Education Public Programs Internship

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We envision a world in which humankind values, protects, and preserves the diversity of species on Earth. We strive to inspire the citizens of Atlanta and Georgia and all visitors to the Zoo to value wildlife on Earth and to help safeguard existing species through conservation. We do this by, providing an informative, educational, and engaging experience, being respectful and responsible stewards of the animals and the physical and financial assets entrusted to us, and engaging in related conservation activities and research.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: The goal of the Education Public Programs Internship is to provide a pre-professional, experiential learning opportunity for students interested in environmental conservation, informal education, and communication. Interns will receive on-grounds training in interpretive techniques and relevant animal information. Upon completion of training, interns will be responsible for providing presentations focusing on conservation action and awareness to Zoo guests at a variety of locations and activities around Zoo grounds. Beyond gaining valuable work experience as an informal educator, interns will also have the opportunity to network within one of the worlds most respected zoological and conservation organizations.

RESPONSIBILIITES:

• Participate in training to learn accurate exhibit information, including species and individual animal information
• Participate in training/mentoring process to learn effective public speaking and interpretation techniques
• Provide interpretive guest experiences at Exploration Station activity carts and exhibits throughout Zoo
• Safely handle interpretive tools, including animal artifacts/biofacts and activity sets
• Provide excellent guest service to all Zoo guests
• Special projects as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education, Environmental Studies, Biology, Zoology, Animal Behavior, Conservation, Psychology, Theatre Arts or related major
• Availability to intern at least 20 hours per week (Saturday availability is required)
• Demonstrated strong conservation and environmental knowledge in order to communicate appropriate conservation and wildlife messages to all guests
• Demonstrated ability to communicate information in an informal setting, such that it is personal and relevant to guests
• Proven oral communication skills

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Prior work or volunteer experience at a zoo, aquarium, wildlife park, or science center
• Prior experience working with children
• Bilingual language skills

2016 TERMS: Spring: January 8 to May 13. Application deadline: November 17, 2015. Summer: May 6 - August 26. Application deadline: March 22, 2016. Fall: August 19 - December 9. Application deadline: July 5, 2016. *Mandatory Intern Training will take place on first day of the term from 9:30am-Noon.

TO APPLY:

• Please submit a cover letter, resume, and two letters of recommendation from work or school to the Interpretive Programs Supervisor, Melissa King, directly for her review.
• Email: mking@zooatlanta.org
• Include any other Zoo Atlanta departments in which you are also applying for an internship. If applying for multiple departments, include your order of preference. This will not affect consideration of your application in any way.

SUBMISSION:

• Submit all required documents in PDF or Microsoft Word
• Complete applications must be submitted by 4:00PM on the day of the application deadline

COLLEGE CREDIT:

• You will need to contact your college/university advisor to determine if our program qualifies for credit at your institution
• We make every effort to support additional projects your advisor requires in order to receive credit and are happy to discuss concerns and/or modifications of our program with your advisor
• Any paperwork, including project terms, evaluations, minimum hours, or any other requirements must be submitted upon acceptance into the program, no later than 2 weeks prior to the term start date.
• No preferential treatment will be granted to interns earning credit over interns not earning credit.