What Does a Docent Do?
Docents are passionate volunteer educators who love to share what they know while creating memorable, engaging experiences for visitors. Our docents share stories about the cast of characters who called the Camron-Stanford House home, and illustrate stories of the past by talking about local history, architecture, art, and culture. Docents lead our weekly house tours, and we encourage each docent to sign up for at least one shift per month.
Our Training Program
During the training period participants will learn about the history of the Camron-Stanford House and its residents, Victorian life and culture, and local history. Each person will learn how to develop a house tour and provide a memorable experience for visitors. Guidance and support will be provided by our current roster of docents, Camron-Stanford House staff, and local history experts. There is a $50 participation fee, which covers museum membership, copies of materials and books, and administrative fees.
To earn your docent certificate, each person must
- Shadow a current docent for one day
- Select a topic of interest related to the Camron-Stanford House and give a brief presentation
- Lead one house tour and review feedback with a current docent and staff
For questions about the 2020 Docent Training please email athorp@cshouse.org
COVID-19 Considerations
During this time we have made adjustments to take our docent training program digital. Our course meetings will take place via Zoom, and we will be utilizing Googlge Classroom for sharing training materials. An important part of becoming a docent at the Camron-Stanford House is practicing your presentation skills, and we will work together on these skills during our online course. In order to fully complete the program, you will need to complete an onsite training. Your safety is our highest priority, so this component will be scheduled individually or in small groups once we better understand when we can safely re-open, and when you personally feel comfortable returning to the Camron-Stanford House.
Fall 2020 Docent Training Schedule
Class sessions will be held via Zoom from 10:00am-12:45pm. A 30 minute break is built into each online meeting. Presentations will be recorded for later viewing.
September 12- Introductions
September 26- Oakland in the 19th Century
October 10- 19th Century Architecture and Basics of Touring
October 24- Family History and House Restoration
November 7- Victorian Decorative Arts and The Museum Collection
November 21- Docent Presentations and Housekeeping
TBD- On-Site Training (must take place before you can give tours on-site)
Register Now
Registration for our Fall 2020 Docent Training is now closed. If you are interested in future docent training opportunities, please send us an email.
