(FISHERS) – A new class of youth volunteers has been selected to join Conner Prairie as we begin preparations for the 2019 outdoor season that begins on March 26.
Since this past fall, more than 60 youth ages 10-18 applied for a chance to participate in this highly selective program and only 20 were chosen! The total amount of youth volunteers serving Conner Prairie this year is 116.
“It’s wonderful to see so many of today’s local youth excited about history and the willingness to immerse themselves in it,” Sarah Morin-Wilson, Youth Experience Manager at Conner Prairie. Many of those who were selected have diverse backgrounds with experiences in theatre, Girl Scouts and 4-H. Many are also artists, writers, and equestrians as well as accomplished YouTubers!”
Youth volunteers participating in the program are required to volunteer for one full year and a minimum of 120 hours. Responsibilities include playing historical games with visitors and lead hands-on activities in modern-day clothing as third-person interpreters. They are also tasked with portraying fictional characters from the 1800s as first-person interpreters in historical costumes. Other duties include volunteering to help care for the museum’s heritage animal breeds, as well as participate in special events and behind the scenes roles.
Those chosen underwent initial training earlier this month where they toured Conner Prairie’s grounds, played team-building games and created an imaginary theme park that offers poor customer service in order to begin learning guest services skills.
“Before we open our outdoor grounds on March 26, these new youth volunteers will go through one more all-day training session, so they will be fully prepared to make their time as well as our guests time at Conner Prairie historic!”
The following are this year’s new youth volunteers at Conner Prairie:
Clay Middle School
- Linnea Reagan, age 13
Carmel High School
- Grace Belt, age 14
Fisher High School
- Kylie Jones, age 14
- Jacob Monninger, age 17
Geist Montessori Academy
- Teagan Cortez, age 11
Hinkle Creek Elementary School
- Katherine Boice, age 11
Mt. Vernon Middle School
- Lillian Davis, age 13
Noblesville East Middle School
- Addie Cooley, age 13
Noblesville West Middle School
- Ethan Harvey Corlett, age 11
Riverside Intermediate School
- Nolan Kuhn, age 11
Riverside Junior High School
- Shriya Gawade, age 13
St. Patrick Homeschool Academy
- Clare Hauersperger, age 16
- Therese Hauersperger, age 14
Union Elementary School
- Sofia Suarez, age 10
Woodbrook Elementary
- Olivia Wright, age 10
Homeschoolers
- Jacob Brasher, age 11
- Lindsey Green, age 16
- Marshall Frye, age 11
- Toby Smart, age 11
- Henry Stover, age 10
ABOUT CONNER PRAIRIE
Spanning more than 1,000 wooded acres in Central Indiana, Conner Prairie welcomes more than 400,000 visitors of all ages annually. As Indiana’s first Smithsonian Institute affiliate, Conner Prairie offers various outdoor, historically-themed encounters and indoor experiential learning spaces that combine history and art with science, technology, engineering and math to offer an authentic look into history that shapes society today. Conner Prairie is a 501(c)3, nonprofit organization – accredited by the American Alliance of Museums – that relies on grants and philanthropic donations from individuals, corporations and foundations for sustainability and growth. Visit connerprairie.org or call (800) 966-1836 for admission dates, hours, ticket prices and opportunities to donate and volunteer.
