Nebraska Ag Connection - WNCC Partners with Legacy of the Plains for Docent Training

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WNCC Partners with Legacy of the Plains for Docent Training
Nebraska Ag Connection - 06/26/2017

In September 2016, after the opening of the newly renovated and expanded Legacy of the Plains Museum, Sandra Reddish, then executive director of the museum and Judy Amoo, executive director of the John N. Harms Center at Western Nebraska Community College and museum volunteer, recognized the importance of volunteers.

Reddish and Amoo began planning a series of docent training workshops through the Business and Community Education division of WNCC. Docents are highly trained volunteers typically working with museums, zoos, or art galleries who teach and interpret the meaning of the collections contained within the organizations.

The Legacy of the Plains Museum docent program launched and after eight workshops, nearly 30 newly educated docents began sharing their knowledge with museum visitors, just in time to kick off the tourist season over Memorial Day Weekend.

Amoo worked closely with Amanda Gibbs, Legacy of the Plains Museum interim executive director and archivist to plan each workshop.

"After each workshop, I received great feedback from the docents about the helpful information they obtained from the lectures and tours, and also about the power of networking in building confidence among the team volunteers," said Gibbs.

Presenters during the workshops included Dick Kuxhausen, Jerry Lucas, Susan Weideman, John Beard, Sandra Strey, and Gibbs, who each offered expertise about each of the outbuildings and sections of the museum's extensive historical collections.

For more information about the Legacy of the Plains Museum docent training, please contact Amoo at amooj@wncc.edu or 308-635-6702.

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