The Toledo Zoo - ZOOTeens Program

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ZOOTeens

ZOO Teen logo Program Description
The ZOOTeen program offers volunteer opportunities to students between the ages of 13 and 17 who have a strong interest in education, animal science and conservation. It is a seasonal/year-round program that offers youth a range of opportunities.

Seasonal ZOOTeens:

Host education activity stations covering a variety of animal topics
Work in Nature's Neighborhood, staffing the animal contact yard and other duties
Use biofacts (hides, bones, etc) to educate visitors about our animals and exhibits
Assist with Summer Camp programs and Nature's Neighborhood programming
Participate in a variety of off-grounds programs including community service and conservation projects (habitat restoration, litter clean ups and recycling promotions)
Make enrichment for the animals
Provide clerical support

Year-Round ZOOTeens can support all the seasonal opportunities; in addition they may:

Handle live animals for the purpose of public education
Serve in leadership positions on the ZOOTeen Executive Board and Committees
Present formal education programs for Zoo School classes, Children’s Zoo, Reptile House, and off grounds programs
Assist with the Zoo Snoozin’ program

Training
New ZOOTeens must attend an initial orientation that covers volunteer opportunities, customer service training, biofacts, Nature's Neighborhood responsibilities and teaching techniques. Training is provided by department staff and will be supplemented by optional classes for other programs (Salamander Seep exhibit, presentation skills, etc.).

Year-round ZOOTeens will have additional training, including our seven-class training series covering our exhibits and animals, leadership classes, advanced teaching courses, animal handling, and more.

Time Committment
The program requires a commitment of at least one full season (June 1-October 31), during which you are expected to serve at least 50 hours. If interested, you may be eligible to remain involved in the program throughout the year. If you participate in the year-round program, you are required to:

Volunteer at least 8 hours per month, and
Attend at least 8 ZOOTeen meetings per year, held on the second Sunday of each month.

ZOOTeen Application
We are no longer accepting applications for the 2010 ZOOTeen class at this time. The ZOOTeen Program application for the 2011 class will be available after January 1, 2011 and we will begin accepting applications after January 1, 2011 as well.

Program Fee
The ZOOTeen program requires a one-time fee of $40 to cover the initial expenses of the program, including ZOOTeen shirt, training materials, name tag, etc. Scholarships are available and will be awarded based on need. This fee is payable upon acceptance into the ZOOTeen program, and is not required at the time of application.

If you have questions regarding any of these expectations, or for more information, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator at 419-385-5721, ext. 2045, or email us at volunteer@toledozoo.org