Student volunteer program explores traditions, opens doors to foreign countries

When freshman Brian Inlow heard about the Mathers Museum of World Cultures docent (museum volunteer) program, he couldn’t help but perk up. The opportunity was right up his alley.

“I became interested in joining the docent program because I am really fascinated by other cultures,” Inlow said. “I love learning about the things that make different groups of people unique, and I figured that volunteering at Mathers could help me continue to extend my cultural awareness and knowledge.”

Senior and docent Brittany Spencer-King said her motivation to sign up was slightly different. It was her desire to work in a museum that was key.

“I have been able to gain the knowledge I need in order to pursue a degree in museum studies,” Spencer-King said. “My experience has made me more marketable, and I have no doubt this is something I would like to do as a career.”

Deeksha Nagar, curator of education for the museum, said volunteers for the museum gain network opportunities and are offered recommendations for when they move on to other endeavours.

Inlow and Spencer-King are two of 19 docents who volunteer their time and energy to the museum’s education department. The program runs on a semester basis, with certificates given at the end of each semester.

Nagar said the program is almost entirely comprised of students who organize a variety of activities and help keep the education department running smoothly.

“These are individuals who are team players,” Nagar said. “We want people who are interested in and respect different cultures.”

Nagar said the appeal of the docent program is unlike other departments in the museum; no prior experience is necessary.

All volunteers need, Nagar said, is dedication and a willingness to stick with it.   
“We ask for a minimum of 15 hours of volunteer work,” Nagar said. “They are welcome to do more. Some students want to come in on a schedule. We have excellent volunteers this semester.”

Docents help in a variety of ways, Nagar said, by assisting during off-site programs such as the Bloomington Multicultural Expo and the Lotus World Music & Arts Festival. Docents also run on-site programs, help catalog and restore pieces of the collection and give tours of the museum.

Nagar said docents can pursue what interests them the most, and they are never asked to do anything they don’t want to do.

“Some are shy about giving tours. We have them shadow tours until they are comfortable,” Nagar said. “We’d never have a docent do something they are uncomfortable doing.”

Inlow said he’s helped with just about everything.

“I work with kids doing various arts and crafts to try and teach them something new about another culture,” he said. “I hope that in the future, they may be proud to live in such a diverse world and will be accepting of people different from themselves.”

But Nagar stressed that while the docents do so much for the museum, the program is meant to be mutual, collaborative and a learning experience.

“It’s a partnership, a two-way connection,” Nagar said. “It’s a volunteer program that is an opportunity for them and us. There is a tremendous opportunity to learn.”

Nagar said docents with particular cultural interests create presentations for schools and other organizations throughout Bloomington.

Their own personal skills, she said, play a key role in organizing the projects.
“This is a great place for volunteers to pursue creative endeavors,” Nagar said. “They have their own personal skills and agendas. This is a program that has the spirit of volunteerism for constructive, creative projects.”

Laura Serrano-Silva, a graduate student from Mexico City who is in Bloomington to audit a class is one such docent. Serrano-Silva helped organize a Saturday family craft project making pinatas, which broke the record for attendance in the museum.

“Usually we have 30 people during the craft days,” Serrano-Silva said, “but this workshop attracted more than 150. I was really excited and nervous at the time.”
To Nagar, the work the docents do is invaluable in helping the museum pursue its educational purpose.

“We value the docents’ time, commitment, dedication and desire,” Nagar said. “We are very grateful. We have been very fortunate to have such wonderful students.”