HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND JUNIOR LEAGUE PARTNER TO CREATE HISTORY MUSEUM DOCENT PROGRAM
PALM BEACH, Fla. (May 16, 2005)—The Junior League of the Palm Beaches and the Historical Society of Palm Beach County have partnered to develop and implement a docent program for the area’s first countywide history museum, to be located inside the to-be-restored historic 1916 Palm Beach County Courthouse in Downtown West Palm Beach. The program will enhance the overall educational experience for visitors and school groups by providing guided tours of the museum’s artifacts, interactive displays and collections that depict the diverse history of Palm Beach County and Florida. The Historical Society plans to have the docent program operable by the museum’s opening, expected to be in 2007.
“The Junior League has done a remarkable job of helping to establish volunteer programs for some of the area’s most prestigious institutions, including The South Florida Science Museum and The Quantum House,” said Loren Mintz, president and CEO of the Historical Society. “Each year, they receive numerous requests for volunteer support from non-profit organizations throughout the county. The fact that they have chosen to dedicate volunteer resources to the Historical Society speaks wonders about the importance of the museum and its significant role in providing our children with a valuable educational resource. We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with the Junior League, and we look forward to launching a program that encourages visitors to discover Florida’s unique past.”
One of the primary functions of the docent program is to enhance the fourth and seventh grade history education programs developed by the Historical Society and the School District of Palm Beach County. These classroom programs provide students with an in-depth instruction on Florida and Palm Beach County history through text booklets and narrated videos designed to expand and supplement the county’s existing curriculum. Docents will add the critical dimension of providing exciting museum field trips and guided tours that bring the history lessons to life for the students, giving them a more comprehensive understanding of the people, places and events that have shaped the state. The fourth grade component was launched in Palm Beach County schools in 2003, and the seventh grade program will launch in the fall of 2005. Combined, more than 26,000 Palm Beach County students annually will benefit from the curriculum and the museum experience.
To implement the docent program, the Historical Society’s education coordinator, Richard Marconi, will work closely with a volunteer committee from the Junior League, headed by Nicole Guari and Alice Randolph, the project’s chairs. The team will create a detailed training manual, recruit a volunteer base of approximately 50 docents, conduct docent training, develop a scheduling program for school field trips to the museum and establish a docent continuing education program.
“Docents are an integral part of the success of any museum,” said Mary Reynolds, president of the Junior League of the Palm Beaches. “They are the museum’s voice to the public and their level of knowledge and understanding, combined with their educational approach, can provide visitors with a positive and rewarding experience. Most importantly, they help to translate the exhibits and collections in ways that are meaningful to visitors. It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to help shape this important program from the ground up.”
The 8,000 sq.-ft. museum will be free to all Palm Beach County residents. It will occupy the second floor of the historic courthouse and will include over 3,000 sq.-ft. of permanent gallery space featuring state-of-the art, interactive exhibits that reflect the influence of every culture in Palm Beach County’s history. Nearly 700 sq.-ft. of gallery space will be dedicated to temporary and traveling exhibits. A highlight of the museum will be the two-story, 2,897 sq.-ft. restored courtroom illustrating the county’s legislative and judicial history. The Historical Society’s headquarters and archives will also be housed within building. Bethesda, MD-based Gallagher & Associates is performing the exhibit design and build-out for the museum.
For more information on the docent program, contact Historical Society education coordinator, Richard (Tony) Marconi, (561) 832-4164, or www.historicalsocietypbc.org, or contact the Junior League’s docent program chairperson, Alice Randolph, (561) 533-0108.
The Junior League of the Palm Beaches
The Junior League of the Palm Beaches is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. It’s focus area for 2005 – 2008 is children’s education.
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