Rate: $20.00/hour

Duration: 9 months  
Start Date: March 5, 2020
End Date: November 1, 2020
Schedule: 
● March-June:  up to 14-35 hours/week (Will include weekends, NYC DOE Spring Break, and will include holidays)
● July-September 7:  up to 35 hours/week, (Wednesday through Sunday, will include holidays (Independence Day & Labor Day), and possible opportunities for evening, and/or morning events)
● Sept 8th-November:  up to 14-21 hours/week (will include weekends and holidays)

WCS is proud to be an equal opportunity employment workplace dedicated to pursuing and hiring a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work and learning environment and look for future team members who share that same value.

POSITION SUMMARY
You will work part-time for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) as a valued team member of the Education Division at the New York Aquarium and report to the Manager of Volunteers & Visitor Engagement/Assistant Director of Live Interpretation. You will engage over a hundred youth, ages 14-24, serving in volunteer and part-time employment positions.  You will develop these youth by helping them to learn and acquire job skills, to explore career opportunities, and to share the mission of the Wildlife Conservation Society with aquarium visitors through our live interpretation program. You will build a more diverse, inclusive community of youth who value wildlife and wild places, are scientifically literate, and are mobilized for conservation change.  You will reach thousands of members of the public by helping to develop and implement the aquarium-wide live interpretation program.  You will gain valuable management experience in field of informal science education and interpretation.  

WHO WE ARE
WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. To achieve this, we harness the power of our Global Conservation Program in nearly 60 nations, in all the world’s oceans, and our five wildlife parks in New York City - Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and New York Aquarium - visited by 4 million people annually. We combine our expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve our conservation mission.

The WCS Education Department works across our Zoos & Aquarium. We inspire a diverse and inclusive movement of conservation advocates by sparking connections with animals and nature, improving scientific literacy through hands-on investigation, and engaging constituents in stewardship and action to conserve wildlife and wild places.

YOUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Development
• You will support the Manager of Volunteers & Visitor Engagement & Assistant Director of Live Interpretation in the design, development, and roll-out of in-the-park activities and interpretation executed by youth.
• You will work alongside the Manager of Volunteers & Visitor Engagement, and Assistant Director of Live Interpretation to coordinate all day-to-day operations of youth in the park, to ensure a smooth, cost effective and efficient operation of all programs, Quests, touch pools, and special events.

Youth Engagement
● You will work alongside the Manager of Volunteers and Visitor Engagement, and Assistant Director of Live Interpretation to recruit, train, and place over one hundred youth in summer, and fall volunteer and part time employment positions. 
● You will coach over one hundred youth by doing the following:
○ Modeling best practices for youth, by participating alongside them in our on-site interpretive program 
○ Supporting and evaluating youth, as well as the programs they provide, on an ongoing basis
○ Maintaining a fun and lively learning and work environment
● You will support the on-site interpretive program logistics through the spring, summer, and fall by doing the following:
○ Supporting and/or leading daily morning meetings with staff and volunteers, regular team meetings, and workshops
○ Creating schedules for volunteers and PT staff, and tracking schedule changes
○ Tracking volunteer and PT staff requirements such as training status, attendance, and performance 
○ Entering, analyzing and preparing program reports
○ Assisting with communication for volunteers (phone calls, emails, mailers, etc.)
○ Maintain organization for all materials

Events & Activities
● You will work alongside members of the Education Department team during special events, including, but not limited to, morning and evening events for WCS Members, seasonal Special Events, and appreciation events for staff and volunteers.
● You will help to plan fun and educational activities for staff and volunteers. 

Department Collaboration 
● Support the Education Department and Adult Volunteer program as needed
● Attend regular meetings with the Education Department as needed
● Communicate with other departments as needed to ensure safety for volunteers, guests, and animals

Qualification Requirements

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Education 
●You are pursuing or have completed a college degree in a relevant field of study, such as Education, Youth Development, Animal Science, Environmental Science, Biology, Ecology, etc. 

Experience
●You have some experience working with, coaching, or mentoring youth ages 14-24.

Knowledge and Skills
●You are reliable, flexible, and accountable for your actions.
●You have good organizational skills and have a working knowledge of useful office tools such as Word, Excel, Google docs, etc.
●You are a self-starter with a high level of self-motivation and excellent time management and documentation skills. 
●You enjoy engaging with others and working as a part of a team, as well as independently.
●You are outgoing and willing to interpret science concepts in both a classroom setting, as well as with the public at aquarium exhibits.
●You have great verbal and written communication skills.  Bilingual in English and Spanish a plus. 

Values
●You are passionate about working with and making a difference in the lives of young adults.
●You treat colleagues and partners in a welcoming, open manner.
●You take ownership of your work willing to share about challenges and successes.
●You are creative in seeking solutions to the everyday and unusual problems.
●You consider different ideas and perspectives in your approach to your work.
●You recognize colleagues as resources and work together to achieve results.
●You are honest - with yourself, with your colleagues, and in your work.

Benefits and Perks
●We offer the opportunity for professional growth through various internal professional development and continuing education events.
●We prioritize being a fun and collaborative team.

Workplace Conditions and Environment
●We value team members and community partners from all backgrounds and cultures with different skills, abilities, and perspectives.
●We ensure that everyone has an opportunity to fully contribute to our mission.
●Ability to lift up to 20 lbs and perform light physical activity 
●Ability to work in all outdoor conditions
●Applicants must be available for full employment period to be considered.