Learn more about study spaces, research and work opportunities, and student engagement at the museum.
Contact: Alfred J. Venne Museum Educator
The Job Parts of a Student Employee (Museum Docent)
Museum Visits & Student Study Space - The Beneski museum shall be open Tuesday - Friday 10AM - 4PM and Saturday - Sunday 10AM - 5PM for on campus students to enjoy visiting the galleries or stay a bit longer and take advantage of the museum as a "Study Space''. The museum shall be supervised and managed by a combination of Museum (non-student) Security and student docents. This work will involve supporting gallery visitors access the collections. In addition to semester long "Study Space'' management and gallery access, each docent shall create one Beneski museum visit/tour, the focus of which shall be developed in collaboration with the Museum Educator. Lastly, during each docent shift, the docent on duty shall create a social media post. It is anticipated that there will be three (2-2.5 hour) docent shifts each day.
Student Tours – Each student docent working a shift in the museum shall develop and lead one natural history focused tour. Each tour will be conducted three times for different audiences. First, the tour will be recorded for an asynchronous audience. Second, the tour will be aired live via Zoom for an off-campus audience. Third, the tour will be conducted live in-person for an on-campus audience. The development and production of the tour shall be done during each docent shift. During filming of both the asynchronous and live Zoom tours work opportunities for filming will be available. In addition, for those with video editing skills and interest, follow-up production work will also be available.
Support group visits – College Classes, PK12 Classes and Community groups can sign up for a class visit. These group sessions will be offered Mondays- Friday between the hours of 9AM -4:30PM. It should be noted that there is not a definitive schedule for these sessions as they are at the request of the visiting group.
Student Tour – One of the student tours created by each of our onsite student docent team shall be offered to a live off-site audience via Zoom. This work may involve pre-session planning, day visit tour, after tour reflection and downloading and saving the visit on the museum drive. (total minimum of 2 hours/group). In addition, for those with video editing skills and interest, follow-up production work will also be available.
Study spaces are integrated into the galleries, providing a unique atmosphere for students from all disciplines. Students can also access materials within the nine collections for various research projects.
Since the Beneski building is home to both the natural history museum and Amherst's Geology Department, students move seamlessly between state-of-the-art teaching labs and the museum's three floors of exhibits.
Students from all Five Colleges are encouraged to use the museum collections for research projects. Contact Hayley Singleton, Head of Collections, to explore this opportunity.
Amherst students are invited to apply for museum docent positions. Our student docents monitor the museum during open hours and special events, act as a source of information for visitors of all ages, and help guide visits to the museum.
As a docent, you'll work directly with the greater Amherst community of alumni, parents, prospective students, PK–12 school groups, adult learning groups and general visitors of all ages. During training, you'll learn about the nature of scientific inquiry, adult learning theory and practice (andragogy), child leaning theory and practice (pedagogy), absorb many facts about the specimens on display, and get to know the ins and outs of the museum's nine collections: vertebrate paleontology, invertebrate paleontology, paleobotany, ichnology (dinosaur footprints), mineralogy, meteorites, anthropology, osteology and taxidermy.
To apply, send an email explaining your interest and background to Alfred Venne, Museum Educator.
Are you a first- or second-year Amherst College student who would like to spend your summer on campus working closely with Beneski Museum staff to explore your interest in Natural History Collections and Science Communication? A summer internship may be perfect for you!
Each summer, a limited number of internships for first and second year AC students will be awarded. The program runs for 6-8 weeks beginning in June. Applications normally open the start of the spring semester. First consideration shall be given to applications received by Friday, March 1st each year.
Under the supervision of members of the museum staff, summer interns will gain experience operating a science museum, assisting with educational programming, and caring for museum collections. Aside from docent duties, other projects and responsibilities within the museum are listed below.
Regular duties:
Individual projects may include:
No experience in Natural History is required, but a positive attitude, curiosity about the world and museums, and attention to detail is a must.
Details:
FAQs
Other Notes
Successful applicants will work closely with museum staff on meaningful projects and gain experience in the operation of a mid-sized museum. Interns will also gain insight into the strategies for educational development, community programming, and scientific preservation through diverse education initiatives and cutting-edge preservation work.
In addition to gaining specialized experience within museum departments and an understanding of each department’s role within the museum, interns will get the opportunity to participate in other excursions. Interns will visit local and regional museums to meet museum professionals and critically observe how museums work.
The museum is sometimes used as an event space for various functions of the college. Occasionally, student exhibits are also featured within the museum.
Throughout the year, the Beneski Museum serves as the venue for student events sponsored by the Center for Community Engagement, such as formals and functions for various student organizations.
The Beneski Museum also sometimes features exhibits curated by Amherst College students, such as Antonella Dominguez's "Understanding Mass Extinction" (2018).
Explore the Connecticut River Valley with a walk in the college wildlife sanctuary or hike the Hoyoke Range that can be seen from Memorial Hill. Annika Baldwin '24 and Dayla Ackerman put together some info during their summer museum internships.