Volunteers & Interns
Volunteer Opportunities
Nuite Blanche
Earth Ranger Studio Ushers
Patrick and Barbara Keenan Family Gallery of Hands-on Biodiversity and CIBC Discovery Gallery
Join the Department of Museum Volunteers (DMV)
M.A. Fritz Travel Grants for the Advancement of Studies in Palaeontology
Veronika Gervers: Research Fellowship in Textiles and Costume History
Looking for volunteers for Nuit Blanche at the ROM
On October 2, 2010, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) will join the City of Toronto for a 12-hour celebration of contemporary art from 6:57 p.m. to sunrise. For this fifth annual sunset to sunrise celebration of art, the city will be transformed by the creative talent of hundreds of artists and artist collectives. This year’s event will feature 130 free and accessible contemporary art projects across the city.
The ROM will feature exhibitions presented by the ICC in the Roloff Beny Gallery which include the world premiere of El Anatsui: When I Last Wrote to You About Africa, the first career retrospective of the internationally renowned artist El Anatsui and Walls and Barriers. Featured at the Thorsell Spirit House, in the lobby of the ROM, XXIX, by Laurel MacDonald, is a site-specific video installation depicting 29 singers performing in 29 languages.
The ROM and the ICC are currently seeking volunteers interested in: attendance tracking; orientation of visitors to the Thorsell Spirit House and the Roloff Beny Gallery; and general information once in the gallery. Volunteers will receive an orientation session for this event at a date to be announced.
At this time, there are three shifts available (please note that volunteers will be rotated to cover different positions and responsibilities in each 4 hour shift):
Shift 1. 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Shift 2. 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
Shift 3. 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.
If you are interested in volunteering, please respond to Johanna Contreras at johannac@rom.on.ca with your name, phone number, and email address and preferred shift time no later than September 10, 2010.
This is a great opportunity to participate in a fun evening of contemporary art!
The Earth Rangers Studio is a dynamic new space in the Schad Gallery of Biodiversity, opening May 16. The Earth Rangers are seeking Earth Ranger Studio Ushers for the live animal presentations scheduled throughout the week. For details about this volunteer opportunity please visit the Earth Rangers website.
Patrick and Barbara Keenan Family Gallery of Hands-on Biodiversity and CIBC Discovery Gallery
Volunteer Facilitators work with our visitors (including families and school groups), engaging them in gallery activities, such as discovery boxes, interactive components, activity stations and Museum objects. This volunteer experience provides valuable training in communication and teaching skills, as well as an opportunity to learn about the Museum's collections.
Responsibilities
- Work with other volunteers and staff as a team to ensure the gallery meets its goal of providing fun, hands-on learning experiences
- Work directly with the public to facilitate the use of discovery boxes, work stations and other displays by actively engaging visitors
- Circulate throughout the gallery ensuring the presence of a Volunteer Facilitator in each area
- Welcome school groups and visitors
- Ensure that the gallery is tidy, free from obstructions, and supplies are replenished as needed
Qualifications
- Enthusiasm for museum work and for the hands-on gallery approach
- Able to make a commitment of one four-hour shift per week
- Able to volunteer throughout the year including the summer months
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Able to work well in a crowded and noisy environment, and with visitors of all backgrounds and ages (particularly children)
- Able to work well as part of a team under the direction and supervision of staff
- Background or interest in a museum-related subject
- Bilingualism is an asset
For more information, please contact:
Keenan Family Gallery Coordinator
Tel: 416.586.5730
Fax: 416.586.5562
E-mail: romgall@rom.on.ca
CIBC Discovery Gallery Coordinator
Tel: 416.586.5800
Fax: 416.586.5562
E-mail: romgall@rom.on.ca
Join the Department of Museum Volunteers
The ROM's Department of Museum Volunteers (DMV) will hold 3 information meetings in 2009 to acquaint potential volunteers with upcoming volunteer opportunities. The information meetings will take place at the Museum on the following dates: Saturday December 5, 2009, and Saturday, March 6, 2010. You need only attend one of these information meetings.
To let us know which one of these meetings you would like attend, please call the DMV Reception line at 416.586.8097. On the day of the meeting, please meet at the Security Staff Entrance at the South Side of the ROM on University Avenue, opposite the Planetarium at 10:15 a.m.
Volunteer opportunities vary depending upon the program requirements and current openings at the DMV. These opportunities are usually available in the the Meeters and Greeters Program, Gallery Interpreters, ROMbus, Special Exhibitions and Special Assignments.
Information meetings are held prior to individual program training and orientation provided to new volunteers.
The DMV encourages the participation of volunteers from all walks of life including students, retirees, employed persons and other interested individuals. Individuals proficient in English and a second language are welcome.
Please note that information meetings are strictly for volunteer opportunities and NOT for paid positions at the Museum.
The following are requirements for interested individuals who wish to become volunteers through the DMV:
- Valid ROM Membership
- 2 year commitment
- DMV dues upon Active status
Interested individuals are encouraged to monitor this web site for dates of upcoming information meetings. Unfortunately, due to the large number of inquires it is difficult to respond to each request.
M.A. Fritz Travel Grants for the Advancement of Studies in Palaeontology
The Palaeobiology Division of the Royal Ontario Museum.s Department of Natural
History offers annual M.A. Fritz Travel Grants for the Advancement of Studies in Palaeontology.
Funded through an endowment created by Madeleine A. Fritz, former curator at the ROM, two awards
will be given annually to help offset the costs of visiting and studying ROM palaeontology
collections; one award will be for invertebrate fossil study and the other for vertebrate fossil
study.
Deadline: March 15
Full grant description and application details (PDF)
Veronika Gervers: Research Fellowship in Textiles and Costume History
The Veronika Gervers Research Fellowship, established in 1979, promotes research incorporating the textile and costume collections of the ROM. The Fellowship is open to Ph.D. candidates and scholars worldwide whose research can make direct use of, or support, any part of the Museum's collections. Successful Gervers candidates are selected by a committee of museum and university scholars. ROM curator Dr. Alexandra Palmer, also a Gervers Fellow, chairs the committee and is the Nora E. Vaughan Fashion Costume Curator of our Textile and Costume Section.
Deadline: March 31, 2009
Download Application (PDF)
