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For our 2012 Minnesota State Fair Volunteers

We are glad to have you be part of the St. Thomas booth this year. Since we no longer have kick-off sessions for volunteers, we created this site to provide information to help you prepare for your shift(s).

Goals for the Booth

As in the past, we will have inquiry cards for additional graduate and undergraduate study information. Since starting these cards in 2000, we have averaged more than 800 leads a year from the State Fair - leads that could turn into new students!

We ask you to be even more diligent in getting people to complete those cards this year. Engage interested visitors in conversations about St. Thomas and its academics. And encourage them to complete those cards!

At the Fair

Our booth is located in the Education Building on the east side of the fairgrounds, just north of the main Snelling Avenue gate. If you have accessibility needs, the fairgrounds has services in place as well.

What to Wear

All 2012 volunteers will receive a t-shirt to help maintain the university's visual brand. Please wear this t-shirt for your shift(s), along with comfortable khaki or black pants, shorts or skirts.

Working the Booth

It's fairly simple (pdf): keep it clean, keep it courteous, get people to complete inquiry cards and answer as many questions as you can. If someone asks a question you can't answer, or are uncomfortable answering, ask them to write down their name, contact information and question, and someone at the university will respond.

Rising tuition and the worth of a private college degree are popular topics right now. For assistance in answering booth visitors' questions, you might want to review this information prior to your shift.  Value of a St. Thomas Education

Changing/Cancelling your Shift

You can change or cancel your shift by returning to the registration page. If you will not be able to work your registered shift and need to reach someone, contact University Relations ((651) 962-6400) immediately.

Getting to the Fair

As anyone who has been to the State Fair knows, it's difficult to find a parking spot. Regardless of how you get there, give yourself plenty of travel time before your shift starts to allow for traffic. We suggest using: