Iron Hill Science Center
Volunteer Opportunities at the
Iron Hill Museum & Science Center
You love nature, we love nature. What a perfect match!
Get behind-the-scenes at Iron Hill Museum & Science Center (IHMSC) and share your love and enthusiasm for natural history with others. Volunteer at the museum and you can become part of our mission to connect people through nature.
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As a volunteer, you’ll explore new areas of interest, meet stimulating people, get involved with IHMSC’s staff, attend social and educational events, and learn about nature. Most opportunities are during the day, but some evening hours are also available depending on the event.
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Next Volunteer Opportunity
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The Iron Hill Museum & Science Center will be opening up the Museum to the public on Saturdays. Volunteers will be stationed at the Iron Hill Museum (also known as the school house) on Saturdays. Each Saturday, from Noon to 4 p.m., volunteers are needed to welcome patrons and talk about the history of the Iron Hill region. That history includes Lenape life (native people), Iron Hill Village, iron mining, and Iron Hill School #112C.
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Do you want to be a docent?!
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A docent (from Latin docere, to teach) guides and encourages visitors to participate actively in the discovery and exploration of nature.
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Our docents are community ambassadors of IHMSC who facilitate educational programs, lead tours, assist with scout programs, help with special events, and much more. The role of docent is highly valued by our museum because docents provide an informative and rewarding museum experience for the communities of the Iron Hill region.
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IHMSC asks docents for a commitment of time, effort, enthusiasm, and a supportive attitude. Docents will also experience the reward of sharing their knowledge with others, especially children, through natural history education.
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Being a docent is an museum lovers dream. Docents enjoy working with students from a variety of backgrounds. They are comfortable speaking in front of small groups and sharing their positive energy with visitors to ensure that everyone has a great time. They are flexible, self-motivated and willing to lend a hand wherever its needed. Prior knowledge of natural history and/or a familiarity with museums is helpful but not required. The staff and other volunteers here at IHMSC are happy to lend a hand and share their knowledge.
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Volunteers with good communicative and interpretive skills are wanted to further the public’s understanding of the Iron Hill Museum’s cultural and historical collections of local, regional, and international natural science specimens. In addition to acting as a guide, duties can also include providing museum staff coverage, handling admissions, phone calls, and the gift store. Must be 21 or older, and complete background check is required.
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For more information, contact Maureen Zieber, 302-368-5703 or director@ironhillsciencecenter.org.
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Thank you for your time and assistance, and we look forward to hearing from you!
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Other Volunteer Opportunities at IHMSC
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The DAS/IHMSC have many volunteer positions available for friendly people of all ages, capabilities, and skill sets:
Museum School Assistant
Assist educational assistants in classes and summer camps for children and youth. Be on hand to help the educator present successful lessons. By teaching students, you’ll also learn new and creative skills.
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Successful Museum School Assistants love to learn new things and are effective at sharing this knowledge with others. They are helpful and understand the different stages of development for children and youth. Prior natural history experience is helpful but not required.
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Office Assistant
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The Delaware Academy of Science and the Iron Hill Museum & Science Center are looking for people with excellent organizational and interpersonal skills to assist our museum staff with filing, copying, scheduling, organizing, building coverage, etc.
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Please contact the DAS/IHMSC director, Maureen Zieber, at director@ironhillsciencecenter.org to learn more.
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Grant Proposal Writer
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The Delaware Academy of Science and the Iron Hill Museum & Science Center are looking for a few talented writers willing to prepare grant submissions for various local, state, federal, and foundation awards. Previous experience is desired but not necessary for consideration.
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Please contact the DAS/IHMSC director, Maureen Zieber, at director@ironhillsciencecenter.org to learn more.
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Assistant Webmaster
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The Delaware Academy of Science and the Iron Hill Museum & Science Center are looking for a few talented and dedicated individuals to assist with the webmaster duties of the museum website. Experience with FrontPage, Dreamweaver, or other HTML editor is preferred. Familiarity with Google Apps is also desired.
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Please contact the DAS/IHMSC director, Maureen Zieber, at director@ironhillsciencecenter.org to learn more.
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Collections Assistant
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The Iron Hill Museum & Science Center is looking for a few detail-oriented individuals with an interest in natural history to assess, document, label, and organize the various collections and holdings of the museum.
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Please contact the DAS/IHMSC director, Maureen Zieber, at director@ironhillsciencecenter.org to learn more.
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Groundskeeping and Trail Maintenance
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The Delaware Academy of Science and the Iron Hill Museum & Science Center are looking for individuals to assist with maintaining the immediate grounds and trails around the Iron Hill Museum and also the CHIPP property on neighboring Chestnut Hill.
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Please contact the DAS/IHMSC director, Maureen Zieber, at director@ironhillsciencecenter.org to learn more.
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Facility Maintenance
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The Iron Hill Museum & Science Center is looking for skilled contractors, builders, and mechanically-minded individuals to assist with facility maintenance recommendations and improvement projects of our historic building.
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Please contact the DAS/IHMSC director, Maureen Zieber, at director@ironhillsciencecenter.org to learn more.
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Eagle Scout Projects
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The Iron Hill Museum & Science Center has plenty of ideas and needs which are worthy of Eagle Scout project consideration. Currently identified projects include: restoration/new construction of trail-head signage for the Iron Hill Mine Trail; various landscaping projects; creation of new nature trails and facility pathways; removal of invasive species from surrounding areas; restoration of “mini-amphitheater” area behind museum; restoration of original playground equipment; construction of holding area for trash cans and recyclable containers; identify trees and create tree guide; etc. Additional project ideas are certainly welcomed for consideration.
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Please contact the DAS/IHMSC director, Maureen Zieber, at director@ironhillsciencecenter.org to learn more.
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Employment Opportunities at the Museum
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There are no current openings at this time. Please check back soon.
Iron Hill Park- photo by Maureen Zieber