The Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County would not be able to function without the generosity of our many volunteers. Our volunteers help staff our admissions desk, run our gift shop, give church tours, and assist with some of our largest events, likePangea.
How to Apply
Please submit a simple resume with work experience and relevant coursework and volunteer work with contact information for three references (professors who know your work ethic and academic work are good) and a letter of interest sharing what skills and traits you bring to the organization and what you hope to learn from the internship. Submit them to [email protected]
If you have any questions about volunteering, please contact Kevin Wander at[email protected].
Minimum requirements for all HCSCC volunteers include:
Be ready to learn
Possess a gracious and friendly attitude
Be able to volunteer at least 4 hours per week, minimum
Must be able to move around the building and church at a walking pace
Must be able to sustain a clear and understandable speaking voice
Volunteer Positions
Hopperstad Stave Church Replica Docent
Supervisor: Visitor Services
Objective: Interpret, lead tours, and provide necessary security for the Stave Church.
Responsibilities:
Greet visitors
Provide information about the Hopperstad Stave Church Replica
Answer questions about the Hjemkomst Viking Ship and temporary exhibits
Lead tours for the Hopperstad Stave Church Replica
Qualifications:
Ready to learn
Gracious and friendly attitude
Able to vary approach when presenting material
Able to volunteer 4 hours per week, minimum
Physical Qualifications:
Must be able to move about the building and church at a walking pace
Must be able to sustain a clear and understandable speaking voice
HCSCC’s Responsibilities to You:
Provide ample information on the history, construction, and building of the Hopperstad Stave Church Replica
Provide one 15 minute coffee break during your 4-hour shift
Provide provisions: chair, bug spray, umbrella, and reading material
Provide pleasant and open communication with museum staff
Admission Desk Cashier
Supervisor: Director of Museum Operations
Objective: Admission Desk Cashiers are responsible for assisting in the daily operation of the HCSCC Admission desk. This includes processing visitor admission and answering general questions about the museum and its exhibits.
Responsibilities: The primary responsibility of this position is to provide guests with a positive initial experience at HCSCC. This experience is created by aiding guests with accurate exhibit and event information and assisting them in purchasing museum admission of memberships. This position is expected to work closely with all volunteers and staff of HCSCC in maintaining a superior level of guest service.
Warmly greet visitors.
Perform museum admission sales using a tablet based system.
Answer basic guest questions about the Hjemkomst Viking Ship, the Hopperstad Stave Church Replica, temporary exhibits, and upcoming events.
Assist in the operations of the HCSCC Admission Desk including mailings, filing, and other duties as assigned.
Communicate effectively with fellow co-workers and guests.
Accept cash, check, or credit card payments and give change with accuracy and efficiency.
Qualifications:
Ability to develop a growing knowledge of Square Point-of-Sale program and iPad
Skill to handle cash responsibly and accurately
Gracious and friendly attitude
Able to volunteer 4 hours per week, minimum
Physical Qualifications:
Must be able to sustain a clear and understandable speaking voice
HCSCC’s Responsibilities to You:
Provide ample information on the Hjemkomst Viking Ship, the Hopperstad Stave Church Replica, temporary exhibits, and upcoming events
Provide one 15-minute coffee break during your 4-hour shift
Provide provisions: chair, bug spray, umbrella, and reading material
Provide pleasant and open communication with museum staff
Gift Shop Cashier
Supervisor: Visitor Services Manager
Objective: Gift Shop Cashiers are responsible for assisting in the daily operation of the HCSCC Heritage Gift Shop. This includes processing visitor admission and gift shop sales, answering general questions about the museum and its exhibits face-to-face or over the phone.
Responsibilities: The primary responsibility of this position is to provide guests with a positive shopping experience at HCSCC. This experience is created by aiding guests with accurate product information and assisting them in purchasing these items. This position is expected to work closely with all volunteers and staff of HCSCC in maintaining a superior level of guest service.
Warmly greet visitors.
Perform gift shop sales using a computer based system.
Perform museum admission sales using a tablet based system.
Answer basic guest questions about the Hjemkomst Viking Ship, the Hopperstad Stave Church Replica, temporary exhibits, and upcoming events.
Answer guest questions about gift shop products.
Assist in the operations of the Heritage Gift shop including stocking shelves, dusting, vacuuming, attaching price tags to product, and checking in product.
Communicate effectively with fellow co-workers and guests.
Accept cash, check, or credit card payments and give change with accuracy and efficiency.
Qualifications:
Ability to develop a growing knowledge of Square Point-of-Sale program, iPad and computer based point-of-sale program.
Skill to handle cash responsibly and accurately
Gracious and friendly attitude
Able to volunteer 4 hours per week, minimum
Physical Qualifications:
Must be able to sustain a clear and understandable speaking voice
Must be able to move about the gift shop at a walking pace
HCSCC’s Responsibilities to You:
Provide ample information on the Hjemkomst Viking Ship, the Hopperstad Stave Church Replica, temporary exhibits, and upcoming events
Provide you with ample training on the different point-of-sale systems
Provide one 15-minute coffee break during your 4-hour shift
Provide provisions: chair and reading material
Provide pleasant and open communication with museum staff
HCSCC Internships
The Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County welcomes talented college students who are looking for an opportunity to work in a museum setting. Interns will work directly with museum professionals in the areas of visitor services, public relations and marketing, educational programming, event planning, archival practices, and curatorial and collections practices. All internships are unpaid. However, North Dakota State University and Minnesota State University Moorhead students who are eligible for Work Study may use their award for internship work at HCSCC.
How to Apply
Please submit a simple resume with work experience and relevant coursework and volunteer work with contact information for three references (professors who know your work ethic and academic work are good) and a letter of interest sharing what skills and traits you bring to the organization and what you hope to learn from the internship. Submit them to [email protected]
Minimum Requirements for all HCSCC interns include:
Demonstrate an ability to analyze, organize, and prioritize
Critical thinking skills and decision-making abilities
Strong attention to detail and accuracy
Self-motivated, able to work independently, and work well with minimum supervision
Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills
All interns will be cross trained in visitor service duties and expected to perform these duties as needed.
Visitor Services
The Visitor Services intern’s primary responsibility is to assist in the day-to-day operation of the Heritage Gift Shop, admissions desk, and stave church. Duties include:
Cash register operations
Customer service
Exhibit security
Giving tours
Keeping the exhibit spaces clean and comfortable for guests
The Visitor Services intern also assists museum staff with a variety of events, such as exhibition openings, school and group tours, festivals, and other special events. Interns interact with the public on a daily basis and are expected to provide visitors with information about museum facilities, collections, exhibitions, events, and programs.
This position is open to all majors and students of freshman through Senior standing. Please contact our Visitor Services Manager, Kevin Wander by phone at (218) 299-5511, ext. 6741 or by email at [email protected] to inquire about the Visitor Services internship. Archives
The Archives intern’s primary responsibility is to assist the Archivist with the day-to-day operation of the HCSCC archives. Duties include:
Assist with the preservation, research, and cataloging of HCSCC’s archival collections
Become familiar with proper artifact and document handling and storage procedures
Catalog and inventory collections
Enhancement of archival metadata and digitization
Work on special project assignments
This position is open to History and Public History majors only. Students must be of junior or senior standing. Candidates must have a serious interest in working in archives or libraries. Please contact our archivist Petra Gunderson-Leith by phone at (219) 299-5511, ext. 6734, or by email at[email protected] to inquire about the Archives internship.
Curatorial
The Curatorial intern’s primary responsibility is to assist the Collections Manager and Registrar with the day-to-day collection management tasks. Duties include:
Assist with the preservation, research, and cataloging of HCSCC’s history and artifact collections
Become familiar with proper artifact handling and storage procedures
Catalog and inventory collections
Work on special project assignments
This position is open to History, Public History, and Cultural Anthropology majors only. Students must be of junior or senior standing. Previous coursework in public history, collections management, and experience in handling artifacts is preferred. Please contact our Collections Manager Lisa Vedaa by phone at (218) 299-5511, ext. 6735 or by email at [email protected] for information about the Curatorial internship.