A job for people who love history!
Maribeth, a School Tour Docent at the 1872 Sholes School Museum.
Presentation Partners is expanding our group of School Tour docents for Fall 2026. We hope YOU desire to share your love of history with the scholars who visit us!
Going back to the 1970s, students from schools along the Fox River looked forward to their field trips to the Durant-Peterson House and Sholes School Museums. This special day invited them to go back in time, to experience what life was like for the Durant children, living on a farm just a few miles west of downtown St. Charles. Visiting teachers encouraged their students to come dressed as children would have in the 1850s and bring a “settlers” lunch in a tin pail or wrapped in a bandana – ways to get students immersed in the educational experience. And when the buses pulled up to the barns and the students stepped outside, the Sholes school teacher would pull the rope and ring the bell to tell them it was time for class!
An educational experience like this is one of the reasons Preservation Partners exists. As stated in our original Articles of Incorporation (1974), our non-profit organization was founded “. . . to foster an awareness and appreciation of landmarks, buildings, monuments, documents, and property of historical importance to Kane County, Illinois, and to engage in and seek the preservation, authentic restoration, and protection of these, and to promote their use for educational purposes.”
Our connection with the public, private, and homeschool groups, therefore, is essential to our mission.
And it takes enthusiastic and caring individuals to make the field trip experience one that the student will remember for years to come.
Presentation Partners is expanding our group of School Tour docents for Fall 2026. We hope YOU desire to share your love of history with the scholars who visit us!
With more schools visiting the museums each year, now is the time to recruit. Due to the importance of this educational program, we provide trained docents with “pay per class” compensation. Docents will receive their payment for those field trips they work at the end of each Fall or Spring session.
How to get involved as a School Tour docent:
Step 1 – Interested volunteers schedule a visit to see what a school tour is like during one of the Spring 2026 field trips. We have thirteen field trip dates on our April and May calendar to choose from, so far. The students spend about 60 minutes in each museum.
Step 2 – Attend a training session at the museums, where you will meet other docents, get the scripting for the Durant-Peterson House and the Sholes School, and spend some practice time.
Step 3 – When the tour schedule for Fall 2026 is available, you will have a chance to select which field trip dates work best for you. Some docents work a few days; others sign up for more.
For more information, contact Debra Corwin, Museum Director, at durantandsholes@ppfv.org or give her a call at 630-377-6424. She would love to speak with you and answer any questions.
What a wonderful way to share your love of history with the next generation!
The Sholes School Museum is owned by the Forest Preserve District of Kane County and operated by Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley.