Managing Volunteer Projects

This two-part workshop will explore ways to apply project management skills to volunteer recruitment and management. 

Knowing that museums and archives are often heavily reliant on volunteers, and sometimes entirely volunteer-run, it’s important to think about strategies for creating projects that your volunteers can contribute to that utilize their skills to the advantage of the organization. We’ll practice identifying key needs and recruitment opportunities, mapping out channels of communication, and laying out timelines for a project of your choosing. It’s a great opportunity to collaborate with other volunteer-driven organizations and develop some project management skills in a humanities context.

The first session (July 7) will consist of a presentation that will be recorded and can be sent to anyone not available to participate live. The second session (July 14) will include breakout rooms and be "hands on" in a way that builds on the earlier material.

About the Presenter:
Sarah Sharpton is the Outreach Manager at Pejepscot History Center. Originally hailing from Birmingham, Alabama, Sarah Sharpton spent the last 3 years living in England, where she got her M.A. in Museums and Galleries from the University of Westminster. Sarah has held a variety of positions working for heritage sites and nonprofits in the US and UK (including a very strange four months giving tours on a pirate ship!). Her favorite experiences include internships with the City of Westminster Archives Centre in London and the Canterbury Shaker Village just down the road in New Hampshire.