Become a Volunteer
Volunteer Opportunities are Now Available for Museum, Education, and Special Events!
Support the Center for Puppetry Arts with Your Time and Talent
Thank you for your interest in volunteering at the Center for Puppetry Arts! We currently offer three volunteer positions for interested individuals, which are listed below.
If you are looking to volunteer as part of a group (corporate, school, etc.), please email daniherd@puppet.org to get started. The Center does occasionally need help with larger one-day projects such as decorating for the holidays, sprucing up paint, and cleaning our parking lot. We’d love to have you!
Volunteer Opportunities
Museum
Position Title: Front of House Volunteer
Supervisor: Director of Operations
Hours this position is available:
Tuesday-Friday: 9:30 AM-12:30 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM-1:00 PM; 2:00-5:00 PM
Sunday: 12:30-3:00 PM
Position Summary:
To provide excellent customer service to visitors of the Worlds of Puppetry Museum entrance by greeting patrons, offering information, answering questions about the Center and the museum, and helping patrons interact with our galleries in an immersive, meaningful way.
Responsibilities:
- Greet each visitor with a smile.
- Assist patrons in navigating the Center & provide information regarding daily programs.
- Interact with guests in the galleries. (Requires additional training, coming 2025.)
- Facilitate guest experience in the Henson Gallery, guiding guests through the interactive TV studio-inspired section. (Requires additional training, coming 2025.)
Qualifications/Expectations
- Works well with children and adults.
- Comfortable working and speaking within large crowds.
- Excellent communication skills.
Training:
- Volunteer Orientation with Auxiliary Personnel Manager.
- Schedule personal appointments for Henson gallery training. (coming 2025)
Education
Position Title: Create-A-Puppet Workshop™ Volunteer
Supervisor: Education Manager or Teaching Artist
Hours this position is available:
Wednesday – Friday: 11:15 AM – 1:30 PM (select Tuesdays depending on the show), one shift per day
Saturday: 12:15 – 2:30 PM, one shift per day
Sunday: 2:15 – 4:30 PM, one shift per day
Position Summary:
Volunteers will work in the Education Department, assisting with prep for onsite workshops, to-go kits, and on occasion, special programming. The volunteers can help with onsite workshops, and engaging with students and families, although it is not required.
Responsibilities:
- “Stack” puppet parts to create sets for the tables in classrooms and to-go kits
- Make to-go puppet kits
- Assist students during taught workshops and families in open workshops (would be lightly trained)
- Assist with resetting classrooms after workshops
- Assist with other educational duties as decided by the education leadership team
Qualifications/Expectations:
- Works well with adults and students of all ages and abilities
- Excellent listener
- Fun and positive energy
- Must be able to follow instructions
- Comfortable being alone in the office if programming gets busy
- Good attitude
Note: The Education Office can get pretty active and full of staff!
Training: Volunteer Orientation with Auxiliary Personnel Manager. The first shift will be trained on some basics of the department, usually by someone on the Education leadership team.
Special Events
Position Title: Special Event Volunteer
Supervisor: Supervising Staff per event (varies)
Hours this position is available:
Various times and dates: Dates shared by the Auxiliary Personnel Manager.
Position Summary:
Volunteers will assist with special events, usually held in the evenings. Tasks vary for the special events but may include the following: greeting patrons as they arrive, assisting with house management of the shows, set-up/cleaning up before and after the event, etc.
Types of Special Events:
- Monster Mash
- Puppets and Pints
- Various Opening Night Receptions for Performances and Programming
Responsibilities:
- Greeting patrons and assisting with wayfinding. (“Which theatre do I go to?” “Where’s the nearest restroom?” “Can I bring food and drink into the museum?” etc.)
- Assist patrons in Create-a-Puppet workshops or other hands-on activities, if applicable.
- Set up and clean up for the event.
- Other duties per specific event, are to be communicated by the Auxiliary Personnel Manager beforehand.
Qualifications/Expectations
- Friendly and outgoing
- Comfortable with crowds
- Able to work in a fast-paced environment
Time Commitment:
Time commitment varies dependent on the opportunities available.
Training:
- Volunteer Orientation with Auxiliary Personnel Manager.
- Specific event instructions will be provided by supervising Center staff prior to the event start time.
*Background Check Process
Once a volunteer’s application has been reviewed, a PayPal link will be sent via email for the volunteer to pay for their background check. Upon the successful completion of a background check, volunteers are eligible to attend orientation
Volunteer FAQs
For all other questions, please contact Dani Herd at daniherd@puppet.org
We love puppets too, and we’re excited about your enthusiasm! There are currently no volunteer opportunities which involve hands-on access with our puppets. If you’re looking to expand your personal puppetry know-how and network, we recommend getting involved with XPT (Xperimental Puppetry Theater)
Please leave your personal puppets at home. The puppets here at the Center work hard enough; that’s why we only allow humans to volunteer!
Volunteers must be 16 years or older unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Clothing should be business casual, which means it should be neat, clean, and presentable. Think about it this way: if you wouldn’t wear it to visit an elementary school, please don’t wear it while volunteering at the Center! All volunteers will receive a volunteer name tag upon completion of Orientation, and name tags must be worn while volunteering.
Please email Dani Herd (daniherd@puppet.org) with any and all remaining volunteer questions. Thank you!
Becoming a volunteer at the Center for Puppetry Arts has many wonderful benefits including meeting new people who share your love of puppetry arts and a special invitation to the Annual Volunteer Appreciation Day!