A post-graduation, pre-college gap year service option... City Year...

City Year

A year of service is challenging, but also rewarding and fulfilling. While there is no typical corps member background, all corps members must have the ability to work on a team, be a leader, develop leadership skills and be ready to commit 10 months to full-time service.

Who We Are Looking For

Our corps members must also meet certain eligibility requirements.

To participate, you must:

• Have a college degree or have attended some college, have a high school diploma or GED
• Be able to dedicate 10 months to full-time service
• Be between the ages of 17 and 24
• Be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident alien
• Have served no more than 3 terms in another AmeriCorps, NCCC or VISTA program
• Agree to a background or security check

Previous experiences with service, tutoring, mentoring and leadership help strengthen candidacy.

City Year is available to all, without regard to race, color, origin, gender, political affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, or religion.

Before You Apply

Before applying, City Year encourages you to:

• Visit our Virtual Open House or attend a Special Event at a City Year location near you
• Contact Recruitment at a City Year location where you might want to serve
• Connect with City Year on Facebook, Twitter and our National Blog  

Application Deadlines

Apply by:	Notified after:
September 30	October 21
November 15	December 16
February 15	March 16
April 30	May 30

http://www.cityyear.org/CityYear/Home_New_2011/Home_A_2011.aspx

Post-graduation, pre-college (gap) year service options... AmeriCorps in New York...

AmeriCorps in New York

This year AmeriCorps will provide more than 5,000 individuals the opportunity to provide intensive, results-driven service to meet education, environmental, health, economic and other pressing needs in communities across New York. Most AmeriCorps grant funding goes to the Governor-appointed New York State Commission on National & Community Service, which in turn awards grants to nonprofit groups to respond to local needs. Most of the remainder of the grant funding is distributed by the Corporation directly to multi-state and national organizations through a competitive grants process. Other individuals serve through AmeriCorps VISTA, whose members help bring individuals and communities out of poverty by serving full-time to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses and increase housing opportunities, and AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps), a 10-month, full time residential program for men and women between the ages of 18 and 24. In exchange for their service, AmeriCorps members earn an education award that can be used to pay for college or to pay back qualified student loans. Since 1994, more than 64,000 New York residents have served more than 100 million hours and have qualified for Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards totaling more than $218,600,000.

http://www.americorps.gov/about/role_impact/state_profiles_detail.asp?tbl_profiles_state=NY

Welcome to LEAD! LEAD’s mission is to engage youth of diverse backgrounds to convert high potential into high achievement and responsible leadership. SUMMER OPPORTUNITY

www.leadprogram.org

LEAD Business Program

At LEAD we had the opportunity to experience many new things that most of us had never been encountered with. In my case I loved being able to touch aspects of finance, marketing, accounting and entrepreneurship. These were things that I would not have had the chance to witness without my attendance to LEAD. Rocio Gonzalez, LEADer The Summer Business Institute (SBI) program is LEAD’s longest running Summer Institute and is considered the “flagship” program. The SBI program exposes students to business principles and the skill sets needed for successful business careers. The program challenges them through applied learning experiences often facilitated by college professors, links students to corporate executives in business fields and peers with similar aspirations and abilities. During LEAD SBIs, students reside and attend classes on-campus at a select number of the nation’s top business schools for three or four weeks. SBIs provide diverse, high-achieving rising high school seniors the opportunity to explore finance, entrepreneurship, accounting and marketing, among other business sectors. The goal of the SBI is to expose students early in their academic development to the innumerable career opportunities in business. The program equips them with knowledge and expertise from our nation’s leading universities and corporations, empowering students to confidently make better informed decisions when choosing their university and career. Exposure to business principles and the skill sets needed for successful business careers empowers students to confidently make better informed decisions when choosing their university and career. The objectives of a LEAD Summer Business Institute are to: Engage students in an intense, hands-on curriculum incorporating case studies, business plans and team projects. Provide students with first-hand knowledge from business professionals through mentoring and corporate site visits. Develop students’ presentation and public speaking skills. Impart principles of responsible leadership. Engage students in cultural and social activities. Prepare students for college. LEAD SEI Program made a huge influence on my decision to major in electrical engineering. The program offered me some insight in what engineers do - solve problems to change the world. The experience of college classes and professors, while staying in a college dorm, experience a small part of college life, and completing meaningful projects that can one day help someone. Anthony Brown, LEADer The Summer Engineering Institute (SEI) provides diverse, high-achieving high school sophomores and juniors the opportunity to explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) careers. During the SEI, students reside and attend class on-campus at partner schools, ranked in the nation’s top engineering schools, for three weeks. The SEI immerses students early in their academic development and exposes them to innumerable career opportunities in engineering and computer science. The program equips them with knowledge and expertise from our nation’s leading universities and corporations, empowering students to confidently make better informed decisions when choosing their university and career.Engage students in an intense, hands-on curriculum comprised of engineering instruction, computer programming, problem solving, and data analysis. The objectives of LEAD’s Summer Engineering program are to: Engage students in an intense, hands-on curriculum comprised of engineering instruction, computer programming, problem solving, and data analysis. Develop students’ presentation and public speaking skills. Impart principles of responsible leadership. Engage students in cultural and social activities. Prepare students for college. The LEAD Summer Global Institute (SGI) enables students from the United States and their international peers to reside and attend classes for ten days together on-campus at an international university. The Summer Global Institute exposes diverse, high-potential rising high school sophomores and juniors to the fields of business, engineering and health sciences and focuses on the challenges and opportunities inherent in a global economy. LEAD seeks to collaborate with international peers to encourage participating students to explore global career opportunities, empowering them to confidently make better informed decisions when choosing their university and career. The goal of the Summer Global Institute is to expose students early in their academic development to the innumerable career opportunities, and to equip them with knowledge and expertise from international universities and multi-national corporations. The goals of the LEAD Summer Global Institute are to: Engage students in an intense, hands-on curriculum incorporating case studies, business plans and team projects. Provide students with first-hand knowledge from U.S. multi-national and international business professionals through mentoring and corporate site visits. Cultivate an appreciation for and understanding of others’ cultures through collaboration with students from diverse countries and heritages. Develop students’ presentation and public speaking skills. Impart principles of responsible leadership. Engage students in cultural and social activities. Prepare students for college. LEAD SEI Program made a huge influence on my decision to major in electrical engineering. The program offered me some insight in what engineers do - solve problems to change the world. The experience of college classes and professors, while staying in a college dorm, experience a small part of college life, and completing meaningful projects that can one day help someone. Anthony Brown, LEADer The Summer Engineering Institute (SEI) provides diverse, high-achieving high school sophomores and juniors the opportunity to explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) careers. During the SEI, students reside and attend class on-campus at partner schools, ranked in the nation’s top engineering schools, for three weeks. The SEI immerses students early in their academic development and exposes them to innumerable career opportunities in engineering and computer science. The program equips them with knowledge and expertise from our nation’s leading universities and corporations, empowering students to confidently make better informed decisions when choosing their university and career.Engage students in an intense, hands-on curriculum comprised of engineering instruction, computer programming, problem solving, and data analysis. The objectives of LEAD’s Summer Engineering program are to: Engage students in an intense, hands-on curriculum comprised of engineering instruction, computer programming, problem solving, and data analysis. Develop students’ presentation and public speaking skills. Impart principles of responsible leadership. Engage students in cultural and social activities. Prepare students for college.

A Telluride Association Summer Program (TASP) is a six-week educational experience for high school juniors that offers challenges and rewards rarely encountered in secondary school or even college.!

http://www.tellurideassociation.org/programs/high_school_students/tasp/tasp_general_info.html

A Telluride Association Summer Program (TASP) is a six-week educational experience for high school juniors that offers challenges and rewards rarely encountered in secondary school or even college.

Each program is designed to bring together young people from around the world who share a passion for learning. Telluride students, or TASPers, attend a seminar led by college and university scholars and participate in many other educational and social activities outside the classroom.

Students attend TASPs because they want a personal and intellectual challenge. Telluride Association seeks students from all kinds of educational backgrounds who demonstrate intellectual curiosity and motivation, rather than prior knowledge of the seminar's subject matter. TASPers participate solely for the pleasure and rewards of learning with other intelligent, highly motivated students of diverse backgrounds. The TASP offers no grades or college credit.

The TASP Seminar

TASP centers on an academic seminar that meets every weekday morning for three hours. Each seminar is led by a team of two faculty members, who are selected for the distinction of their scholarship and the excellence of their teaching. Classes emphasize group discussions rather than lectures. Participants can expect to spend several hours on assigned readings or other preparation for each class, and will complete a number of writing assignments over the six-week seminar. The discussions and essays allow the faculty and students to engage the material in detail and to form a close community of scholars. Students receive written and oral feedback from the faculty, but no grades.

Cornell I ProgramLiterature Takes on Moral ComplexityTelluride House, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
June 23 - August 3, 2013
Faculty: Professor Kathleen Long and Professor Marilyn Migiel, Department of Romance Studies, Cornell University
Factotum: TBA
In this seminar, we will ask how literature helps us to formulate ethical questions, i.e., questions for which there is no single, objectively correct answer. We concentrate on literature, as opposed to philosophy or history, because certain aspects of literature make it ideal for taking on complex ethical questions. Literature can be used to persuade or even manipulate; it appeals to our emotions as well as our reason, and may even call into question the neat division between the two. It forges sympathies that tie us as readers to characters and narrators, even as we suspect their motives.

The seminar will focus on great writers and storytellers of early modern Europe (e.g., Boccaccio, Machiavelli, Montaigne, Marguerite de Navarre, Bandello), with additional consideration of how ethical questions posed by these early modern writers continue to surface in modern times (including in TV series, movies, and books). We will also discuss some of the writings by modern thinkers who have participated in debates on literature and ethical criticism.

Throughout, we will grapple with questions like: What obligations do I have to myself and to others? What does honor mean to me? Are any means acceptable to achieve desirable, even morally laudable, ends? What can a boss, a head of state, a family member legitimately demand of me? When I report information, what does it mean to report it “faithfully”? When is it OK to deceive others, to break the law, to take justice into my own hands? Is it right to use unethical means to trap an unethical person or to stop unethical behavior? How do I avoid doing harm in a world where the ethical choices are often unclear?

Cornell II ProgramTimes SquareTelluride House, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
June 23 - August 3, 2013
Faculty: Nat Hurley, Department of English and Film Studies, University of Alberta, Canada; and Sara Warner, Department of Performing and Media Arts, Cornell University
Factotum: TBA
“Times Square” takes as its object of study the world’s most visited tourist attraction. The pulsing heart of Manhattan, Times Square is a major commercial intersection at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets. Together we will consider the history, politics, art, entertainments, and economies (formal and informal) that make this geographical locale the “crossroads of the world” by mapping the emergence of contemporary Times Square from Longacre fields (vast countryside used before and after the American Revolution for farming and horse breeding) to the media-saturated, “continuous carnival” it is today. In spite of the vast changes that have taken place in this site, Times Square remains America’s agora: a place to gather, in good times and bad, to hear important news (e.g., the stock market crash of 1929), to mark momentous occasions (e.g., the end of World War II), to celebrate landmark events (e.g., World Series, presidential elections, and New Year’s Eve), and to engage in commercial pursuits (e.g., theater, shopping, and sex). Times Square is, above all else, a populist place occupied primarily by members of the working- and middle-classes, a site of continued struggle between the people and elected officials, residents and developers, workers and owners, private enterprise and big business over who has the right to occupy public space.

This course will revolve around questions of power, pleasure, and what it means to be a citizen in contemporary urban space. Tracing seismic shifts in public tastes, journalism, architecture, advertising, theater, and social policies, we will explore plays, novels, memoirs, films, and television shows that are set in or are about Times Square along with critical and theoretical tracts that offer vocabularies and frameworks for analyses of these topics. top
Michigan I ProgramFOODUniversity of Michigan, Ann Arbor
June 23 - August 3, 2013

Faculty: Christian Stayner, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Michigan; and Jason Goldman, Independent Scholar
Factotum:TBA
Few aspects of daily life are as elemental and multifaceted as food. While our dependence on food may seem self-evident, the cultivation, preparation, and consumption of food are not mere responses to a fixed biological need. Rather, these activities are replete with cultural, environmental, ethical, and aesthetic dimensions. Insofar as preparing and eating food are physical activities rooted in the material world, they are also practices that crystallize larger social conventions, broader relations of power, and myriad ethical questions. In effect, one’s diet on any given day might reflect such varied forces as personal taste, individual ethics, socio-economic class, regional or national cuisine, government policy, industrial food science, and the global economy, among others.

This seminar undertakes an interdisciplinary study of food in contemporary U.S. culture with a focus on the ethics of food cultivation, distribution, and consumption. Together, we will theorize the everyday activities of cooking and eating, and develop a critical framework for describing our collective but varied relationships to food. Also, in concentrating on U.S. food culture from roughly 1950 to the present, we will examine a period of dramatic, if not unprecedented, changes in the American diet. How is food produced, distributed, sold, and eaten today? What do we know about the food we eat and how do we know it? How do consumerism and capitalism structure food production, food-related labor, and eating habits? What are the key ethical questions surrounding food and how might we develop an ethics of eating? What political or activist strategies exist for creating a more equitable and just system of food distribution? What is at stake in our becoming socially and environmentally conscious eaters? Our engagement with these questions will center on key texts by philosophers, historians, policymakers, food writers, and community activists, among others.top
Michigan II ProgramDark Phrases of Womanhood: Black Feminist Approaches to History and LiteratureUniversity of Michigan, Ann Arbor
June 23 - August 3, 2013

Faculty: Tayana L. Hardin, Department of English, Rutgers University; and Grace L. B. Sanders, Departments of History and Women’s Studies, University of Michigan
Factotum: TBA
The term “black feminism” emerged in public discourse amid the social, political, and cultural turbulence of the 1960s. The roots of black feminism, however, are much older, easily reaching back to the work of black women abolitionists and social critics of the 19th century. The concept continued to grow and evolve in the work of 20th century black women writers, journalists, activists, and educators as they sought to document black women’s lives. Collectively, their work established black feminism as a political practice dedicated to the equality of all people. Furthermore, it became characterized by an understanding that race, class, gender, and sexuality are inextricably interconnected. Consequently, black feminism was and remains identifiable as both theory and practice.

Using materials such as 19th century slave narratives, social criticism, oral histories, and archival sources, this course will explore the theoretical and practical applications of black feminist thought. More specifically, we will ask: What is the significance of black feminism in the 21st century? What symbols and practices do black women use to document their lives? How do these methods of documentation inform our understandings of the term “black feminism”? Finally, how do concepts such as “gender,” “race,” “memory,” and “the archive,” which are central to black feminism, help us explore the dynamics of documenting and crafting life stories? Students will undertake this exploration using creative writing, painting, dramatic presentation, and critical writing exercises. These questions, concepts, and exercises will enable us to build an evolving vocabulary to unravel the methodological and creative relevance of black feminism for scholars and critically engaged citizens in the 21st century.

The Emma L. Bowen Foundation Summer Opportunity Programs Deadline January 31, 2013

 

http://www.emmabowenfoundation.com/

 

 

The Emma L. Bowen Foundation was created in 1989 to prepare minority youth for careers in the media industry. The Foundation’s program is unlike traditional intern programs in that students work for partner companies during summers and school breaks from the summer following their senior year in high school until they graduate from college. During the four-year program, students have an opportunity to learn many aspects of corporate operations and develop company-specific skills. Corporations have an opportunity to train and mentor students with the option of full-time employment upon completion of their college degrees.

 

Students earn an hourly salary and matching funds for college expenses. Academic excellence is also a key component of the program—students are required to maintain a 3.0 grade point average to remain in good standing. The Foundation staff works closely with corporate partners to monitor each student’s academic and work progress. An annual summer conference, a community service program and a mentoring program are also provided to further enhance the student’s knowledge and experience. Resource guides for both students and corporate supervisors are provided to maximize the student’s experience while in the program.

 

This unique, multi-year program prepares a diverse group of talented young professionals to enter the workforce with specific job-related skills, knowledge of the corporate environment and a strong foundation for future advancement. Students work in a variety of functional areas (e.g., marketing, sales, finance, public relations, human resources, technology, news, web design, promotion, etc.) and rotate each summer. Currently, we have 260 active students nationwide and more than 500 graduates. Approximately 70-80 new students join the program each year.

 

Latest Updates

The 2013 recruiting season is officially open. 2013 applications are now available on-line. Completed applications must be received no later than January 31, 2013. (Note: Selection for the program is highly competitive; we suggest you submit your application as early as possible.) Cities where internship opportunities are currently available are listed on the Application page. We will be updating the cities’ list as additional opportunities become available. Please check back periodically.

The Rockefeller University's Summer Science Research Program (SRP) is designed to offer intellectually curious, highly motivated high school students with a strong aptitude in the life or physical sciences a total-immersion experience in laboratory research.

http://www.rockefeller.edu/outreach/highschoolapp

Click here to apply for the 2013 Summer Science Research Program
The Rockefeller University's Summer Science Research Program (SRP) is designed to offer intellectually curious, highly motivated high school students with a strong aptitude in the life or physical sciences a total-immersion experience in laboratory research. Each year, approximately 35 outstanding high school students are chosen from a large number of applicants. Students are matched to a lab according to their stated field of interest and are individually mentored by graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, or lab heads. These mentors volunteer to design and supervise individualized summer projects for their students. In 2013, the seven-week program will run from June 24 through August 8. Students must be 16 years old by the start of the program in order to participate.
Scholarships are available for students demonstrating need. The SRP does not provide room and board to its participants. Most of our students come from the New York Metropolitan area; those who don't must secure their own accommodations.
Applicants to the SRP must submit:

1. The completed on-line application form.
2. A 350- (or fewer) word personal statement describing why the applicant is interested in spending his/her summer doing science.
3. A commentary of 750 (or fewer) words on any of the archived Newswire articles linked from The Rockefeller University's Home Page (http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/). Please address the following questions:
   
   • What interests you about the research discussed in this article?
   • How does this research relate to what you have learned in your science classes?
   • What would you do next if you were the researcher?
4. An official transcript (with school seal); the original hard copy (no digital copies) must be mailed in by the school.
5. Two letters of recommendation, preferably from science or math teachers or previous research mentors. Letters of recommendation should be submitted online. Instructions are provided in the application.
6. A current curriculum vitae or resume.
7. The Student Consent and Agreement Form, found in section eight of the online application, is to be downloaded, printed out, and signed by the student, parent(s), and a witness.

Any documents not submitted online should be mailed to:

Science Research Program
The Rockefeller University
1230 York Ave., Box 53
New York, NY 10065

Applications must be submitted no later than January 18, 2013; paper materials submitted must be postmarked by the deadline in order for the application to be considered. Final decisions will be made by late April/early May. Applicants must provide a valid e-mail address, as this is how all information will be disseminated.
Students should state a preference for working in particular areas of research. However, we cannot guarantee that specific preferences will be met. For a listing of research areas, we encourage you to visit the Research Areas section of the Rockefeller University Website: http://www.rockefeller.edu/research/areas. Please be advised that placement in laboratories is exclusively made through the Science Research Program Office, so students should not secure their own lab arrangements. Doing so could jeopardize consideration for acceptance into the SRP.
For help completing the application, please read our list of Frequently Asked Questions.

Questions concerning the Summer Science Research Program should be directed to:
Science Outreach Program
(212) 327-7431
E-mail to outreach@rockefeller.edu

Take a free class at MoMA. Join other teens in creating art, curating exhibits, and designing multimedia resources for other teens!

http://www.moma.org/learn/teens/free_classes#course300.

 

Take a free class at MoMA. Join other teens in creating art, curating exhibits, and designing multimedia resources for other teens.

• Make and discuss modern and contemporary art
• Collaborate to design programs and exhibits for other teens
• Explore what happens behind the scenes at MoMA

CLICK@MoMA: Making Things That Make Things Happen

Tuesdays, February 5–April 18, 4:00–6:30 p.m.

Collaborate with the design firm CW&T (artists Che-Wei Wang and Taylor Levy) to explore the world of creating switches, hacking objects, and converting physical motion into digital actions. Bust things apart and see how they work, change their function, and then connect your creations to the Internet to create artwork that bridges the physical and digital divide. Send an e-mail that makes a paintball gun fire, or tear open your shirt Superman-style to send a text message to a friend. Anything’s possible when you make the things that make things happen!

 

Playing with Materials: Games and Experiments across Multiple Mediums

Tuesdays, February 5–April 16, 4:00–6:30 p.m.

 

Are you sick of being told that you need to make a choice and stick with it? Led by visual artist Mark Joshua Epstein, participants in this workshop explore and experiment with a completely different art material each week—getting messy, making mistakes, and finding new ways to bring their individual artistic visions to life. Try your hand at charcoal and chalk, sculpt using plastic or rubber, paint with wax and oil, try this, try that—it's an all-you‐can‐eat buffet of art‐making materials and techniques!

 

 

Clubs, Gangs, and Secret Societies: The Art of Working Collaboratively

Thursdays, February 7–April 18, 4:00–-6:30 p.m.

Artists have been hanging out with each other since the beginning of time—talking, thinking out loud, borrowing, sharing, stealing, and improving upon each other's ideas. Led by artists (and frequent collaborators) Kerry Downey and Douglas Paulson, participants in this course explore a vast array of experimental and collaborative methods, teaming up to form their own art collectives and working on communal art projects. What kind of world can you build together?

 

 

Take It Back! Reclaiming and Reusing Corporate Imagery

Thursdays, February 7–April 18, 4:00–-6:30 p.m.

Working with printmaker Yashua Klos, participants in this workshop investigate the visual language of advertisements and corporate logos, exploring the reasons we respond to their visual codes and finding ways to subvert their messages by making them our own. Using traditional woodblock printing techniques, the class will create their own hybrids—blurring the lines between propaganda, politics, advertising, and art!

Summer internships avialble for JUNIORS AND SENIORS with Bank of America Student Leaders Program

Providing Inspiration and Tools for Tomorrow’s Leaders

Preparing high school students for leadership is an essential component of our community investments. We also recognize the pressing issue of finding youth employment as large numbers of young people search for work experience that will translate into long-term success.

Our Student Leaders^® program connects young leaders with employment that helps to give them the necessary tools and resources they need to advance. Through the Student Leaders^® program, we recognize high school juniors and seniors who step outside of the classroom to contribute service in their own communities and beyond. Student Leaders^® are awarded paid summer internships with local nonprofit organizations and participate in a Student Leadership Summit held in Washington, D.C.

Interested In Joining Our 2013 Student Leaders Program?

Application period is now open.

Apply now

ELIGIBILITY

The Student Leaders^® Program is an eight-week summer experience for high school juniors and seniors. The program includes a paid internship with a local nonprofit organization as well as the Student Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., July 8-13, 2013. The program gives Student Leaders^® the opportunity to develop and apply leadership skills through hands-on community work experience while discovering their own talents for serving their community and leading others.
To become a Student Leader, you must:

• Currently be a junior or senior in high school
• Be able to participate in an 8-week paid internship at a local nonprofit/charitable organization and work 35 hours a week
• Be legally authorized to work in the US without sponsorship through the end of September 2013
• Be able to participate in a week-long Student Leadership Summit in Washington, DC (July 8- July 13, 2013). (All expenses paid as part of the Student Leaders Program. This week will be part of your 8-week experience.)
• Be a student in good standing at your school
• Obtain a letter of recommendation from a teacher, guidance counselor, or school administrator

http://about.bankofamerica.com/en-us/global-impact/student-leaders.html#fbid=nzNjbTuT5OY

Green Teen Program

Green Teen Program
The Green Teen Program engages teens to become stewards of their local parks and recreation centers. Green Teens learn how to make a “green” positive impact in their local community and encourage the public to recycle. If you are interested in being a "Green Teen," please email us at Green.Teens@parks.nyc.gov.

Urban Park Rangers! Volunteer with the Rangers!

Urban Park Rangers

Volunteer with the Rangers

http://www.nycgovparks.org/programs/rangers/volunteer

The Urban Park Ranger Volunteer Program is conducted in all five boroughs and is based out of our nature centers. Volunteers serve as much-needed supplements to our surprisingly small staff numbers, aiding Rangers and Nature Center Coordinators in their many duties. In turn, volunteers gain the opportunity to positively contribute to the development of their community while learning new skills and knowledge in beautiful parkland environments
Some of your opportunities as a Volunteer include:

• Research local history for a Ranger program
• Greet visitors at the reception desk
• Design fliers for upcoming lectures or programs

In order to volunteer you must meet the following requirements:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Have a valid picture ID
• Attend one Volunteer Orientation session
• Be able to give 2-3 checkable references

As an Urban Park Ranger volunteer, you will receive the following benefits:

• Invitations to volunteer-only workshops, such as Birding Identification or Aquatic Ecology
• A sense of satisfaction!

To receive an invitation to the next volunteer orientation, either call or stop in to your local Nature Center.

Urban Park Rangers: The Ranger Conservation Corps

http://www.nycgovparks.org/programs/rangers/conservation-corps

Urban Park Rangers

The Ranger Conservation Corps

The Ranger Conservation Corps (RCC) is an urban environmental internship for high school students. RCC participants work on environmental restoration in Forever Wild sites located in our flagship parks. There are two RCC sessions each year (fall and spring), and each session lasts a total of 10 weeks. The program is offered every school day afternoon from 4-6 p.m. Students attend one day a week. There are openings for 900 students each year.
RCC participants receive community service hours, and the experience looks great on a college application. They also go on exciting field trips, such as trips on the Clearwater Sloop.
For more information, call 311 (or 212-NEW-YORK outside of NYC) and ask for the Urban Park Rangers.
Information for RCC Members and Parents
RCC Contract (PDF, 30 KB)RCC Student Application Form (PDF, 305 KB)

“In the beginning of the year, I wasn’t doing so well in Biology, and Mr. Young encouraged me to join the program. Ever since then my grade point average has risen to 90%. Working with the Rangers has really, really showed me the dedication some people have for the environment, and it has inspired me to aspire for a career as a Ranger. Also, because of the program, I had one of the best Regent’s scores in my class; 84%!!”
Edwin, RCC participant, Urban Park Rangers
“It’s hard for me to write about one thing I enjoyed about RCC. I liked so many things that I did. I especially liked all the turtles. The best part of that is coming back every week and seeing all the different kinds of turtles we found. The BIG snapper was awesome. It was interesting to learn how turtles live, swim, hibernate, and eat.”
James, RCC participant, Urban Park Rangers

Central Park Zoo Volunteer Program

William Holmstrom ©WCS

Become a volunteer Zoo Guide at one of the nation's greatest institutions. You'll assist the Education Department at the Central Park Zoo in delivering wildlife and environmental conservation information to zoo visitors, leading tours, supporting zoo school programs, participating in a variety of events, and offering administrative support.
Zoo Guide Responsibilities Volunteers must be flexible and prepared to serve in any of the capacities listed below.

• Engaging public visitors in interactive discussions about selected animals, their exhibits, and environmental conservation. A volunteer should initiate conversations with visitors to make them feel welcome, as well as, share information.
• Conducting guided tours for the casual visitor and selected organized groups, including school groups and adult groups. These tours can encompass multiple exhibits, focus on a specific region and its wildlife, or concentrate on a specific topic, such as animal adaptations or behavior.
• Delivering amplified sea lion narration at feeding times. Narrators use a microphone to speak to large audiences.
• Reading to children during summer story time activities.
• Participating in a variety of promotional, corporate, private, and special events.
• Helping our youngest visitors explore the wonders of the Tisch Children's Zoo.
• Helping the Education Department with administrative duties such as record keeping, light administrative duties and preparation of arts and crafts for special events and educational programs.
• Attending additional trainings following the initial 9-session Zoo Guide training program. Opportunities for continuing education will be available for guides to attend to further their knowledge of wildlife and environmental conservation. Volunteers are required to attend a minimum of three continuing education programs per year.
• Presenting live animal encounters to zoo visitors. Note that you must complete one year of volunteer service to be eligible to apply for the animal handling program. You must also successfully complete the animal handling training course in order to work with the education animals.

Time Commitment Requirements
After acceptance into the Zoo Guide program, each volunteer is required to complete a 9-session training course, occurring from January through March, followed by a 3-month probationary period. Volunteers are expected to make a minimum 1-year commitment of service to the Central Park Zoo upon successful completion of the training course. Weekday volunteers must commit to working one full day per week; a minimum of 175 hours of annual service. Weekend volunteers must commit to working one full day every other weekend; a minimum of 108 hours of annual service. Arrangements may be made with the Coordinator of Volunteers to work additional days, if desired.
The Zoo is open every day of the year, including all holidays. Volunteers are needed 365 days a year.
Training Program
All volunteers are required to complete a multi-week training course taught by zoo staff. The 9-session training course will take place from January through March. The cost of training is $100. This includes fees for training refreshments, materials, uniform shirt and explorer vest. Final acceptance of a volunteer into the program is contingent on successful completion of the training course and a 3-month probationary period.

We are no longer accepting applications for new volunteers at this time. We will resume accepting applications in Fall 2012. Please check our website for an application and information at that time.

Program Organization The Coordinator of Volunteers and the Manager of Education are responsible for selecting, supervising, and evaluating volunteers. For each day of the week, a Day Captain will be elected by the day's members or appointed by the Coordinator of Volunteers. The Day Captain is directly responsible for assigning jobs to that day's volunteers, making up a schedule, supervising volunteers, and maintaining records for the day. If a problem arises that the Day Captain cannot handle, he/she will contact the Coordinator of Volunteers.

http://www.bronxzoo.com/help-wildlife/volunteer/central-park-zoo-volunteer.aspx

Wed Nov 28

All Day	4 -D Theater
2:45 PM	Bee-Eater Buffet
3:30 PM	Penguin Feeding

More >>

Bronx Zoo Volunteer Program

Bronx Zoo Education Docents

Become a member of the Friends of the Zoo, the docent organization based in the Education Department at the Bronx Zoo. Enthusiastic adults 18 or older, who can serve weekdays or weekends for a minimum period of two years, are prime candidates for the program. Weekday docents serve one day per week; weekend docents serve one day every other weekend. Docents enjoy free admission to the Wildlife Conservation Society’s four zoos and aquarium in New York. They receive continuing education courses on wildlife and biology, and discounts at WCS gift shops.

As part of the Education department, docents:

• Offer guided tours of zoo exhibits to schoolchildren, organized groups, and families.
• Work as exhibit interpreters in the Children’s Zoo, Africa Plaza, Wild Asia Plaza, and more.
• Deliver interpretive talks about specific exhibits and provide visitors with valuable lessons that promote wildlife conservation.
• Assist the Education Dept. with their environmental education programs.
• Assist at special events.

To become a Friend of the Zoo, candidates need to pass an interview and successfully complete a 3 month training course.

The Training Program
The staff of the Education Department and the members of the Friends of the Zoo will mentor trainees. Trainees will also attend 7 days of classes and exhibit tours led by Education Department staff and veteran docents. The goals of the 3 month training program are:

• To acquaint the trainee with the mission of the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Friends of the Zoo.
• To orient the trainee to the facilities and policies of the Bronx Zoo.
• To help the trainee learn about the animals and exhibits.
• To allow the trainee to feel comfortable as a member of the volunteer organization.
• To provide the skills necessary for interacting with the visitors to the Zoo.

Training Program Schedule
The Friends of the Zoo will provide the components of the training program, including opportunities for observation, exhibit visits, classes, and mentoring, according to the following schedule:
Class Days
All class days for both weekday and weekend trainees will be on Sundays from 9:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. There will be 7 class days between February and April.
Service Days
Immediately following the completion of classes’ trainees will participate in a service day schedule. With input from the trainee, the Coordinator will assign each trainee to a service day. For six weeks the trainee will work on a probationary basis. Full status will be awarded after successful completion of this period.

Volunteer Application Form

For further information contact the docent office at the Bronx Zoo at (718) 220-5141 or foz@wcs.org.

Bronx Zoo Volunteer Ambassadors

The Bronx Zoo is now accepting applications for Volunteer Ambassadors. Ambassadors are members of the Guest Relations Department, which is responsible for providing the best possible guest experience and service to our visitors. Ambassadors perform a variety of jobs, including the following:

• Acting as an information resource for guests by providing directions, answering questions, and aiding in complaint resolution at key positions throughout the Zoo
• Aiding in the efficient entrance of school groups on days of high group attendance
• Offering paid non-educational tours via golf cart for guests requiring mobility assistance
• Assisting with administrative office functions for all areas of the Guest Relations Department

Time Commitment
Volunteers must work one day per week from April–October. Volunteer opportunities will also be available during the winter months for those who wish to commit to additional time.

Requirements
Applicants to our program must be 18 years of age or older. An enthusiastic, friendly attitude and the ability to work well with a diverse audience are also required. All applicants must be cleared by a background check before they begin training.

Additionally, we are looking for applicants with some of the following skills for specific assignments:

• Valid driver’s license
• Ability to work in a busy, fast-paced, outdoor environment in a variety of weather conditions and to stand/walk for long periods of time (2 hrs.+)
• Experience working in an administrative or office environment

Training and Application Process
Volunteer Ambassador applicants must successfully complete a five-day training program. To apply, please email a statement of interest and your resume to SeasonalRecruitment@wcs.org with “Volunteer Ambassador” in the subject line.

For more information, please call (718) 220-5103.


http://www.bronxzoo.com/help-wildlife/volunteer/bronx-zoo-volunteer.aspx