-- SELECT SPEAKER HERE -- Regie Marie Plana-Alcuaz Azevedo, Inês Marcial R. Batiancila Jody Beenk Lionel E. Buenaflor, PhD Gianina Angela Celine O. Cabanilla P.Chellappandi, PhD | J.P.S.Kumaravel, PhD Lucya Dhamayanti Nolie G. Enem, PhD Julia Gelfand | Anthony Lin Hiroko Honda Margareta Aulia Rachman S. Hum Christine Ianna Mary Ann M. Ingua Lauren P. Kipaan Eimee Rhea C. Lagrama Li Jia, PhD Brendan Luyt, PhD Allan August P. Malig, CISSP Sherwood McCaskie Corazon M. Nera Selina Owen Yona Primadesi Marian S. Ramos-Eclevia Diljit Singh , PhD Y. Sumaryanto Wawta Techataweewan, PhD

Regie Plana Alcuaz

Volunteer, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C.

Volunteering at the Smithsonian: An Overview of the Smithsonian’s Museum Information Desk Program

REGIE MARIE PLANA-ALCUAZ graduated from Johns Hopkins University with an MS in Special Education, She earned her MA in English Language and Literature Teaching, and a BA in Psychology from the Ateneo de Manila University. She has enjoyed volunteering at various museums and programs of the Smithsonian Institution since 2006. She also serves as an academic advisor at an embassy in Washington, D.C. 

Abstract

Established in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution is the largest and one of the best known educational and research institutes in the world. Overseeing nineteen museums, nine research centers and the National Zoo, the Smithsonian Institution is also affiliated with 168 other museums in 39 states, Panama, and Puerto Rico. With this wide network, it has only relied on volunteers for support. These volunteers are the first faces seen by the Smithsonian Institution’s visitors and they directly benefit the Smithsonian in terms of savings; their wages and benefits replenish the institution’s expenditures in operations, programs, and administrative and support services. This paper highlights the training programs for these volunteers. The objectives of this paper were: 1) to provide a brief comparative description of the volunteer programs; 2) to examine the training provided to volunteers in the museum information desk program; 3) to consider volunteer motivations for volunteering; 4) to look at rates of and reasons for attrition; and 5) to study possible correlations between the training program and volunteer retention rates.