Dinosaur Hall Volunteer

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Dinosaurs have always been a main attraction for museum visitors at the Academy of Natural Sciences, and volunteers are key to making Dinosaur Hall a space where visitors of all ages have an enjoyable learning experience. As a Dinosaur Volunteer you are key to helping visitors explore and understand the exhibits. You also insure that children get the most out of the very popular hands-on Big Dig site. And you have the opportunity to demonstrate fossil preparation in the visitor-accessible Fossil Prep Lab. Training for new volunteers will get you off to a strong start, and you will continue your own personal exploration of dinosaurs and paleontology through continued on-the-job training and interaction with staff and fellow volunteers who share your passion for these topics.

Training for this volunteer experience will provide you with a wealth of knowledge about the Academy of Natural Sciences and new developments in the study of paleontology. Volunteers will also gain important skills as part of a team with other volunteers and staff and in communicating with and teaching museum visitors of all ages and backgrounds.

Be ready and able to gain experience in all three areas of Dinosaur Hall (although we will try to put you mostly in your area of choice).

1. The Big Dig: Here you assist children as they uncover buried dinosaur fossils and talk with them and adult visitors about dinosaurs. When it is busy with school and camp groups, volunteers are essential in insuring that children have a fun learning experience.
   
2. The Hall: In this area you answer visitors’ questions about dinosaurs and the museum, and engage visitors in conversation and help them learn in a fun and engaging way. You work with a variety of objects, fossil specimens that visitors can examine and touch, and activities designed for the hall.
   
3. The Fossil Prep Lab: You will assist the Lab manager in discussing the important role of fossils and fossil preparation, and - if you successfully complete hands-on training - you will show visitors how this work is done while you work on actual fossils. Scheduling volunteers in this area can depend on fossil materials available at any given time.