Become a KAM Volunteer

Whether you’ve devoted your life to aviation, are fascinated by history, intrigued by building restoration or just like to meet new people, we’ve got a worthwhile project that could use your help.

The Kansas Aviation Museum offers many volunteer opportunities to accommodate both weekday and weekend schedules. We provide training and materials to ensure that you will have a successful and enjoyable volunteer experience.

Here are some of the volunteer opportunities we offer:

• Tour guide/Docent
• Education/School Program Docent
• Gift Shop Attendant
• Special Event Volunteer
• Historic aircraft restoration
• Landscaping
• Building/Yard Maintenance

Sunday, September 22 at 1pm

Sunday, October 6 at 1pm

Sunday, November 3 at 1pm

The Kansas Aviation Museum requires all new volunteers to attend orientation, complete an application and submit to a background check.

Do you have a group you'd like to bring to volunteer with us? We would love to accomodate your group. 

Guidelines

If your group is interested in volunteering at KAM, we ask you to follow the following guidelines:

• Group size should be a minimum of five people.
• Please schedule a minimum of 2.5 hours for your volunteer project.
• We require volunteers to be 16 years of age to volunteer without a parent, those under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult.
• We require two weeks notice for any group volunteer projects, so please make arrangements ahead of time.
• Typically we will  provide all materials that you may need, but you are welcome to bring your own supplies like gardening gloves, hats, etc.
• Groups may be kept together, or split into smaller groups depending on the project.

If you are interested in having your group volunteer with us, please contact our Business Director to make arrangements.

Docents play a vital role in the Kansas Aviation Museum, serving as the bridge between our rich aviation history and our visitors. Their importance cannot be overstated, as they bring the museum to life in the following ways:

• Enhancing Visitor Experience: Docents provide engaging and informative tours, transforming static exhibits into dynamic stories that captivate and educate visitors of all ages.
• Educational Outreach: Through their knowledgeable and passionate presentations, docents help fulfill our educational mission, inspiring curiosity and a deeper understanding of aviation history and technology.
• Personal Connection: By interacting with visitors, docents create a welcoming and personalized museum experience. Their enthusiasm and expertise make each visit unique and memorable.
• Community Engagement: Docents serve as ambassadors for the museum, fostering a sense of community and encouraging repeat visits and word-of-mouth recommendations.
• Supporting Special Programs: Whether assisting with school group visits, workshops, or special events, docents ensure that our programs run smoothly and effectively, enhancing the overall impact of our educational efforts.
• Preserving History: Through their dedication, docents help preserve and promote the legacy of aviation, ensuring that future generations can appreciate and learn from our shared history.

At the Kansas Aviation Museum, docents are more than just volunteers; they are storytellers, educators, and the heart of our visitor experience. Their contributions are invaluable, and we are deeply grateful for their commitment and passion.

Our education programs are possible because of volunteers who enjoy working with children. There are several areas within the Education Department to volunteer:

• Classroom Teaching and Activities
• Educational Tour Guides/Outreach
• Storytellers for our Preschool Program
• Learning Center

The educational tour volunteers are vital in helping to grow our education department. All volunteers will go through a docent training program. Our next docent training session is July 9 at 11am.

The Kansas Aviation Museum gift shop offers volunteer opportunities during the week. Our gift shop sells a variety of aviation-themed items. Gift Shop attendants will assist with sales, stocking, and keeping the gift shop and lobby clean and attractive to our museum guests. This is the first point of contact for most of our guests so the gift shop attendants need to have strong customer service skills. Prior cashier skills are valued but we are happy to train if needed.

If you would like to volunteer in the gift shop but do not want the responsibility of register duties, we are happy to have your help in stocking shelves, folding museum brochures, assisting guests with questions about where the exhibits are in the museum, and light cleaning duties in the gift shop and lobby area.

The Kansas Aviation Museum has many special events throughout the year, and we rely on volunteer support to make those events successful! If you don't have a lot of time to give, but you would still like to be part of the KAM family, special event volunteering may be for you!

• Special Events Include:
• Swinging Soiree
• Murder Mysteries
• Paranormal Events
• Play on a Plane
• Airshow Watch Party

And MORE! Sound like fun? Sign up today! Our next two events are the Air Show Watch Party on August 24 and 25!  Volunteer For the Air Show Watch Party! And Play on a Play on a Plane on September 14 Volunteer for Play on a Plane

Hands-on aircraft restoration opportunities – from general maintenance to highly technical work – await those with the requisite expertise and interest. We are home to a variety of general aviation and military aircraft and always have restoration projects ongoing that need care by dedicated and skilled individuals.

We need volunteers to work with maintaining the aircraft on our ramp! We are working now to create work groups for each of the aircraft on the ramp, which include our 737, 727, Cessna Citation, Lear23, KC-135, Starship, T-37, JPATS, 336, C-45 and more! Regular maintenance work includes washing the plane once a month, air up tires (if possible), making and repairing engine and exhaust covers, along with other duties as they arise. If you would like to be a crew chief on one of our planes, contact us today! 

Just imagine walking into our lobby and instantly stepping back into the 1930s when air travel was new and exciting. That’s the vision we have, and we’re not stopping until that vision is realized. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the museum’s home is the original Wichita Municipal Airport terminal. The exterior of this grand art deco building and most of the interior has been restored, but we need help to keep it maintained.

Possible projects include:

• Painting
• Wall repair
• General maintenance and upkeep of historic building

You can fill out our online application by clicking on this link: Online Volunteer Application

Or you can download the volunteer application, and either return it in person to the museum, or scan it and send it to our Volunteer Coordinator.

Download Volunteer Application

For more information please contact our Volunteer Coordinator or call (316) 683-9242