring the wonders of invention, plant medicine, technology, and electricity; and a beautiful, multidimensional outdoor garden space.

Volunteers are an integral component of our work and can support The Bakken in various ways.

Please see below for information on volunteer opportunities for individuals. To learn more about individual roles or to ask about bringing your group of volunteers to the museum, contact our Community Engagement Coordinator, Will Elsas, at elsas@thebakken.org.

Summer opportunities

Garden Assistant

OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

Gardening and grounds care at The Bakken Museum’s campus includes a wide range of outdoor projects in a unique, multifaceted landscape. Sitting on nearly 3 acres, the property comprises a wetland restoration area, a cottage-style medicinal plant garden, an organic vegetable garden, and countless other highlights and surprising elements for lovers of nature. 

TIME COMMITMENT, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND QUALIFICATIONS: 

Garden volunteers meet regularly on Saturday mornings, 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m., from May through October. For those with schedule conflicts or those who wish for more garden time, we can coordinate with you to schedule other hours. 

Experienced gardeners, beginners, and everyone in between are welcome to join, as long as you have a passion for nature and an interest in digging in the dirt. Volunteers are always invited to bring a friend or bring your kiddo – the more, the merrier! 

In addition to individuals, groups of up to 50 volunteers can schedule a time to help out between April and October. 

Summer Camp Mentors

Summer Camp Mentors assist Bakken educators and counselors during the five-session Camp Innovation, helping to guide campers through the invention process, problem-solving with them, and ensuring a safe, creative, and welcoming atmosphere for all. This is the perfect role for former campers or for high schoolers interested in sharing their love of science with youth! 

 TIME COMMITMENT: 

  • Mentors are required to attend all five sessions of a given week of camp. 

  • Sessions can be either half-day (9:00 a.m.-12 p.m.) or full-day (9 a.m.-4 p.m.). 

  • Mentors can sign up to assist with one week of camp or multiple weeks. 

  • Mandatory training sessions take place in early June, and camp weeks begin in mid-late June and last into the first week of September. 

 RESPONSIBILITIES: 

  • Cultivate an environment of safety, inclusion, and creativity. 

  • Attend all five weekday sessions of each designated camp week, in addition to training sessions. 

  • Collaborate with a team of Bakken staff and counselors to best support and build skills and interests of campers. 

  • Promote innovation process – the value of wonder, the growth from failure, the passion for discovery, and the strength of collaboration. 

 QUALIFICATIONS: 

  • Ability to work as a team member and accept responsibility.  

  • Ability to act independently and to seek consultation when needed.  

  • Desire to work with students (either ages 9-11 and/or ages 12–15).  

  • Ability to resist taking over students’ projects, allowing them to work through the invention process.  

  • Experience and comfort with small power tools and workshop tools.  

  • Background or interest in art, engineering, teaching, and/or science and invention.

School Year Opportunities

YOUTH PROGRAM MENTOR

Sessions of Inventor’s Club and LEGO Robotics Club occur in the Fall, Winter, and Spring on Saturdays. Mentors are invited to assist with either morning sessions only, afternoon sessions only, or both sessions and are strongly encouraged to maintain attendance throughout an entire session.  

Inventors Club – 7 Saturdays (1 training day, 6 class days)  

  • 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. (3rd – 5th graders)  

  • 1:30 p.m.- 4:00p.m. (6th graders and up) 

 LEGO Robotics – 5 Saturdays (1 training day, 4 class days)  

  • 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (3rd – 5th graders)  

  • 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. (4th – 6th graders)  

 RESPONSIBILITIES:  

  • Ensure a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment in the workshop 

  • Attend Saturday sessions, plus one Saturday of training prior to the beginning of the program sessions 

  • Work with a team of Bakken staff and mentors to expand and develop the interests and skills of young student inventors 

  • Be available and accessible to all students during the session to help them find answers to their questions 

 QUALIFICATIONS: 

  • Ability to work as a team member and accept responsibility. 

  • Ability to act independently and to seek consultation when needed. 

  • Desire to work with students (either ages 9-11 and/or ages 12–15). 

  • Ability to resist taking over students’ projects, allowing them to work through the invention process. 

  • Experience and comfort with small power tools and workshop tools. 

  • Background or interest in art, engineering, teaching, and/or science and invention. 

YEAR ROUND OPPORTUNITIES

Events Support

The Bakken Museum hosts events of all kinds, from rooftop theatre performances to intimate weddings to corporate meetings. Each requires a different level of support, from setting up furniture ahead of time to cleaning up at the end of the night. Volunteers are an important cog in the machine of a well-run event!  

TIME COMMITMENT, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND QUALIFICATIONS 

The duration and responsibilities of events support can vary. In general, an average shift is about 2 hours long but could be shorter or slightly longer according to the needs of the event. Responsibilities include moving furniture, arranging decorations, supporting front desk check-in, floating around and tidying up, wayfinding for visitors, and supporting the cleanup crew at the end.  

As an extra perk, volunteers who set up or tear down for a rooftop performance can attend and enjoy the show as spectators! 

GALLERY, EXHIBIT, ACTIVITY FACILITATOR 

Facilitators serve as a friendly face for general admissions visitors on the weekends. These volunteers are present for many reasons – to welcome visitors, offer guidance and wayfinding, invite exploration, answer questions as they arise, facilitate specific science activities, and conduct general tidying of the galleries – all to enhance, deepen, and personalize the visitor experience. With further training and museum familiarity, facilitators can serve as representative experts on the West Winds mansion and can direct Static Party Room demonstrations with visitors.  

TIME COMMITMENT: 

  • Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. or 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. 

  • Sundays, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. or 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. 

  • We encourage volunteers to commit to a weekly shift or a shift every other week as a way of building familiarity and establishing consistency.  

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

  • Ensure a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment in the museum. 

  • Attend shifts on time, wear nametag, appear engaged, and present interest in learning new things. 

  • Welcome museum visitors and offer individualized support, guidance, conversation, and demonstrations. Many visitors have stories to tell, so volunteers must be good listeners, too! 

  • Collaborate and cooperate with museum staff and other volunteers. 

  • Promote Bakken programs and upcoming events.  

QUALIFICATIONS: 

  • Ability to work as a team member and ambassador for all things Bakken. 

  • Ability to communicate clearly and enthusiastically with a diverse audience. 

  • Proficiency in adjusting communication and input style to serve a range of visitors.  

  • Background or interest in science, technology, engineering, arts, math, and humanities.

Tour Guide

Tour guides lead groups of youth, adults, and/or seniors through the galleries of The Bakken Museum, facilitating the exploration of its exhibits and hands-on activities, divulging the history of the West Winds mansion, and inspiring engagement and curiosity among tour participants. The most common tours take place with elementary-aged students during the school year (Oct-May).  

 TIME COMMITMENT: 

 Field Trip Tour Guide 

  • 4-hour shifts (includes 2 tours + break), taking place on weekdays in the timeframe: 9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 

  • 8 hours/month (2 shifts) is requested 

  • 4 hours/week (1 shift) is preferred 

 Tour Guide (for out-of-school youth, adult, & senior groups) 

  • School-year weekdays – 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. 

  • Summer weekdays – 10:45 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. 

  • Saturdays, year-round – 10:45 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. 

  • 4 hours/month (1 shift) is preferred 

 RESPONSIBILITIES: 

  • Attend training and observations in order to master tour content and practice delivery style. 

  • Deliver tours with accuracy and enthusiasm to groups of museum visitors, often elementary-aged students. 

  • Manage tour participants safely and inclusively, abiding by tour schedule. 

  • Encourage hands-on participation and exploration of galleries and exhibit content. 

  • Comply with all policies and procedures of The Bakken Museum. 

 QUALIFICATIONS: 

  • Passion about the wonders of science and innovation and/or professional background in education or in a STEM field. 

  • Ability to communicate clearly and consistently. 

  • Skill at or interest in developing skills at youth mentorship and group management. 

  • Capacity to learn new ideas and develop new strategies to teach them. 

Occasional opportunities

Exhibit Volunteer

TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE

Exhibit developers work closely with museum curators, project managers, and Bakken educators in order to research, test, and produce exhibits and hands-on activities at The Bakken Museum. 

Time Commitment: 8 hours per week 

 RESPONSIBILITIES: 

  • Assist with content research, draft exhibit text, and procure objects and other exhibit resources. 

  • Conduct image research, acquisition, and licensing. 

  • Participate as a team member to investigate potential topics for exhibits and communicate research findings to the team. 

  • Assist with testing exhibit ideas and prototyping with the public. 

  • Maintain high standards of accuracy and comprehensiveness in all research and management tasks. 

  • Comply with all policies and procedures of The Bakken Museum. 

QUALIFICATIONS: 

  • Familiarity with or interest in communicating ideas to the public. 

  • Knowledge of or strong interest in history, science, engineering, and/or medicine. 

  • Experience using MS Office. 

  • Ability to conduct in-depth research using library and internet resources. 

  • Ability to clearly communicate findings in written form. 

  • Ability to act independently and to seek consultation when needed. 

  • Ability to work as a team member. 

Collections Volunteer

TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE

Under the close guidance of museum curators, collections assistants advance the care, management, and research of the museum’s vast collection of historical artifacts and literature. Volunteers working with the collection gain insights about accession and preservation of historical items and may accompany curators during collections events to help share this information with the public. 

 TIME COMMITMENT: 

  • 4 hours per week, scheduled with curator 

  • Work as a collections volunteer is project-oriented and therefore, may not always be available.  

 RESPONSIBILITIES:  

  • Communicate research findings to the curator and other team members.  

  • Assist with presentation of collections at public events.  

  • Maintain high standards of accuracy and comprehensiveness in all research and management tasks.  

  • Comply with all policies and procedures of The Bakken Museum in pursuit of its mission.  

 QUALIFICATIONS:  

  • Familiarity with or interest in electrical apparatuses and electronic medical devices.  

  • Knowledge of or interest in history and historical research methods.  

  • Knowledge of library and archival practices is preferred for special projects.  

  • Ability to act independently and to seek consultation when needed.  

  • Ability to work as a team member.  

  • Ability to clearly communicate findings in written form.