Docent Joe Blumberg of Branford describes the wonders of paleontology to a rapt audience of schoolchildren in the Peabody Museum's Great Hall of Dinosaurs.

Peabody invites all interested to volunteer open house

The Peabody Museum of Natural History will hold an open house for those interested in volunteering on Tuesday, Sept. 25, at 1 p.m. Museum staff and current volunteers will be on hand to talk about the various volunteer opportunities and answer questions. Volunteer activities at the museum include teaching school groups about the exhibits (most notably the Great Hall of Dinosaurs); leading "Highlight Tours" on weekends; monitoring the museum's Discovery Room, which provides hands-on experience for children of all ages; and assisting with membership drives, in the Museum Store and at special events. Those who volunteer to be docents -- conducting guided groups through the museum and discussing exhibits -- must be available to teach on some weekday mornings. Docents must also complete a training program taught by Janet Sweening, head of public education at the Peabody, and Armand Morgan, senior museum instructor. The training classes meet two afternoons per week for four weeks in the fall. Rosemary Dubowchik, one of the Peabody's current docents, is a music history teacher at Southern Connecticut State University. She describes the benefits of volunteering at the museum by saying, "One of the aspects that is most enjoyable for me is being able to relate to children in a learning environment about something they find very exciting. Their enthusiasm, especially when they enter the Great Hall and see the gigantic Apatosaurus for the first time, is infectious. "Being a docent also allows you to discover your skills as a teacher, or to maintain and hone them if, like some of the present docents, you are a retired or active educator," Dubowchik continues. "And, incidentally, learning about dinosaurs can lead to interesting conversations with adults (especially parents of young children) as well, as new discoveries are reported in newspaper headlines and on the nightly news." The Peabody Museum of Natural History is located at 170 Whitney Ave. Those who are interested in volunteering but are unable to attend the open house should contact Sally Lanzi, volunteer coordinator, at (203) 432-3731. T H I SW E E K ' SS T O R I E S Campus Mourns Tragic Attacks A Community of Concern Perspectives from Yale Experts In the Wake of Tragedy Yale receives $15 million for human genome research 'Be part of the community' psychiatrist urges in tragedy's wake IN FOCUS: Mental Health Services Experts to discuss 'The Development of Earth and Its Life' Tercentennial exhibit showcases British masterpieces Early European views of 'Wilde Americk' explored in exhibit Law School 'runners' hope to beat Harvard to the beach Yale employees being treated to free football, tailgate party Conference to examine disparities in health care based on sex, race and income Peabody invites all interested to volunteer open house Memorial Services Campus Notes Bulletin Home|Visiting on Campus|Calendar of Events|In the News|Bulletin Board Yale Scoreboard|Classified Ads|Search Archives|Deadlines Bulletin Staff|Public Affairs Home|News Releases| E-Mail Us|Yale Home Page