As a Student Guide at the Cantor Arts Center and Anderson Collection at Stanford University, you will be paid to give tours of the museums to the public, the university community, and K-12 audiences. You will be part of a team dedicated to public engagement and museum education. Student Guides develop public speaking and visual literacy skills, facilitate conversations about contemporary issues, and have the opportunity to interact with experts from a wide variety of disciplines.

Course content

Student Guides learn about the role of museums in contemporary society, do art historical research, and learn best practices for engaging visitors in the museum space. Topics to be discussed include exhibition and object-based learning, gallery teaching, artistic processes, and K-12 education.

Commitment

Student Guides training requires the time commitment of a class. Training meetings are held every Monday afternoon of fall, winter, and spring quarters at the Cantor Arts Center and the Anderson Collection. Weekly attendance is required. Outside of weekly training meetings, Guides are expected to complete readings and short writing assignments, as well as do research as they develop their tours.

Guides are expected to commit to the program for at least two years: one year of training and at least one year of touring. Guides will not be expected to attend meetings every week once they have completed their training. Guides are paid an hourly rate commensurate with the Stanford pay scale for students.

To Apply

Applications for the 2024-25 cycle are open Mon., Dec. 18, 2023 through Fri., Mar. 31, 2024 at 11:59 pm. Application review will begin in the Spring Quarter.