MAAM 2026 Annual Conference

Somerset County, New Jersey is home to many small, all-volunteer historic house museums struggling to find and train volunteer staff. The Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, with the support of local museums, developed the Somerset County Docent Training Program - a countywide initiative to recruit, train, and match volunteer docents with open positions. Grounded in museum education best practices and emphasizing inclusive storytelling, the program provides foundational training in interpretation and visitor engagement. This presentation will explore the program’s design, implementation, and outcomes, including how one museum was able to double their open hours within 6 months of participation; as well as discuss how the program can be replicated with similar partnerships between museums and local government agencies.

Session Takeaways:
•Learn how local government agencies can bring museums together to develop collaborative projects and shared solutions.
•Explore how Somerset County, NJ, created a Docent Training Program to help small museums solve one of their most pressing and ongoing challenges – staffing.
•Examine program outcomes, including how participation helped one museum double its open hours within six months.
•Gain practical guidance on the key components needed to replicate a similar volunteer training and placement program in your community.