Do you want to be a part of the exciting Buffalo resurgence? Do you love our city and want to share that love with everyone you meet? Explore Buffalo has a program for you! Become an Explore Buffalo volunteer docent and experience the Buffalo renaissance up close and personal.
What do Explore Buffalo docents do?
Volunteer docents lead all of Explore Buffalo’s walking tours, including regularly scheduled and private group tours for the general public, and school tours for thousands of students from elementary to high school. With hundreds of tours given each year, there are many opportunities to participate.
Why become a docent for Explore Buffalo?
Being a docent for Explore Buffalo is fun! What could be more thrilling than showing people from around the world Buffalo’s incredible architecture and history?
Explore Buffalo is a docent-run organization with a board of directors composed of active docents and volunteers, so your efforts will be supported and appreciated.
Being a docent is a great way to meet new people within Explore Buffalo and among their many community partners. Explore Buffalo organizes regular social events for docents and volunteers.
Who can become a docent for Explore Buffalo?
Anyone can become a docent! All that is required is an interest in and passion for Buffalo’s history and architecture.
You are supplied with thorough background information and reading materials, not a script to be memorized. Explore Buffalo encourages you to develop your knowledge of Buffalo and your unique voice as a storyteller conveying the growing and changing story of our city.
The Fall 2018 Docent Training Program will train new docents for the Inside Downtown South downtown walking tour. Taking other Explore Buffalo walking tours is suggested preparation for docent training to become familiar with the tours.
The Inside Downtown South tour is offered regularly on weekdays and weekends during Explore Buffalo’s winter tour season, from November through March, and is a good starting point to learn other Explore Buffalo tours. New docents are asked to learn a second tour of their choosing within one year of completing their graduation tour, either through a scheduled training class or one-on-one with a mentor.
Class dates and time
Classes will be held Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Sept. 17-28. A Graduation Tour will be scheduled during the month of October upon completion of the course. Attendance is essential; applicants who will miss more than one class due to travel commitments, etc. should consider other volunteer opportunities with Explore Buffalo. Due to space constraints for the Docent Training Program, Explore Buffalo is unable to accept docent trainees who will miss multiple classes.
Location
Classroom sessions will be held at First Presbyterian Church on Symphony Circle in Buffalo. Field sessions for the specific tour training will take place downtown.
Application process
Anyone interested in joining the Docent Training Program should fill out the online application form available at explorebuffalo.org/volunteer/docent-training-application/.
The application deadline is Friday, Sept. 7. After reviewing your application, Explore Buffalo will contact you with a phone call to discuss the program and your interests in Buffalo architecture, history and more. Explore Buffalo will notify all applicants regarding acceptance into the 2018 Fall Docent Training Program via email. Space is limited in the Docent Training Program.
Upon acceptance, a course fee of $75 will be required from participants by Sept. 14. This course fee covers the cost of printed and other materials for the course, and includes a portable microphone, Explore Buffalo messenger bag and other tour supplies.
For more information, please contact Brad Hahn at br**@ex************.org.
