Volunteer at the LEROY OAKES FOREST PRESERVE HISTORIC SITES
Volunteer Linda Saxer making button bracelets with visitors.
Have an interest in local history from the 1800s? A desire to share knowledge with the public? Enjoy engaging with children and groups of all ages? Then the 1843 Durant-Peterson House or the 1872 Sholes School might be a perfect volunteer opportunity for you!
At the 1843 Durant-Peterson House, volunteers are trained to share tales of the original farmstead through hands-on history lessons with visitors to the museum.
At the 1872 Sholes School, volunteers dress as teachers from the 1800’s and recreate what a school day was like for the farm families that attended one-room schools in Kane County.
This is a costumed, living history position; there are a variety of period-appropriate costumes available at the museums for you to wear. This special engagement truly brings the Durant-Peterson House and the one-room Sholes School to life!
There are many adult volunteer opportunities, including:
As a docent on public open days, school tours, and at special events
Sharing your special talent or hobby to educate visitors on past arts and crafts
Planting and maintaining the Durant vegetable garden (no costumes required)
Help plan and promote fundraising events
Children aged 10-17 can also volunteer! Junior docents dress in period-appropriate costumes, learn what life would have been like for children at that time, and help teach visitors about the Durant children’s lives.
With a very flexible schedule and a wonderful team of educators, our museums offer a great opportunity for people with a passion for the past. We look forward to hearing from you!
Volunteer Elise Chamberlain teaching students at the 1872 Sholes School Museum.
The Durant-Peterson House and Sholes School Museums are operated by Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley through a contractual agreement with the Forest Preserve District of Kane County.