In the summer of 2015, The Mariposa Museum and History Center, in conjunction with Richard Radanovich and the Christopher Radanovich Scholarship fund, began the “Summer Docent Program”. This Program allowed the History Center to hire unemployed high school students as Museum Docents to give them their first job experience. The students had to fill out job applications, have a job interview and training. Suzen Dyslin, Museum Bookkeeper & Membership Coordinator, instructed the students on filling out student work permits, government tax forms and other documents necessary for employment. Each student was assigned a work schedule and then were placed with senior docents to complete their training. They were taught how to interact with visitors, the basics of Mariposa history, cash register operation, and other work skills.
(Pictured above) 2015 Summer docent: Shirley Jo Miller (docent trainer) Alyssa Leanos, Tonekup Coats, Erin Fiester, Maria Loya and Michael Wilson.
This program was of great benefit not only to the students, but to the History Center as well. It came at a time when many of the regular docents at the Museum were taking their vacation breaks. The students gained valuable job experience that will help them to be better prepare as employees and young adults of the future. It gave them a better appreciation for the history of Mariposa and a larger since of independence.
This program unfortunately is outside of the regular museum budget and is run on specific donations to the “Summer Docent Program”. We have already started receiving donations for this worthy cause, but more funds are needed to make the program a success. The Mariposa Museum and History Center is a 501c corporation allowing for tax deductible donations. In the 2015 summer we were only able to hire five students for a month. We would like to be able to double that this summer in both students and time. We would greatly appreciate your donations toward that goal.
Please donate what you can to the “Summer Docent Program” at the Mariposa Museum and History Center., P.O. Box 606, Mariposa CA. 95338.
