Hello, everyone. Benny here. Today's blog is going to be a reflective blog post about my first day at California Science Center. I'll be comparing my work and observations from the California Science Center with that of Planes of Fame and Imperial War Museum Duxford. If you want a more descriptive paragraph about my mentorship duties, please refer to my Mentorship Log (8/30/14). Other than that, let's get started.
Work at the California Science Center is a lot different than from I expected coming from Planes of Fame and Duxford. One of the first things I immediately noticed was the age group of the workers that comprised the Science Center. Most of the workers at the California Science Center were around their early teens to early 30's whereas Planes of Fame had workers from all age groups and Duxford had workers in their mid-30's to 60's. Another thing I noticed was the different level of guest engagement that the California Science Center had compared to history museums. While exhibits at the science center were more family orientated and interactive, volunteers jobs were generally limited to meet and greet. At Planes of Fame and Duxford, the volunteers and staff would be more than happy to tell you about the various display pieces, as long as you approach them first that is. The work policy / system of the California Science Center was also something that I noticed. In Duxford and the California Science Center I noticed that the massive scale of the facility, the stable income, and the large amount of staff and volunteers, that there was ALWAYS a staff member located in every exhibit. I also noticed that in the California Science Center, they were strict about what workers can or cannot not do such as smiling at all times, strict break times, and pointing with one finger. Contrasting with this, as Planes of Fame is a smaller and relatively understaffed and under-funded facility, some of the exhibits were poorly maintained such as the unrestored aircraft that rust next to the Fighter Rebuilders building and the little amounts of staff outside of weekends and airshows.
During my work at the science center, I also noticed that a lot my traits that I acquired from iPoly appeared to show when I engaged my audiences. Following my job description, I did not hesitate to I greet anyone who made eye contact with me with a smile, a greeting, initiate a conversation, and / or offer guests any help. This was later confirmed when Mrs. Stephanie congratulated me later for my first day of work. I noticed that other volunteers and workers who didn't have the same background as I did, would often stay in one corner, with their back faced against the wall, reading the descriptions of the exhibits, and / or ignoring the guests that came before them despite their job description saying otherwise.
Well with this I will end my monthly blog. The unique challenges and differences between both Planes of Fame and the California Science Center will allow me to explore major differences and similarities in how museums can run. Until next time, take care everyone.
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