Docent Training
Docent Training Info
The 2012 Docent Training Class is not currently taking applications. For information about our spring Chaperone Training, write Fred Schrock, Education Coordinator at info@BuffaloTours.org.
Our annual Docent Training Program teaches people how to give a guided tour and assist with tour-related events, including concierge and chaperoning skills. Prospective docents are taught about and tested on local history, architecture, public speaking, organizing information, working with the public, and general tour-giving skills. After the first five weeks, prospective docents pick which group they would like to join. 
Past partner groups of the Buffalo Niagara Docent Training Alliance include:
Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society
Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper
Buffalo Tours
Buffalo Religious Arts Center
Forest Lawn Cemetery
Roycroft Campus Corporation
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site
Many have compared Docent Training to a college-level class. If a person wishes to become a Buffalo Tours docent, for example, we have five additional weeks of Saturdays where docents focus on our Queen City Downtown architectural tour. We then require an oral test (giving a one-on-one tour) and a written test to become a docent. All applicants are interviewed by phone after filling out an application.
Training sessions are about 3 hours long on consecutive Saturdays. The first 90 minutes of class focuses on docent skills, homework review, and practice presentations. The second 90 minutes consists of lectures, tours, and guest speakers. Locations are usually in Buffalo but we have also had classes in East Aurora and Niagara Falls. Participants are invited to enjoy an informal lunch at a nearby restaurant (they pay their own way) after each session. The lunch has become a great way to meet and socialize with other volunteers.
Important! This class is only for volunteer docent training for Buffalo Tours or the partner organizations above and is not open to the general public. Tour guides working for profit, tour companies, or other organizations are not permitted to apply. Good attendance is also important, and volunteers will be expected to pass tests and complete homework. Prospective docents are normally allowed to miss one class out of the ten week period. You are expected to give a certain number of tours after completing the program, which differs depending on your organization of choice. There is a $75 class tuition fee due one week before class begins, but that is only after phone interview following your submission of the below application.
Questions? Please write Fred Schrock, Education Coordinator at info@BuffaloTours.org.
Buffalo Tours
617 Main Street, Suite M108
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 852-3300
