If you think museums are only about old things and telling old stories, Maria Garcia, the Museum Services Associate at Kelowna Museums will change your mind and hopefully inspire you to join the team of volunteers that support the organizations香蕉视频直播� mission and vision.
香蕉视频直播淜elowna Museums Society started in 1936 as a community interest and in 1951 as a registered not-for-profit society,香蕉视频直播� explains Maria. 香蕉视频直播淚t provides the region香蕉视频直播檚 residents and visitors with on-going interpretation of the Okanagan and beyond. We are committed to serve the community as history is not just something static that happened in the past, it香蕉视频直播檚 alive and moving forward. Everybody living in the Okanagan right now is part of that history.香蕉视频直播�
The Kelowna Museums Society香蕉视频直播檚 mission is to provides the public with educational exhibitions and programs that foster personal participation, stimulate curiosity, and engage the senses with the cultures, histories, and possibilities of the Okanagan region and includes five distinct identities in three locations: the Okanagan Heritage Museum, Okanagan Military Museum, The Okanagan Wine & Orchard Museum, the Central Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame and the Laurel Packinghouse. There is always something new to discover and Kelowna Museums works with Indigenous partners to share learning experiences like na虛蕯k虛史ulam蓹n (nakulamen, what we do) and nsyilxcen for Everyone.
Maria is originally from Mexico where she used to be a broadcaster (presenter, writer and researcher) for a public radio station and also worked in public and cultural institutions for over 20 years. She has a Master香蕉视频直播檚 degree in art history, focused on film and is an avid fan of horror movies, especially The Exorcist. She and her husband moved from Edmonton to Kelowna in July 2020 in the midst of the pandemic and she was thrilled to see the posting for her job with the Okanagan Heritage Museum the week after she got here.
香蕉视频直播淚t was a natural for me, so I applied and got the job,香蕉视频直播� she remembers happily. Part of Maria香蕉视频直播檚 work includes coordinating the volunteers that help at Kelowna Museums. 香蕉视频直播淭hey support by working at the front desk and at special events. Our organization is not that big and so the impact they make is huge 香蕉视频直播� especially with the visitors!香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淲orking the front desk implies that you are the face of the organization and every time a visitor comes through the door, you are the person welcoming them, giving them information about our exhibits, taking donations and inviting them to our public programs,香蕉视频直播� adds Maria. 香蕉视频直播淎lso, you香蕉视频直播檙e in touch with the rest of the people in the organization. During special events, you assist the education team with all the activities they create for our visitors.香蕉视频直播�
Volunteers can apply on the Volunteer Connector, through the museum香蕉视频直播檚 website and also in person. Maria has both medium and long-term positions available and likes to have a regular schedule for people.
香蕉视频直播淰olunteers have to like interacting with people and commit to a certain shift as much as possible, but our program is also flexible, depending on their schedule,香蕉视频直播� explains Maria. 香蕉视频直播淢any volunteers are students who also have paid work and so we need to be flexible.香蕉视频直播�
Volunteers get to know how the museum works on a daily basis and to learn about the Okanagan history and other programs,香蕉视频直播� says Maria, sharing on the benefits of volunteering. 香蕉视频直播淭hey can develop or reinforce their communication, organization and team work skills, and they get discounts in our gift shop and the public programs, plus they get invitations to special events.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淪ome of our volunteers are very involved in our journey towards truth and reconciliation and have taken nsyilxcen courses as well as cultural competency workshops,香蕉视频直播� shares Maria, explaining that she loves to see those who have been engaged with the museum in the past come back to volunteer. 香蕉视频直播淭hese volunteers are very valued and appreciated specially during Truth and Reconciliation Day, when the museum holds activities and welcomes hundreds of visitors.香蕉视频直播�
To learn more about Kelowna Museums or to volunteer, go to www.kelownamuseums.ca.
Dorothee Birker is the communications & development manager for KCR Community Resources.