IDEAS CITY Volunteer

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IDEAS CITY (ideas-city.org) is a major collaborative initiative, involving scores of organizations working together to effect change. The Festival will include an innovative, participatory, outdoor street program along the Bowery on Saturday, May 30 from 12-6 p.m. 75+ local grassroots organizations and small businesses will present model products and practices in a unique outdoor environment. Visitors can expect architectural interventions, hands-on workshops, oral history projects, tours, and a food court featuring the best restaurants and vendors from the Lower East Side.

There are two distinct volunteer positions available. Each volunteer will get a t-shirt, a tote bag, and a pair of guest passes to the New Museum, as well as some other goodies. Volunteers will work in pairs and will have access to a private room where there will be light refreshments available for breaks throughout the day. Volunteers will also receive a $10 gift card to Whole Foods for lunch after their shift. We’d love tohave some multilingual folks in these positions, so if you speak any languages in addition to English, please let us know!

Sustainability Monitors - These volunteers will be working with GrowNYC and will be trained and tasked to encourage New Yorkers to properly sort, compost, recycle and/or dispose waste in their proper receptacles. Monitors will be dedicated to educating festival-goers on the importance of environmental stewardship, a very important role in what we hope to be a minimal waste event. Volunteers will not be responsible for bagging garbage or handling the garbage in any way. We will make chairs available. Three shifts are available: 11:30 AM-2:30 PM, 2-5 PM and 4:30-7 PM.

Information/Street Teams - These volunteers will be stationed around the street program (and a little beyond), letting people know what’s going on, answering questions about the Festival, and helping to drive traffic as needed. We will have chairs available for a majority of these positions. Three shiftsare available: 11 AM-2 PM, 1:30 - 4:30 PM and 4-6 PM.

We strongly recommend that all volunteers attend a brief orientation/training on Wednesday, May 27th at the New Museum’s Theater at 235 Bowery. Street Team volunteers and Participant Check-in volunteers will have an orientation at 6pm and Sustainability Monitors will meet at 7pm. If you cannot attend, please let us know when you email or call with your choices on volunteer position and shift.

Additionally , we may need a handful of volunteers to usher at the Festival Conference Events on a variety of times on May 28-29. Subject to available seating, you will be able to watch the lectures and panels--please let us know if you are interested in more information on these opportunities!

To volunteer, please email your 1st and 2nd choice positions and shifts to info@ideas-city.org. If you do not have access to email, you may call 212-219-1222 x413.