How You Can Help
Guest-Facing Volunteer Teams
Here are some of the ways our volunteers engage Museum guests in science. Interested? Apply now!
U-505 Team
Share with guests your first-hand experience about life on a real submarine. What is it like living on a sub? Do men and women still live on submarines? Facilitators provide interactive and educational-based material to guests by using exhibit interactive and displays. Many retired submariners facilitate this exhibit!
Imagine handing someone a piece of a historical war memorial. U-505 cartifacts volunteers lead a cart presentation designed to explain the history and uses of artifacts found on-board the submarine. These artifacts include a sonar sensor, a firearm magazine, a torpedo gyroscope and the binoculars from the conning tower.
Great Train Story Team
Where in Chicago can you still see Cows on Parade? The Great Train Story, of course. Volunteers escort guests on a trip from downtown Chicago to Seattle, Wash. and explain the differences in past and present rail cars. The Great Train Story is an HO-scale model exhibit which contains 34 running trains, 1,400 feet of track and more than 500 scale structures and custom-made buildings. Volunteers are provided resources and materials to lead informal mini-tours, challenge guests to “spy” numerous scenes such as the Presidential motorcade, Cows on Parade, forest elves and more!
Science Connections Team
Science Connection facilitators incorporate hands-on activities to connect the science found throughout our exhibits. You'll introduce Museum guests to specific concepts in a fun, engaging and entertaining way through five- to 10-minute activities. A science or teaching background is helpful but not required. An interest is science is necessary. This program requires additional training and a volunteer time commitment of one year. Science Connections topic units include: Genetics, Microscopy, Flight, Science Storms, Human Body and Submarine. Begin your training by selecting one unit.
Science Storms Team
Volunteers facilitate in the Science Storms Color Booth, which gives guests the chance to experiment with the properties of light and explore how our brains perceive color. In addition, volunteers use the Science Storms Trivia Wheel to encourage guests to share their knowledge of everything from avalanches to atoms and all things physics and fun! Interested volunteers should have previous experience working with kids ages 8-13, be extremely high energy with a voice that can carry, and be able to stand for long periods of time. Volunteers should be able to commit to volunteering in Science Storms a minimum of twice a month for a total of 40 hours per year.
YOU! The Experience Team
One of the keys to improving health and longevity is the ever-advancing field of medicine. The Medical Innovations section of YOU! The Experience showcases some of the latest breakthroughs, celebrates the innovative thinking that will shape our future care and sparks thought-provoking dialogue about the role of medical technology in our lives. Volunteers in YOU! The Experience engage guests in discussions about the human body (organs, muscles, nervous system, etc.). A medical background is helpful, but not required.
A la Cart Team
The A la Cart program gives guests a peek inside the Museum’s collections artifacts. This unique activity cart promotes critical thinking as guests examine objects from our collection and determine what they are and how they were used. This is a great volunteer opportunity for history gurus.
CASE Team
Do you love working in a classroom setting? Each week during the school year, student groups experience the thrill of scientific discovery in the Museum’s Learning Labs. Led by a Museum educator, labs are focused, hands-on, multidisciplinary programs for school groups that align with state and national learning standards in science. Volunteers assist Museum educators by helping students answer questions and complete lab activities. Experience in teaching is helpful; a passion for education is required!
Administrative Volunteer Programs
Administrative volunteers work behind the scenes in accounting, data entry and more. Interested? Apply now!
Office Assistant
Are you friendly, outgoing and enjoy meeting people? Volunteer one day per week to assist volunteer administrators, volunteers and team captains. Duties will include greeting, filing, mailing, data entry, copying and phone calls. Intermediate knowledge of the latest version of Microsoft Office Suite is a must, as is being adaptable to new data systems. If you have good communication skills, are organized and detail-oriented, please apply for this great weekly volunteer opportunity.