Volunteer Museum Interpretation Jobs (NOW HIRING)

General Job Description The Horry County Museum is a general history museum that focuses on the history, prehistory and natural history of Horry County, South Carolina. The Museum cares for a collection of artifacts and archival material and uses them in exhibits that tell stories of Horry's past. The Museum also hosts family days, tours, and special programs.

The L.W. Paul Living History Farm is a living history museum that focuses on the life of farm families in Horry County in the first half of the twentieth century with specific attention given to the 1930s and 1940s. This is done through demonstrations and interpretation of agriculture, domestic skills, and trades

The Farm hosts event days, monthly demonstrations, tours, and programs. The L.W. Paul Living History Farm Domestic Interpreter ensures fulfillment of the daily domestic interpretive programs at the Farm including children's specialty programs, seasonal events, monthly events and adult education programs

The Domestic interpreter maintains proper daily care of gardens, farm yard, and house interior spaces. They train and monitor domestic skills of staff and volunteers. They plan daily historic foodways and other domestic activities.

They are cross trained for basic program competency in Farm Agricultural interpretation. Duties for this Position Provides excellent customer service to museum visitors, whenever interacting with the public, especially children. Manages, demonstrates and interprets the daily domestic interpretive program at the Farm for museum visitors.

Develops and conducts demonstrations, hands-on activities and special events for museum guests, during both the general season and for special programs, in the areas of foodways, gardening, textiles, livestock, family and social culture, and household material culture. Leads seasonal education programming at assigned sites, for adults and children, including enrichments, adult education classes, day camp, tour groups and other programs. Develops skill in demonstrating processes and equipment related to early 20th century foodways (open fire cooking /wood stove cooking/food preservation/poultry butchering), domestic house-keeping (sewing, soap making, etc.), textiles, gardening and livestock handling skills

Becomes trained to safely handle Farm livestock, including leading cattle and sheep and milking cows. Maintains and monitors strict safety guidelines for equipment, activities and programs, ensuring safe practices by all site interpreters. Manages use of on-site artifacts according to museum guidelines, conducts assigned site inventories, and notifies Curator when repairs are needed.

Reads and understands historical and agricultural source material as provided. Conducts historical and agricultural research when assigned. Dresses in period costuming when interpreting to the public.

Maintains approved food and materials handling keeping safety records and program plans. Purchases approved supplies and materials for demonstrations, activities and classes within the parameters of the site/program budget. Conducts routine site upkeep and maintenance including household interiors and equipment, gardening, livestock care and site cleaning, according to museum guidelines.

Alerts the Curator when further repairs beyond site staff skill/equipment usage abilities are needed. Becomes comfortable performing routine agricultural site tasks and livestock chores, including working with poultry, pigs, mules, and cattle, including completion of written daily chore report sheets. Trains to safely operate kitchen and maintenance equipment, including but not limited to pressure canners, grist mill, wet/dry vacuums, small tractors.

Plans and executes research and behind the scenes preparations for domestic foodways and household project plans including daily foodways, house-keeping, textile, garden programs as well as specialty Foodways programs, and Member Activities. Maintains supply areas and stock for these programs. Trains volunteers and staff in proper foodways, domestic skills and small livestock handling.

Monitors and evaluates domestic skill levels in staff and volunteers. Collaborates with other team members to ensure Domestic/Agricultural programs, including livestock care and garden plantings are conducted under museum best practices, budget parameters and museum's agriculture master plan. Position Minimum Requirements College degree in history, education, Museum Science, American studies or related field OR equivalent combination of education, experience and training.

Previous living history museum experience preferred, with 2-3 years' experience in domestic programming, preferred. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills required; along with strong supervisory, management and program planning skills. Experience working with volunteers, preferred.

Must be able to master historical information and techniques with ability to train others. Must possess enthusiasm for working with the general public (especially children), including superior customer service skills. Must excel in working with groups of children.

Ability to perform physical tasks needed to authentically re-create the activities of a working farm required. Work environment requires standing for long periods of time, working in heat, and contact with livestock. Must be willing to work a flexible schedule, including weekend days.

Must be able to pass the required pre-employment physical and background check, must possess valid driver's license.