Volunteer
Join us on a journey to promote inspiring encounters with human rights!
Are you passionate about human rights and want to inspire others? We’re looking for energetic and enthusiastic people who embrace our values of respect, inclusion, ingenuity, humility, trust.
Photo: CMHR
Volunteers are a crucial part of our Museum team. Our volunteer team is enthusiastic, reliable, dynamic and service‐driven. Our volunteers are generous with their time, skills and talents and commit to provide excellent customer service.
As a Museum volunteer, you'll be exposed to a variety of opportunities that will allow you to learn new skills, build new relationships and broaden your knowledge about human rights. You will enrich our visitors' experience through the sharing of your expertise, talents, enthusiasm, pride and desire to promote human rights education. You'll be making a difference – one visitor, one encounter at a time.
All volunteers must meet the following minimum requirements to volunteer at the Museum:
- Age 16 or older (or ages 12–15 with an adult sponsor as part of the family volunteer program);
- Eligible to volunteer in Canada (check your visa, if applicable);
- Able to meet minimum requirements for Level 4 Reading, Speaking, Writing and Listening – Canadian Language Benchmarks in one or both of Canada's official languages;
- Able to provide proof of identity;
- Willing to commit to 100 hours of service annually;
- Able to meet the necessary security clearance checks. The clearance check may involve some or all of the following: verification of personal data, educational or professional qualifications, and employment data and references; a declaration concerning any conviction for a criminal offence for which a pardon has not been granted; and a verification of applicable security clearance checks, which may include Police Check, Vulnerable Sector Check, Child Abuse Registry Check and Credit History Check;
- Willing to participate in 30 hours of in‐classroom and online training specific to your volunteer assignment;
- Willing to adhere to the Museum's Code of Conduct.
We hope that our selection of volunteer opportunities inspires you to take action and join our team!
180
active volunteers
Volunteers from ages
14–80+
Volunteers speak
25+
languages
Over
145,000
hours of service since 2014
2. Adults
Our adult volunteer program is designed for adults (age 18+) who are interested in sharing your skills, ability and talents to help us promote human rights education with local, national and international audiences. With opportunities right across the museum's campus and virtually, you are bound to find something that piques your interest and compels you to apply!
Coat check
Availability: Tuesday – Sunday and some evenings
Duties: Assist visitors with items that need to be checked. Provide information to help visitors access our content and accessibility resources such as mobility assistance devices and portable seating options. Arrange for transportation. This opportunity is best suited to individuals who enjoy engaging with the public and are able to meet the physical endurance and fine motor skill requirements of the assignment. Fluency in both official languages is an asset.
Welcome and Information Desk
Availability: Tuesday – Sunday and some evenings
Duties: Meet and greet visitors and members. Share information regarding the Museum's daily programs and special events. Support the visitor experience by providing basic information and suggestions for the visit. Fluency in both official languages is an asset.
Tour assistant
Availability: Tuesday – Sunday and some evenings
Duties: Work closely with Tour Guides as they take visitors on a journey through a selection of galleries and exhibits. Provide exceptional customer service by helping guests with any accessibility needs. This opportunity is best suited to individuals who can meet the physical requirements of the assignment, are interested in learning more about human rights and have a genuine interest in working with diverse groups.
Gallery ambassador
Availability: Afternoons and weekends
Duties: Provide assistance and support in the galleries to ensure visitors can access our content and resources. This opportunity is best suited to individuals who are comfortable engaging with visitors and can keep up to date with programs and exhibitions and our inclusive design features and resources. Fluency in both official languages is an asset.
Event support (variety of departments)
Availability: Days, evenings and weekends
Duties: Meet, greet and assist guests with wayfinding throughout the Museum. May assist with set‐up and tear‐down prior to and after the event. This opportunity is best suited to individuals who can meet the physical requirements of the assignment, are flexible and have good interpersonal communication skills. Fluency in both official languages is an asset.
4th floor information booth – ambassador
Availability: Tuesday – Sunday, afternoons
Duties: This is a mid‐point location on a visitor's journey through the Museum and a chance to check in with visitors. Ambassadors can offer suggestions for the remainder of the visit, help visitors navigate through the Museum, share information on Museum programs and services, and gather feedback. This opportunity is best suited to individuals who are comfortable communicating with other. Fluency in both official languages is an asset.
School programs – ambassador
Availability: Tuesday – Friday, mornings and afternoons, September – June
Duties: Working in partnership with our education team, this volunteer opportunity helps to enrich students' educational experiences. Volunteers assist students and teachers with wayfinding, accessibility, programming and tours. This opportunity is best suited to individuals who have a genuine interest in working with children and youth, have experience in educational programming, enjoy working with diverse groups, are highly organized and have the ability to problem solve with sound judgement and a positive attitude.
3. Youth
Our youth program is designed for youth ages 14–18 and targets students who:
- are able to communicate with visitors in one or both of Canada's official languages,
- are able to meet our minimum commitment of 100 hours of service, and
- want to learn more about human rights,
- want to gain work experience with an emphasis on customer service and accessibility.
| Age | Recruitment | How to apply |
|---|---|---|
| 14‑16 | Open | For summer opportunities, please contact us at volunteer.services@humanrights.ca by May 30. |
| 16‑17 | Open | Please contact us at volunteer.services@humanrights.ca. |
4. Family teams
The Museum supports opportunities for families to volunteer to promote a sense of belonging, civic stewardship and community responsibility. One adult (age 18+) and up to two youth (ages 12–15) can volunteer as a team. Opportunities are available on certain evenings, weekends, winter and spring breaks and over the summer months. A minimum commitment of two shifts a month or combined 100 annual hours of service is required.
Spend some quality family time together learning about human rights and giving back to your community.
5. High school placements
The Museum offers a number of placements throughout the year for students between the ages 15–18. These practicums are designed for youth who are interested in gaining valuable work experience interacting with the public and assisting behind the scenes, while also learning more about human rights. We offer placements three times per year. We require a minimum commitment of 100 annual hours of service for each placement.
We offer placements three times per year.
| Placement period | Application deadline |
|---|---|
| October 1 — December 1 | September 30 |
| January 1 — May 30 | December 1 |
| June 30 — September 1 | May 30 |
Coat check
Availability: 6 days a week and some evenings
Duties: Assist visitors with items that need to be checked. Provide information to help visitors access our content and accessibility resources such as mobility assistance devices and portable seating options. Arrange for transportation. This opportunity is best suited to individuals who enjoy engaging with the public and are able to meet the physical endurance and fine motor skill requirements of the assignment. Fluency in both official languages is an asset.
Ambassador
Availability: 6 days a week and some evenings
Duties: Meet and greet visitors and members. Share information regarding the Museum's daily programs and special events. Must have good interpersonal and communication skills. Fluency in both official languages is an asset.
Tour assistant
Availability: 6 days a week and some evenings
Duties: Work closely with Tour Guides as they take visitors on a journey through a selection of galleries and exhibits. Provide exceptional customer service by helping guests with any accessibility needs. This opportunity is best suited to individuals who can meet the physical requirements of the assignment, are interested in learning more about human rights and have a genuine interest in working with diverse groups.
Gallery ambassador
Availability: Afternoons and weekends
Duties: Provide assistance and support in the galleries to ensure visitors can access our content and resources. This opportunity is best suited to individuals who are comfortable engaging with visitors and can keep up to date with programs and exhibitions and our inclusive design features and resources. Fluency in both official languages is an asset.
Event support (variety of departments)
Availability: Days, evenings and weekends
Duties: Meet, greet and assist guests with wayfinding throughout the Museum. May assist with set‐up and tear‐down prior to and after the event. This opportunity is best suited to individuals who can meet the physical requirements of the assignment, are flexible and have good interpersonal communication skills. Fluency in both official languages is an asset.
Information booth – ambassador
Availability: Afternoons and weekends
Duties: Support the visitor experience by providing basic information and suggestions for the visit. The opportunity is best suited to individuals who can keep up to date with ever‐changing exhibit and gallery information. Fluency in both official languages in an asset.
4th floor information booth – ambassador
Availability: Daily, mornings and afternoons
Duties: This is a mid‐point location on a visitor's journey through the Museum and a chance to check in with visitors. Ambassadors can offer suggestions for the remainder of the visit, help visitors navigate through the Museum, share information on Museum programs and services, and gather feedback. This opportunity is best suited to individuals who are comfortable communicating with other. Fluency in both official languages is an asset.
If you are interested in any of these high school placement opportunities, please contact us at volunteer.services@humanrights.ca.
For questions or concerns, please contact Volunteer Services:
Email: volunteer.services@humanrights.ca
Phone: 204–289-2025
6. Accessibility
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is committed to developing inclusive, barrier‐free volunteer recruitment processes and practices. Please send an email to volunteer.services@humanrights.ca if accommodation measures need to be taken to enable you to apply and be assessed in a fair and equitable manner.
7. Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights adheres to the values, principles and organizational standards in the Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement.