Teen volunteer programs offer the opportunity to not only learn history but how to share it with others. Volunteers learn how to teach, engage with the community and become an advocate for themselves and others. Rising 8th–11th graders will meet teens from across the region and together you'll create a great museum experience for your peers and visitors from all over the world. These programs also are a great space for creativity, inclusivity, fun and confidence building. Teen volunteer opportunities include:

• Junior Gallery Guides engage visitors in our museums’ indoor galleries.
• Junior Historical Interpreters engage visitors in our outdoor living-history areas.

For more information, please contact volunteer@jyf.virginia.gov.

Application details

Please submit your application by May 27, 2026.

May 16th- Orientation
Jamestown-Settlement
9am-12:30pm

OR

June 6th-Orientation
American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
9am-12:30pm

After applying, you will be asked to choose which orientation to attend. You do not need to attend both.

Volunteers are required to attend a one-day orientation, which includes tours of the galleries and outdoor living-history areas at Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. The program includes an overview of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation (JYF), the organization that administers the museums, and learn about the roles and responsibilities of a Junior Gallery Guide and Junior Historical Interpreter. At the end of orientation, you'll have an opportunity to choose the museum where you would like to volunteer and which role interests you the most. 

Training Sessions • Week of June 15, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

You are required to complete five full-day training sessions. During each training session, you will spend half the day with a mentor in the specific location where you will be volunteering and half the day in a classroom learning historical content and some of the best ways to engage with museum visitors.

Volunteer Shifts • Starting Monday, June 22

After completing the volunteer training program, you’ll be able to schedule yourself for volunteer shifts. We will continue to provide training and mentoring to help you grow content knowledge and approaches for engaging museum visitors.

Volunteers are required to work for a minimum of eight hours a month during the summer. If you want to continue as a core volunteer, you’ll need to volunteer four hours a month during the school year.

Professional Development Days • Sunday, August 17 – Saturday, August 21

During this week, you can learn about resume writing, completing job applications and writing cover letters. You also can participate in mock interviews.