Volunteers are the lifeblood of HRMM – they give tours, lead school groups, staff the gift shop, help with public events, build things, do yard work, move docks, and make HRMM a wonderful place to visit and work. Without volunteers, we couldn’t be open as often, or serve the public as well as we do.
Our volunteer opportunities change throughout the season. Please consider which areas of our operations would be a good fit for you, and then submit an application using the button above. Or, download a paper application, fill it out by hand, and drop off, fax, or mail to HRMM.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Museum Store
Welcome visitors to the museum, answer questions about the campus, operate cash register, maintain product inventory
Museum Docent
Assist in leading tours through the museum and explain our exhibits adding context and interesting factual information to compliment the exhibits; Assist the education department when guiding school groups – helping with special education presentations
Age requirement: 18 years or older
Seasonal opportunity: year round, Wednesday through Sunday, 11am-5pm
Must attend Docent Training Days; Must be able to speak to groups of people while moving through the museum; The museum serves diverse groups of people – must be able to make adjustments to be sure all guests are enjoying their museum experience
Examples: Learning Maritime and Hudson Valley history as it relates to the museum’s exhibits, programs, and collection; Delivering information in a friendly and informative manner; Helping to create new displays, programs, and other materials to be used for educational purposes; Opportunities to assist in outreach or special events both on and off site if desired.
Wooden Boat School
Assist in hands-on woodworking and boat building projects. Help prepare materials, maintain our shop, and take part in boat restoration projects.
Seasonal opportunity: year round
Examples: Mill, cut, plane, joint, and glue up lumber for individual woodworking and boat building class materials; Sharpen and maintain tools and equipment; Repair and maintain our fleet of boats; Tabling at local events to promote our classes (for example internship fairs, farmers markets, eco arts week); Hand painting or carving decorative signs for our boat school; Assisting students and instructors during classes; Working with youth to build a boat for our YouthBoat program (spring & fall); Monitoring our Open Shop Nights; Develop and build the Art of Boat Building exhibition in the Wooden Boat School classroom which includes model making, framing, building, prepping walls, and drawing and painting
Sailing School
Support the Sailing School with tasks including hands-on boat maintenance and assistance at events.
Age requirement: 12 years or older
Spring preparation of boats, March to June; in-season maintenance and repair of boats, June through September; Fall maintenance/preparation for winter storage, September through November. Typical work days are Saturdays, 9 am to 2 pm and weekdays 9 am to 5 pm. Volunteers may work for any amount of time that works in their schedule, with a minimum of two hours per session requested.
Highly physical work – must be able to lift 50 lbs, squat, carry things over uneven or rough terrain. The ability to swim and work wearing a life jacket is required when working on boats on the water.
Examples: Boat maintenance tasks may include sanding, painting, varnishing boat bottoms and topsides; sanding, painting, varnishing boat parts; attaching new parts, repairing parts; patching cracks or holes with epoxy; stepping masts or taking masts down; moving boats on land, hitching boats on trailers to a truck and driving them to a boat launch and launching them or bringing boats out of the water
YouthBoat
Day time and after school boatbuilding immersion and on-the-water programs for youth
Solaris (May – November)
Guide educational programs for families, individuals, and school groups onboard the museum’s touring boat, Solaris.
Age requirement: 18 years or older
Seasons opportunity: May – November; Monday & Tuesday – Boat Maintenance; Wed. – Sun – Tour Guides/program leads
Assist the captain and crew with boat maintenance on days there are no programs and/or lead tours on Rondout Creek, Rondout lighthouse, and the Hudson River – topics include lighthouse history, ecology, and other factual information.
Non lighthouse tours require the ability to be able to embark and disembark from the dock to the boat, stand for a long period of time (one hour) on a moving boat. Lighthouse tours require the ability to go up and down stairs and a small ladder, assist others up and down a ladder and duck through a 3’ opening.
Public speaking skills a must
A passion for delivering historical information in a fun and interesting way a big plus; Interest in the marine history of the area
Examples: woodworking at the docks (optional task); Helping prep the boat for guests; Greeting guests and presenting informative tour information; Walking guests through the Rondout Lighthouse
Education
Assist as a tour guide and by delivering educational programs to the public and school groups through exhibit interpretation and other mediums.
Education (Teenagers)
Assist with Museum’s education initiatives – museum and waterfront tours, etc.
Age requirement: 14 years old or freshman year of high school
Seasonal opportunity: Spring – Summer - Wed. thru Sunday; Fall – Winter – attend trainings and help at special events
Attend Teen Docent training Days; Interest in Maritime history, public speaking, art, ecology, and Hudson Valley history and culture
Examples: Lead museum and waterfront tours. Assist camp and school groups with tours and activities. Help conduct research and design new events and activities. Assist with special events and outreach programs
Education (School Group Volunteers)
Assist with the HRMM School group activities. We will be doing crafts, learning maritime and Hudson Valley history, playing games and exploring the waterways onboard Solaris.
Age requirement: 16 years old or completed sophomore year of high school
Seasonal opportunity: June – August. At least 2 full week (Mon – Fri) commitment; 8 hour days. Also Winter Break and Spring Break Camp
Must be able to lift 30 lbs; Must be able to walk on uneven or natural terrain; Must like children; Interest in the museum, history or ecology
Examples: Leading groups of children on museum tours, making crafts, playing games; Assisting with check-in and sign-out; Supervising children during snacks, lunch, and when moving from activity to activity
Special Events
Assist in seasonal and other outreach events by promoting museum programs, making craft items, or helping to set up and break down events.
Age requirement: 16 years or older
Seasonal opportunity: Year round. October Halloween event. Mostly weekends (off season) and during the weekdays in the summer months.
Position requirements: There is flexibility within this opportunity. Can be a sit down position with limited mobility if tabling at an event, or high mobility if decorating and helping set up an event.
Must enjoy engaging with the public
Examples: Setting up for an event (moving tables and chairs); Breaking down an event (cleanup and put away materials); Make demo crafts; Create fun activities to engage the public; Off–site; tabling at an event hosted by another organization, speaking about HRMM and its programming; October – help with decorating, make-up artist, costuming, playing a role in the Halloween shenanigans, set up and break down, painting, set creation; Sailing School Special Events - ushering people, answering questions, serving food, etc.
Communications
Marketing of programs, distribution of promotional materials, community calendar listings, and social media
Archives
Assist with the study and management of objects in the museum’s collection, research, digitization of records
Office/Administrative Support
Assist staff with data management, projects, mailings, phones, organization, and cleaning
Age requirement: 16 years or older
Season opportunity: Year round
Examples: include entering classes into online community calendars and similar work; posting flyers
Buildings & Grounds
Participate in clean-up days, general maintenance, painting, gardening, and yard work