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Conservation & Nature Education Member
Number of Position(s): 6
ABOUT THE CINCINNATI ZOO & BOTANICAL GARDEN AND AMERICORPS
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden offers opportunities for everyone! CZBG and AmeriCorps have partnered to bring a variety of fun, engaging, and conservation-based opportunities to audiences including youth, visitors, animal ambassadors, and more! Together, CZBG and AmeriCorps will provide quality STEM education to economically disadvantaged PreK-12th grade students, will engage Zoo visitors, volunteers, ZooTeens, and community members in environmentally conscious practices and behaviors, grow and maintain Zoo and community garden spaces, facilitate data coordination for animal welfare excellence and conservation research, and support a variety of sustainability initiatives.
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is known for many things - our conservation efforts, our green initiatives, our friendly staff… but did you know that we have a strong set of core values that make us the best team around, and a Top Workplace in Cincinnati? We’re more than coworkers… we’re family. By building Collaborative Relationships, displaying Positivity & Energy, having Pride, Passion & a Sense of Ownership, supporting Accountability, Mutual Trust & Respect, and embracing Progressive Thinking, we have built a team of dedicated staff that focuses on our visitors, our community, & our future. This is what we believe and how we act. If this gets you fired up, we look forward to having you join our team!
ABOUT THE EDUCATION AMERICORPS MEMBER POSITION
The incumbent is a full-time AmeriCorps position serving 1,700 hours (40 hours per week) over an 11-month term of service (October 1, 2024, to August 31, 2025). They will report directly to and be supervised by the Education Program Managers. Schedules will serve 5 days a week, 8-hour days and assigned as needed Monday-Saturday. Members serving in the Education Department will work within a variety of programming including: Zoo Troop, camps, schools programming, off grounds outreach in the community, and programs for participants with developmental disabilities.
This position will be in a cohort of six AmeriCorps Members, creatively collaborating to achieve program goals specifically focused on:
- Training on and handling live animals for the education interpretive animal collection, employing the highest care and presentation standards as defined in the CZBG animal handling guidelines.
- Providing STEM education to economically disadvantaged PreK-12th grade students to improve science literacy and academic engagement.
- Serving both school and public education audiences through the recruitment, preparation, instruction, developing and maintaining curriculum, and evaluation of educational programming offered through the Living Classroom Education Access Fund (LCEAF).
- Teaching programs with children with varying developmental and physical disabilities.
- Assisting with teacher professional development, program instruction, and evaluation.
- Collaborating with a local public school to offer urban learning garden programs in-school and after-school.
- Supporting community-based conservation service opportunities at the Zoo and at surrounding partner sites.
- Developing and promoting inclusive practices and resources across all Zoo Education programming.
- Mentoring high school students (Zoo Academy students and ZooTeens) in conservation and environmental education.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Skills
- Strong writing skills
- Strong communication and public speaking skills
- Strong customer service skills
- Excellent organizational skills with ability to meet deadlines and independently manage multiple tasks and timely follow-through, with flexibility to adapt to changing needs and to work effectively with minimal supervision
- Willingness to seek and use available resources to support problem-solving efforts
- Ability to independently problem solve and think strategically
- Ability to work and build relationships with people from diverse backgrounds
- Ability to work collaboratively with Education team members
Commitment to Service
- Ability to commit to and fulfill an 11-month, full-time AmeriCorps service commitment
- Dedication to CZBG and AmeriCorps’ missions
- Enthusiastic and positive attitude toward helping others
- Contribute to the overall success of the Zoo’s LCEAF program, but also seek out new challenges and learn and grow while in this position over the course of the service year.
Professionalism
- Dedication to CZBG mission, Core Values, and program areas
- Willingness to represent the CZBG to outside groups
- Ability to display maturity and good judgement through appropriate behavior in all service-related settings on and off Zoo grounds with peers, partners, program participants, and visitors
Project Management
- Ability to work on projects independently
- Ability to organize multiple tasks
- Attention to detail
- Ability to prioritize time and responsibilities
- Demonstrate good time management both in the office and during presentations
Additional Qualifications
- A sincere commitment to wildlife and nature conservation, and desire to share that value with others
- Knowledge of informal science education, wildlife ecology, environmental science, biology, zoology and/or a related natural science
- Knowledge of/ education in/ experience in formal education, or environmental education, conservation education, or a related non-formal education field
- Knowledge of/education in outdoor education and/or urban gardens preferred but not required.
- Experience handling birds, small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates or a strong desire and willingness to learn.
- Desire and interest in working with people of all ages and backgrounds; demonstrated patience, rapport with, and understanding of underserved audiences.
- Ability to use basic and some advanced functions of Windows operating systems, Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook, Publisher, Teams), web-based forms, and virtual learning platforms (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.).
- Ability to work evenings and weekends
Required
- Valid Driver’s License
- High School Diploma or equivalent
- Ability to travel locally when needed
- To serve as an AmeriCorps member, individuals must be a citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States
- Ability to stand, walk, climb and grasp objects
- Must be able to lift & move 25 pounds without mechanical assistance
- Appointment is conditional upon passing a pre-start drug screen, providing a negative TB test, providing proof of full vaccination status as defined by the CDC, and providing information to establish eligibility and complete a National Criminal History Check
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
- Living stipend to be paid bi-weekly over the 11-month service term.
- Eligible to receive an education award upon successful completion of 1,700-hour service term. *Value dependent on Pell Grant each year.
- Health care and childcare benefit eligible
- AmeriCorps status could qualify you for forbearance and interest payments on qualified student loans during service.
- Extensive training, practice, and skill building in the fields of environmental and informal education, animal handling skills, conservation communication, research, and horticulture for all audiences, as well as seasonal tickets and discounts provided within the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.
- Making a difference in the community while being part of a dedicated service team.
We strive to be an organization that is diverse & reflects the fullness of society. With a strongly held value for an organizational culture characterized by inclusion & belonging, we are committed to equity in all we do. We are especially interested in candidates who can contribute to our organization’s diversity & who want to walk alongside us in our commitment to inclusion & equity.
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