Volunteers are at the heart of the Sam Noble Museum community. They inspire understanding, appreciation, and stewardship of the earth and its people.
How Do I Become a Volunteer?
- Discover our volunteer opportunities by clicking front of the house or back of the house or click here to be a Virtual Volunteer!
- Fill out an application form here. Or visit the volunteer office at the museum for an application form.
- Receive confirmation email and schedule a meeting.
- Attend new volunteer training session and complete all required paperwork and background check.
- Select an area of volunteer service and attend area-specific training if needed.
- Begin volunteering!
Contact
Email: volunteer.samnoblemuseum@ou.edu Phone: (405) 325-1652
Volunteer Positions
The Sam Noble Museum community is full of natural science and cultural enthusiasts. There is something here for everyone from behind the scenes work with fossils and artifacts, to working with the public. There are front of the house (working with the public) and back of the house (collections and office) volunteer opportunities.
Available Volunteer Positions
Archaeology (open until all hours are filled)
Provides assistance to the Archaeology Collections Manager with a grant-funded project to directly label artifacts for the Bureau of Reclamation held-in-trust collections. Available hours are Thursday (8-1) and Friday (2-5). Additional hours might be available after training. This project is a highly repetitive and monotonous task, but it is one of the most essential tasks needed before a collection can be considered completely finished.
Requirements: Must have good eye sight, good handwriting, excellent attention to detail, excellent hand dexterity, and ability to work with small items. Must be able to sit and/or stand for long periods of time. Must have excellent communication skills. Must be able to commit to a set schedule for the rest of the academic Spring semester, as the work for this project must be completed on a timed schedule.
Herpetology
Herpetology is seeking a new volunteer to begin Summer 2022, that has experience in 3D printing.
Herpetology is also seeking a volunteer with interests in insects and general invertebrates.
Paleobotany
Paleobotany is interested in additional volunteers and will have about 3-5 slightly different positions/projects that require different skillsets. In general, the positions and projects involve assisting with photography, data recording (some by hand and some by typing into spreadsheets), and/or organizing/filing of specimens and paperwork utilizing the procedures of the collection.
Requirements: All of the volunteer positions will require flexibility, strong attention to detail, the ability to follow both written and oral procedures/instructions, and an interest in developing specific abilities and skills. The time requirement is for a minimum of 1.5 hours, primarily on Thursday afternoons from 2:30pm-4pm, with the possibility of day change once training has been completed.
Public Programs
Volunteer would provide assistance throughout public program events, such as Curiosiday. This could include setup and breakdown for the program and working activity booths throughout the program.
Requirements: These events are only once a month, on the second Saturday of the month. The time requirement is for a minimum of 4 hours on the day of the event.
Education
Volunteer would assist with organizing and documenting the items in the Education Collection.
Requirements: Ability to lift up to 25lbs. The time requirement is a minimum of 2 hours a week, Monday through Friday between the hours of 9am-4pm.
Docent
Docents work with the public to unlock natural history for visitors in our permanent galleries.
Requirements: Ability to stand for up to an hour at a time. The time requirement is a minimum of 3 consecutive hours a week during museum hours, Tuesday through Sunday from 9am-5pm.