Gary,

Let me tell you how our docent training works at the Seattle Art Museum.

Our candidate training is two years.  The first year is courses in Art
History coordinated with one of the community colleges in subject areas
which encompass our collection (European, Modern, Northwest Coast,
Mesoamerican, Asian, and African art).  These classes are once a week and
are regular college courses, complete with assignments, tests, and grades.

At the end of the first year we ask people to formally apply as docents.
The selected candidates then have an additional year of training.  This
focuses mostly on touring techniques and the interactive touring method.
This second year trainees will be gathering research information and
practicing touring with their peers. They will also observe numerous
docent tours that are given by experienced docents.  The classes meet once
a week for two hours, from September  through May.  There is lots of
outside research work on the specific objects that candidates need to do
as well in preparation.

The docent training is done by our docent educator, someone with a solid
background in education and training.  There is also an active docent who
assists, participating in all the classes, being a model, and answering
the "inside scoop" questions as needed. This year there will also be a
mentor situation added whereby each docent trainee will have an individual
active docent as her (this year we have only women) mentor.

There is also continuous ongoing training for all SAM docents.  Twice a
month there is Docent Day, a two hour educational forum.  One session a
month focuses on content, (art history, a new exhibit, etc) and may have a
special speaker or curator .  One session a  month concentrates on
improving touring techniques (transitions, working with teenagers, etc).
For those docents who tour any special exhibit which comes to the museum,
there is concentrated specialized training for that show.

I'm an active docent at SAM and the person who  will assist in training
the 1996-1997 new class.  If there is any way I can be of help, please let
me know.  I'd be more than happy to do whatever I can.

Best of luck,

Christine Cave
Docent, Seattle Art Museum