The Great American Camp Out has many scouts camping, enjoying nature, and, with the help of volunteers, discovering some of the interesting things in the sky. Volunteers should enjoy working with families, be excited about exploring the night sky, and can share their time and talents to support the programming team in putting excitement and perspective into the evening's activities. Astronomy Assistant volunteers will assist with the assembly and use of the education telescope. The volunteer opportunity is for those familiar with astronomy and will assist with the astronomy activities and assist staff train program support volunteers for their roles in activities.
Impact
Volunteers enable us to accomplish so much more by lending a hand in various activities. They may demonstrate proper use of specialized equipment (ie, telescope), share their skills and experience to increase additional volunteer participation, and introduce other volunteers and participants to exciting science and night sky exploration.
Tasks
- Assist with the setup and teardown of the telescope.
- Welcome and greet participants to Possum Creek and your station.
- Assist the staff lead in training additional volunteers in astronomy activities available at the program.
- Oversee staged equipment and assist participants in using the telescope
- Assist participants in discovering constellations and night sky areas of interest.
- Assist in interpreting the night sky for guests by pointing out and identifying celestial objects and relaying fun facts and stories
- May assist with documenting the event through photos or video.
- Participates in debriefing and evaluating current activities.
- Encourage volunteerism, and help direct to the website for information
Eligibility
This is an opportunity for the following volunteers: Short-Term and Long-Term Volunteers. Learn more about our types of service here. Volunteers must complete the Astronomy Assistant Interest and Assessment and Interview to qualify for this opportunity.
Additional Notes
- Parking & Meeting Instructions: Click here for a map of Possum Creek MetroPark. Volunteers are scheduled to arrive before the start of the program. Staff leads will orient volunteers to the day's agenda and other important information. You will meet at the camping site.
- Environment & Physical Demands: This program takes place indoors and outdoors. Volunteers may participate in some bending, kneeling, reaching, and lifting objects to 10 lbs or more. Volunteers may be standing or walking for the majority of their shift
- Dress: Volunteers should dress for the weather and wear their MetroParks name badge and volunteer apparel. Red light headlamps or flashlights are helpful.
Look for additional details about this opportunity at the bottom of this listing! See the Programming Volunteer Position Description for more information.
