Cleveland Museum of Natural History

VOLUNTEER Program

More than 150 volunteers graciously donated over 7900 hours of service across 15+ departments this year, since the Museum safely welcomed volunteers back into our building.  From volunteering behind the scenes in Collections & Research to working directly with our guests, we do our best to match the best position for each volunteer.  

Please be as detailed on your application as possible and include a resume to give a better overall picture of your skills and experience.  Keep in mind that volunteer placement is selective and not all applicants are accepted into the program.

Becoming a VOlunteer

• The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is a fully vaccinated workplace.  All volunteers are required to be fully vaccinated for Covid-19 and provide proof of vaccination unless an exemption is granted as an accommodation.
• The minimum age to volunteer is 16.
• Fingerprinting and/or background check is required for all volunteers.
• Volunteers can only volunteer a maximum of 20 hours per week.

CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES

See 'Available Volunteer Opportunities' below for position descriptions.  Don't see the position you are interested in below?  They might not be actively recruiting currently, but you can still fill in an application, and get added to our waitlists.

Visitor Engagement:

• Floor Ambassador
• Activity Facilitator
• Museum Greeter
• Special Events Volunteer

Research and Collections: 

• Paleobotany Volunteer 
• Ornithology Volunteer 
• Herbarium Volunteer
• Physical Anthropology Volunteer:
  • Skeletal Processing and Rehousing
  • Records Digitization

Education:

• Discovery Center Assistant
• Education Resources and Collection Volunteer
• School Programs Assistant (during the school year)
• Summer Camp Volunteer 

Administrative

• Assist Development and Volunteer Programs Departments with administrative work such as updating the database.

Wildlife

• Song Bird Aviary and Perkins Steward

Natural Areas: 

• Nature Preserve Monitor 
• Land Steward
• GIS Technician
• Mentor Marsh Trail Tender
• Mentor Marsh Steward
• Mentor Marsh Nature Center
• Mark 'Outdoors' as an interest if you are interested in working outdoors at Mentor Marsh or our Nature Preserves. 

Remote Volunteer Work:

• Fossil Activity Cart Resource Sheet Improvements

More Coming Soon!

In 2024 we will begin our new Discovery Ambassadors or Docent program for the newly transformed and renovated Museum.  If you are interested, please indicate interest on your application and get added to the email list for this exciting new program.  

POST-PLACEMENT

All volunteers and interns are required to complete online compliance training every year. Training takes 3.5 hours to complete, and participants are awarded credit for their time.  Individuals that need assistance completing training can schedule an individual orientation session with the Manager of Volunteer Programs at the email below. The mandatory training covers: discrimination and harassment, workplace violence, diversity, bullying, ethics, and code of conduct. Additional classes may be assigned depending on the individual’s placement.

CONTACT US

Laura Einsel
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
1 Wade Oval Drive, University Circle
Cleveland, OH 44106
leinsel@cmnh.org
216.231.4600 x3367