The Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center is inviting anyone interested in volunteering as a guide to set aside Saturday, April 16, for a training session.
This is the second opportunity being offered by the museum in the past two months. The first session was in mid-February and was well attended.
"We get lots of feedback on the museum," said Executive Director Sharon Tiffany, "and one of the comments we hear over and over is how much our visitors enjoyed the tour."
The problem is, only pre-scheduled groups get "the guided tour." With a very small staff for a museum of its size, there just aren't enough people to help explain the exhibits and artifacts to everyone. Recognizing the need, Tiffany and her staff have come up with a solution.
"Our plan," she said, "is to create a pool of volunteers who we will train and equip with the knowledge they need to guide visitors through the museum. We will establish a schedule for volunteers, focusing on high traffic times and seasons. Our goal is to have 20 or so people on the list, with each volunteering just a few hours a month. The long term impact should be a greatly enhanced experience for most of the visitors. If they have a great experience, they are more than likely to tell family and friends and our attendance will grow."
The primary instructor will be the long-term museum employee, Rob Peterson. He has had training himself, knows the artifacts and exhibits very well, and has conducted hundreds of tours.
"This is a very special place," he beamed. "I love showing it off to people and look forward to having some help doing just that. People who go through the museum on their own enjoy it, but the people who go through with a guide have a much more meaningful experience. That human contact makes a big difference."
Anyone interested in attending the training session should call the museum, 509-427-8211 to let the staff know of your attendance.
"Anyone who thinks they might enjoy volunteering should come on the 16th," said Tiffany. "They won't be committing to anything, just learning about the program. We would love to have them."
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