Volunteer
Are you passionate about the Navy, submarines, or military history? Then the Submarine Force Museum (SFM) wants you as a Volunteer Docent! Docents occupy many roles at SFM – from greeting guests as they arrive, to providing historical context for our exhibits, to leading tours, and presenting educational talks. Becoming an SFM Docent is a great way to inform the local community of the rich history that has made Groton the “Submarine Capital of the World.”
Docents will interact with a wide variety of guests - tourists from around the world, submarine veterans, and local schoolchildren. No previous volunteer experience or military service is required, simply an interest in connecting people with history. New docents are provided with training and educational material to help develop their subject matter knowledge.
There are three primary Docent roles:
Watch Docent – Greet guests as they enter, introduce them to the museum, and answer questions to provide additional information about the Submarine Force Museum’s exhibit. These are the first faces that guests see when they arrive at SFM.
Tour Docent – Provide brief (30-minute) tours focusing on a specific subject of history or technology discussed in the SFM’s exhibits. Great for Docents that like to ask and answer a lot of questions.
Speaker Docent – Develop public presentations, with assistance from SFM’s Education Staff, about submarine history that will be given to the general public. If you have a lot of subject specific knowledge and are great at sharing your passion for science or history then this is the role for you.
Volunteer Docent benefits include regular updates about all the SFM’s events, additional educational training, and appreciation events. Volunteer shifts are typically 3.5 hours in the winter (9 AM – 12:30 PM / 12:30 PM – 4:00 PM) and 4 hours in the summer (9 AM – 1 PM / 1 PM – 5:00 PM).
If you are interested in more information about becoming a Volunteer Docent please contact us, Email: SFM Director of Education, or Call us at (860) 694-4863.
