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Volunteer

Group photo of four garden volunteers during an autumn harvest. Each one smiling, wearing sunglasses, and holding zucchinis in one hand. Greenery from the rest of the crops and the museum's perimeter wall in the background.

Volunteers are essential to S'edav Va'aki Museum's mission of interpretation, research, and preservation. There are many benefits to volunteering at S'edav Va'aki Museum. These include learning tangible skills, meeting people with similar interests, access to exclusive events and trainings, and helping enhance visitor experiences at an award-winning, accredited museum. See below to learn about the different volunteer opportunities we offer. To learn more about each position, click the title. To contact the museum's Volunteer Program Specialist, email svmvolunteers@phoenix.gov. To become a volunteer, sign up here.​​

An Engagement Guide volunteer at the S’edav Va’aki Museum stands behind the Artifact Cart, speaking with a visitor who is standing on the opposite side of the wooden display. The cart holds several replica tools and artifacts. Behind them is a wall with a painted mural of tree branches and a partially visible title from a past traveling exhibit, “Parched: The Art of Water in the Southwest.”

On-Going Volunteer Opportunities

Engagement Guide: Engagement Guide Volunteers meet and greet museum visitors, supply information, and conduct site overviews for visitors in the Museum’s galleries. Initiate interaction (i.e. conversations about artifacts) and answer questions for visitors in the museum’s various galleries. Engagement Guide Volunteers may also facilitate crafts, outreach presentations, and programs about topics such as archaeology, life in the southwest, and the canals, and help to create education kits for programs.

Fron​t Desk Ambassador: Front Desk Ambassadors are welcoming, helpful and ready to assist any guests. Front Desk Ambassadors assist with all aspects of visitor services at the Museum. This includes reception desk, admission, registration for public programs, and visitor statistics. By joining the Front Desk Ambassadors, you will help make S’edav Va’aki Museum a great place to visit.

Mudslinger:​​ Mudslingers participate in the process of stabilizing S’edav Va’aki’s earthen structures by creating adobe from natural materials (“mud”) and applying it the structures, typically by throwing (“slinging”). This process is invaluable to the continued preservation of the invaluable cultural resources that S’edav Va’aki stewards. Open to groups up to 15.​

Museum Store Attendant: Museum Store Attendants independently run museum store operations during their shift. This includes welcoming visitors, answering questions about the site, objects and merchandise that are for sale, conducting simple transactions, and opening and closing duties. The museum store is operated by the S’edav Va’aki Museum Foundation (501(c)(3)).

Teen Volunteers: This Program is for high school-aged students (14-17) interested in gaining professional development experience at a cultural institution. The Teen Volunteers will gain hands-on experience by engaging with the public and sharing knowledge concerning topics about the Ancestral Sonoran Desert People. Teen Volunteers will be part of the Museum’s Front Desk Ambassador Volunteers, as such, are expected to welcome, help and assist guests. Recruitment will be open until all available positions are filled, after that a waitlist will be created for interested volunteers.

An Engagement Guide volunteer at the S’edav Va’aki Museum stands behind the Artifact Cart, speaking with a visitor who is standing on the opposite side of the wooden display. The cart holds several replica tools and artifacts. Behind them is a wall with a painted mural of tree branches and a partially visible title from a past traveling exhibit, “Parched: The Art of Water in the Southwest.”

Volunteer Positions Currently Full:

Exhibits Volunteer: Exhibits volunteers help prepare and install temporary exhibitions, outreach educational displays, and special off-site exhibitions, and maintain permanent indoor and outdoor exhibits. Exhibits volunteers research, design, build, and create the exhibits our visitors get to enjoy.

Native Garden Volunteer: Native Garden volunteers maintain the Museum’s Native Plants Garden, which showcases a variety of traditional Native American food staples and desert plants used for construction, clothing, and medicinal purposes. Native Garden volunteers design, plant, water, and weed the garden and assist staff in teaching audiences about Sonoran Desert plants.

One-Time Volunteer Opportunities

​If you are looking to volunteer just for an event like S'edav Va'aki Museum Foundation Indian Market, Portal to the Past Festival, or Ancient Technology Day, please call us at (602) 495-0901 during business hours or email us at svmvolunteers@phoenix.gov  to learn about what is available.

Community Service

If you are interested in community service hours, please call S'edav Va'aki Museum​ at (602) 495-0901 during business hours or email svmvolunteers@phoenix.gov to schedule your hours before arriving.