Kingman Museum of Natural History

Exhibit Designer (Volunteer)

The Kingman Museum of Natural History in Battle Creek, Michigan is looking for a talented, detail-oriented volunteer to help us design and build exhibits that bring natural history to life.

We’re a community-powered museum with over 150 years of history and a growing collection that deserves to be seen. We’re in an exciting period of reinvention — developing new exhibits, refreshing legacy installations, and rethinking how we present our story to visitors. This is a fully volunteer position — part of our ongoing Volunteer Drive to build a creative team rooted in this community.

What you’d be doing:

Working with museum leadership and our Graphic and Fine Arts team to conceptualize, design, and install exhibits across the museum. That includes everything from interpretive panel layout and specimen display to spatial planning, lighting considerations, and visitor flow. You’d help translate curatorial research and collection assets into compelling, accessible visual experiences for visitors of all ages.

You may also contribute to exhibit-related collateral such as interpretive signage, artifact display cards, and supporting graphics. This is a hands-on role — you’ll be thinking creatively and building physically.

What we’re looking for:

Someone with a background or strong working knowledge in exhibit design, interior design, museum studies, graphic design, architecture, or a related field. Experience with design tools like Adobe Creative Suite, SketchUp, or similar platforms is a plus. You should be comfortable working collaboratively with artists, designers, and museum staff, and able to balance aesthetics with educational intent.

Above all, we need someone who can look at a specimen, an artifact, or a story and figure out the best way to put it in front of people so it actually means something to them.

This role is ideal for someone who:

Has a passion for museums, natural history, or public education and wants to do meaningful creative work. Maybe you’re a design student building a portfolio, a professional between projects looking to give back, or someone in the community with a talent for making spaces come alive.

Details:

This is a completely volunteer, unpaid position with flexible hours. Time commitment will vary depending on active exhibit projects. On-site availability is required for installation work and spatial planning.

Interested? Send an email to pbarnett@kingmanmuseum.org

#VolunteerDrive #CommunityPowered #KingmanMuseum #BattleCreekMI

Youth Programs Volunteer

The Kingman Museum of Natural History in Battle Creek, Michigan is searching for an energetic, creative volunteer to help us build the next generation of explorers, scientists, and nature lovers.

We’re a community-powered museum with a legacy stretching back over 150 years, and we believe that legacy lives or dies with how well we connect with young people. This is a fully volunteer position — part of our ongoing Volunteer Drive to grow a team as passionate about this community as we are.

What you’d be doing:

Helping develop and deliver youth programming that makes natural history exciting, accessible, and hands-on for kids and families in the Battle Creek area. A major piece of this role is helping lead the establishment of Eddie Brigham’s Kingman Adventure Club — a new youth initiative designed to get kids actively engaged with the museum through exploration, discovery, and learning. You’d help shape what that club looks like from the ground up, from programming structure to activities to outreach.

Beyond the Adventure Club, you’d assist with planning and running educational events, workshops, and seasonal programs. You’d work closely with museum leadership and other volunteers to ensure our youth offerings reflect the museum’s mission and the needs of the community.

What we’re looking for:

Someone who genuinely enjoys working with kids and has experience in education, youth development, recreation, scouting, or similar fields. You should be organized, dependable, and comfortable taking initiative on new ideas. A background in science education or informal learning environments is a plus, but enthusiasm and reliability matter more than credentials.

This role is ideal for someone who:

Wants to make a real impact on young people in Battle Creek. Maybe you’re an education student looking for hands-on experience, a retired teacher who misses the energy, or someone in the community who just believes kids deserve great programming at their local museum.

Details:

This is a completely volunteer, unpaid position with flexible hours. Time commitment will vary depending on programming schedules and events. Some on-site availability is required for program delivery.

Interested? Send an email to pbarnett@kingmanmuseum.org

#VolunteerDrive #CommunityPowered #KingmanMuseum #BattleCreekMI

Social Media Manager (Volunteer)

The Kingman Museum of Natural History in Battle Creek, Michigan is looking for a passionate, creative volunteer to help us tell our story across digital platforms.

We’re a community-powered museum with over 150 years of history, and we need someone who can bring that story to life online. This is a fully volunteer position — part of our ongoing Volunteer Drive to build a team that reflects the community we serve.

What you’d be doing:

Managing and creating content for our presence on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, BlueSky, and YouTube. You’d develop a consistent posting schedule, engage with followers, and help grow our audience. You’d also work closely with our Graphic and Fine Arts team to ensure all digital content aligns with the museum’s visual identity and creative direction. You’d collaborate with museum leadership on campaigns around exhibits, events, and fundraising efforts.

What we’re looking for:

A professional, reliable communicator with working knowledge of Canva and Adobe Creative Suite for content creation, and hands-on experience managing social media accounts across multiple platforms. You should be comfortable with both short-form video and static content, understand basic analytics, and be able to maintain a cohesive brand voice. Just as importantly, you need to be a collaborative team player — someone who works well with artists, designers, and creative staff to produce polished, on-brand content.

This role is ideal for someone who:

Loves natural history, science, and community institutions. Maybe you’re building a portfolio, pivoting into nonprofit communications, or just want to use your skills to support something meaningful in Battle Creek.

Details:

This is a completely volunteer, unpaid position with flexible hours. Time commitment is approximately 5–10 hours per week, depending on campaigns and events. Remote work is fine for most tasks, with occasional on-site visits for content capture and coordination with the creative team.

Interested? Send an email to pbarnett@kingmanmuseum.org

#VolunteerDrive #CommunityPowered #KingmanMuseum #BattleCreekMI

Grant Writer (Volunteer)

The Kingman Museum of Natural History in Battle Creek, Michigan is looking for a skilled, motivated volunteer to help us secure the funding that keeps our doors open and our mission moving forward.

We’re a community-powered museum with a legacy stretching back over 150 years. We have the story, the collection, and the vision — now we need someone who can put that into language that funders respond to. This is a fully volunteer position — part of our ongoing Volunteer Drive to strengthen our team from the inside out.

What you’d be doing:

Researching and identifying grant opportunities from foundations, government agencies, and corporate giving programs that align with the museum’s mission and strategic priorities. You’d draft and submit compelling grant proposals and letters of inquiry, working closely with museum leadership to develop narratives around exhibits, education programs, facility needs, youth initiatives like Eddie Brigham’s Kingman Adventure Club, and long-term sustainability.

Beyond writing, you’d help maintain a grant calendar and tracking system, assist with reporting requirements for awarded grants, and contribute to building a repeatable funding pipeline that the museum can sustain over time.

What we’re looking for:

A strong writer with experience or demonstrated interest in grant writing, nonprofit fundraising, or development. You should be comfortable with research, budgets, and deadlines, and able to translate the museum’s work into clear, persuasive proposals. Familiarity with grant databases and funding platforms is a plus. Experience with federal, state, or foundation grants in the arts, education, or cultural heritage space is especially valuable.

You don’t need to have written a hundred grants — but you do need to write well, think strategically, and follow through.

This role is ideal for someone who:

Believes in community institutions and wants to help one survive and grow. Maybe you’re a nonprofit professional looking to expand your portfolio, a communications or English major wanting real-world writing experience, or someone in the Battle Creek area who knows the funding landscape and wants to put that knowledge to work for something that matters.

Details:

This is a completely volunteer, unpaid position with flexible hours. Most work can be done remotely, with occasional coordination meetings with museum leadership. Time commitment will vary depending on grant cycles and active applications.

Interested? Send an email to pbarnett@kingmanmuseum.org

#VolunteerDrive #CommunityPowered #KingmanMuseum #BattleCreekMI

Events Manager (Volunteer)

The Kingman Museum of Natural History in Battle Creek, Michigan is looking for an organized, creative volunteer to take the lead on planning and managing events that bring this museum to life for our community.

We’re a community-powered museum with over 150 years of history, and we’re building something here. New exhibits, new programs, new energy — and we need someone who can turn all of that into events that people actually show up for. This is a fully volunteer position — part of our ongoing Volunteer Drive to grow a team that makes things happen.

What you’d be doing:

Leading the planning, coordination, and execution of events across the full range of what the museum does. That includes exhibit openings, fundraising events, educational programs, community nights, and our Expert in Residence lecture series. You’d be the person who makes sure every event has a plan, a timeline, and a team behind it.

You’d work closely with museum leadership, our Graphic and Fine Arts team, youth programming volunteers, and other staff to ensure events are well-promoted, well-run, and aligned with the museum’s mission and strategic goals. From logistics and vendor coordination to volunteer scheduling and day-of management, this role touches everything.

What we’re looking for:

Someone with experience in event planning, coordination, or management — whether in a nonprofit, corporate, community, or educational setting. You should be highly organized, a strong communicator, and comfortable juggling multiple projects at once. Experience with fundraising events is a real asset. You need to be someone who can see the big picture and sweat the small details at the same time.

You should also be a natural collaborator. This role doesn’t work in a silo — you’ll be coordinating across every part of the museum’s volunteer team to pull events together.

This role is ideal for someone who:

Thrives on bringing people together and making things run smoothly. Maybe you’ve planned events professionally and want to use those skills for something meaningful. Maybe you’re breaking into the field and want hands-on experience with a real organization. Or maybe you’re just someone in Battle Creek who’s tired of seeing great institutions go quiet and wants to help change that.

Details:

This is a completely volunteer, unpaid position with flexible hours. Time commitment will vary depending on the event calendar, with heavier periods around exhibit launches, fundraisers, and seasonal programming. On-site availability is required for event execution.

Interested? Send an email to pbarnett@kingmanmuseum.org

#VolunteerDrive #CommunityPowered #KingmanMuseum #BattleCreekMI

Marketing Manager (Volunteer)

The Kingman Museum of Natural History in Battle Creek, Michigan is looking for a strategic, resourceful volunteer to lead our marketing efforts and help put this museum back on the map — literally and figuratively.

We’re a community-powered museum with a legacy stretching back over 150 years. We have the story, the collection, and the momentum. What we need now is someone who can make sure people know about it. This is a fully volunteer position — part of our ongoing Volunteer Drive to build a team that takes this museum to the next level.

What you’d be doing:

Developing and executing a marketing strategy that increases visibility, drives attendance, and strengthens the museum’s brand across Battle Creek and beyond. You’d oversee messaging and positioning for exhibits, events, fundraising campaigns, youth programs like Eddie Brigham’s Kingman Adventure Club, and the Expert in Residence lecture series.

You’d work closely with our Social Media Manager, Graphic and Fine Arts team, Events Manager, and museum leadership to ensure every outward-facing communication tells a consistent, compelling story. That includes print and digital campaigns, media outreach, community partnerships, email marketing, and public relations. You’d help us figure out not just what to say, but where to say it and to whom.

What we’re looking for:

Someone with experience or strong working knowledge in marketing, communications, public relations, or brand management. You should be a strategic thinker who understands audience segmentation, messaging, and how to stretch a budget that’s closer to zero than most. Familiarity with tools like Canva, email marketing platforms, Google Analytics, and basic SEO is a plus.

More than anything, we need someone who can look at what we’re building and figure out how to get the right people paying attention. You don’t need a Fortune 500 résumé — you need good instincts, initiative, and the ability to execute.

This role is ideal for someone who:

Believes that great institutions deserve great visibility. Maybe you’re a marketing professional who wants to do purpose-driven work on the side. Maybe you’re a student or early-career professional looking to lead a real campaign for a real organization. Or maybe you’re someone in this community who’s watched this museum quietly endure for decades and thinks it’s time the world heard about it.

Details:

This is a completely volunteer, unpaid position with flexible hours. Most work can be done remotely, with periodic coordination meetings and on-site visits for events and content needs. Time commitment is approximately 5–10 hours per week, with heavier periods around major campaigns and events.

Interested? Send an email to pbarnett@kingmanmuseum.org

#VolunteerDrive #CommunityPowered #KingmanMuseum #BattleCreekMI

Collections Manager (Volunteer)

The Kingman Museum of Natural History in Battle Creek, Michigan is looking for a knowledgeable, detail-driven volunteer to help us care for, organize, and manage the collection that sits at the heart of everything we do.

We’re a community-powered museum with over 150 years of history and a diverse collection spanning natural history, geology, anthropology, and regional heritage. These objects tell stories that matter — but only if they’re properly documented, preserved, and accessible. This is a fully volunteer position — part of our ongoing Volunteer Drive to build a team that protects what we’ve been entrusted with.

What you’d be doing:

Overseeing the care, documentation, and organization of the museum’s permanent collection. That includes cataloging and inventorying specimens and artifacts, managing and maintaining our collections database, ensuring proper handling and storage procedures are followed, and supporting the development of collections policies and best practices.

You’d work with museum leadership, our Exhibit Designer, and the Graphic and Fine Arts team to facilitate access to collection items for exhibits, research, and educational programming. You’d also help assess conservation needs and prioritize preservation efforts across the collection.

What we’re looking for:

Someone with experience in collections management, museum studies, archival science, or a closely related field. Hands-on knowledge of artifact handling processes — including proper documentation, condition reporting, storage standards, and preventive conservation — is essential. You should also have experience with collections database management, ideally with platforms like PastPerfect or similar museum cataloging systems.

You need to be methodical, patient, and deeply respectful of the objects in your care. This is detail work that requires consistency and follow-through. A background in natural history, anthropology, archaeology, or a related discipline is a strong plus but not required.

This role is ideal for someone who:

Understands that a museum is only as strong as its collection — and that a collection is only as good as how it’s managed. Maybe you’re a museum studies graduate looking for hands-on experience. Maybe you’re a retired curator or registrar who still has the itch. Or maybe you’re someone in the Battle Creek community who believes these objects deserve proper stewardship and wants to be part of making that happen.

Details:

This is a completely volunteer, unpaid position with flexible hours. On-site availability is required for hands-on collections work, though some database and administrative tasks can be done remotely. Time commitment will vary depending on active projects and the pace of cataloging efforts.

Interested? Send an email to pbarnett@kingmanmuseum.org

#VolunteerDrive #CommunityPowered #KingmanMuseum #BattleCreekMI

Docent (Volunteer)

The Kingman Museum of Natural History in Battle Creek, Michigan is looking for enthusiastic, personable volunteers to serve as docents — the welcoming face and guiding voice of our museum.

We’re a community-powered museum with over 150 years of history, and no amount of great exhibits matters if there isn’t someone there to bring them to life for visitors. This is a fully volunteer position — part of our ongoing Volunteer Drive to build a team that connects people to the stories inside these walls.

What you’d be doing:

Leading tours and engaging with visitors of all ages as they explore the museum’s exhibits and collections. You’d help interpret natural history, geology, anthropology, and regional heritage in a way that’s accessible, accurate, and memorable. You’d welcome school groups, families, and community visitors, answer questions, and help create an experience that makes people want to come back.

You’d also work with museum leadership, our Exhibit Designer, and the educational programming team to stay current on exhibit content and messaging. As new exhibits come online, you’d be among the first to learn the stories behind them and share those stories with the public.

What we’re looking for:

Someone who enjoys talking to people and has a genuine interest in natural history, science, or museum education. Public speaking experience, teaching background, or prior docent work is a plus — but what matters most is that you’re comfortable in front of a group and passionate about making learning enjoyable. You should be reliable, warm, and adaptable, whether you’re leading a group of second graders or walking a retired couple through a geology exhibit.

This role is ideal for someone who:

Loves sharing what they know and learning something new in the process. Maybe you’re a retired educator who still lights up in front of a group. Maybe you’re a college student studying education, history, or the sciences and want real interpretive experience. Or maybe you’re just someone in Battle Creek who’s proud of this museum and wants to help other people discover it.

Details:

This is a completely volunteer, unpaid position with flexible scheduling. Availability during museum open hours is needed, with opportunities for special events, school group visits, and seasonal programming. Training on exhibit content and interpretive techniques will be provided.

Interested? Send an email to pbarnett@kingmanmuseum.org

#VolunteerDrive #CommunityPowered #KingmanMuseum #BattleCreekMI

Photographic Collections Specialist (Volunteer)

The Kingman Museum of Natural History in Battle Creek, Michigan is looking for a careful, detail-oriented volunteer to help us preserve and organize one of the most historically significant parts of our collection — our photographic holdings.

We’re a community-powered museum with over 150 years of history, and our photographic collection includes glass plate negatives, lantern slides, historic prints, film, and other media that document the museum, the Brigham family, and the natural history of the region. These materials deserve specialist care. This is a fully volunteer position — part of our ongoing Volunteer Drive to build a team that protects what we’ve been entrusted with.

What you’d be doing:

Working alongside the Collections Manager to process, document, and preserve the museum’s photographic and media holdings. That includes handling and rehousing glass plate negatives, lantern slides, prints, and film using archival-appropriate materials; cataloging items into the collections database; creating condition reports; and helping identify items that need conservation attention.

You’d also assist with digitization efforts — scanning or photographing historic images for long-term access and research use — and help build descriptive metadata that makes these materials discoverable for exhibits, publications, and researchers. This role operates under the Collections Manager’s direction as part of a collaborative collections team that also includes the Exhibit Designer and the Graphic and Fine Arts team.

What we’re looking for:

Someone with training or hands-on experience in archives, library science, museum studies, photography, or a related field. Familiarity with archival handling practices for photographic materials — including glass plate negatives, nitrate and acetate film, and historic prints — is strongly preferred. Experience with collections databases like PastPerfect, scanning workflows, or digital asset management is a plus.

You need to be patient, methodical, and genuinely careful with fragile materials. This is slow, deliberate work, and a single moment of carelessness can damage something that can’t be replaced. A background or strong interest in local history, natural history photography, or visual heritage is a meaningful bonus.

This role is ideal for someone who:

Understands that photographs are primary historical documents and wants to help make sure they survive. Maybe you’re a library or archives student looking for hands-on experience with historic photographic media. Maybe you’re a retired archivist, librarian, or photographer who still loves this kind of work. Or maybe you’re someone in the Battle Creek community who knows these images tell an important story and wants to help us tell it right.

Details:

This is a completely volunteer, unpaid position with flexible hours. On-site availability is required for hands-on archival work, though some cataloging and digital processing tasks may be done remotely. Time commitment will vary depending on active projects. Training on archival handling practices specific to Kingman’s collection will be provided as needed.

Interested? Send an email to pbarnett@kingmanmuseum.org

#VolunteerDrive #CommunityPowered #KingmanMuseum #BattleCreekMI