Student Docents
Block Museum Student Docents play a key role in animating the vision of the museum by engaging directly with our public.
What do student docents do?
Docents' primary role is to facilitate in-gallery learning experiences. They lead all of our tours which engage the full breadth of Block audiences, including university students and faculty coming for class visits related to their courses of study, adults visiting the museum from neighboring communities, and well elementary and high school-age students.
To support them in their role, docents receive in-depth training on the art that the museum presents as well as on how to be dynamic, effective facilitators. They meet with Block curators and read related texts to equip them with deep content knowledge about current exhibitions. They work closely with the Engagement staff to learn about and experiment with different approaches to gallery teaching and learning, including inquiry-based dialogue.
Because of their deep involvement in the Block, docents also serve as ambassadors to the university and surrounding communities, helping to ensure the campus community
Who are Block student docents?
Student docents span the campus, majoring in English, Philosophy, Economics, Sociology, Global Health, Theater, Journalism, Middle Eastern and North African Studies, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Social Policy, Radio, Television and Film and more.
How do I get involved?
Applications for 2019-2020 are now closed. Applications for 2020-2021 will open in April 2020.
We are looking for current Northwestern University students from across campus who are...
- Excited about facilitating dynamic interactions and conversations with the public, including NU communities as well as children, youth, and adults from the surrounding region
- Keenly interested in art and sharing it with others
- Curious about the behind-the-scenes experience of museum public practice and eager to make a meaningful contribution to our engagement work
- Highly reliable, dedicated, responsive to e-mail communication, and punctual
- Able to commit to at least one year of
docent work, including supporting 10 tours or engagement events in the course of the academic year.
