Observatory Assistant Needed at the State Museum

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The South Carolina State Museum (SCSM) seeks an enthusiastic, dependable, self-motivated Observatory Assistant Volunteer. The successful candidate will work alongside our team of passionate educators and observatory staff to create exciting astronomy experiences that inspire our guests to be "brighter than ever!" After successful completion of training, you will have the opportunity to operate observatory equipment. The ideal volunteer will have a flexible schedule, as weekday, evening, weekend, and holiday hours will be available. Schedules will be discussed during the application process.

Observatory: Learn how to operate the museum’s historic 12 3/8" Alvan Clark refractor telescope and interact with museum guests of all ages. Observatory Assistants will have the opportunity to assist with in-house school and group programs as well as our online distance learning programs.
Outreach: Some schools don’t have the luxury of scheduling a field trip to our observatory, so schools can schedule for our observatory educators to bring museum telescopes to their classroom. Interested volunteers can participate in outreach programs.
Program Development: Work with our team of educators to develop new astronomy experiences for our K-12 on-site and outreach programs, youth group overnights, and public engagement initiatives.

Qualifications

• A willingness to learn basic knowledge relating to Science and Technology in addition to gaining skills in astronomy and the night sky.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Enthusiasm for working with guests of all ages, including children.
• Activity level is high.

Training

• Training requirements include Museum 101 (3 Hours) and one-on-one training with Observatory staff.