We have many different Museum Teams that volunteers support! Check out the different opportunities below and click on your desired Museum Team to learn more! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out: volunteer@lifeandscience.org
Our Summer Camp Youth Volunteer Program welcomes volunteers between the ages of 14-17. These volunteers support the informal science education led by Education Staff and help provide a fun and safe environment for campers in their exploration of science!
For more information and to access the Summer Camp Youth Volunteer Application, CLICK HERE!
Do you have a passion working with animals? Volunteers on the Animal Care Team perform general animal husbandry including raking and shoveling Farmyard stalls and yards, cleaning animal habitats, cleaning/organizing support spaces, animal kitchen work, and general department assistance.
Time requirements: Two 4-hour shifts per month for at least 6 months. All shifts are in the morning, from 8am – 12pm. There are no afternoon shifts available. The Animal Care Team cannot take seasonal volunteers.
The Animal Care Team accepts Youth Volunteers (ages 14+) - spaces are limited.
Do you love a good party? Volunteers who are 21+ of age assist with our AfterHours Events! These are popular adult-only evening events that run throughout the year. Volunteers assist with fun and sciencey activities! Love making buttons and helping guest discover the science behind the musical wine glasses? This is an opportunity for you!
Volunteers must be 21+ years old.
Do you like party planning? Birthday Parties is looking for volunteers to help set up for our busy party weekends! Volunteers prep materials and activities for party participants, including making space rocks and dino eggs! If you are interested in party planning, volunteers are accepted 2pm – 5pm every Friday.
Do you like working with creepy crawly critters? Or perhaps, do you have a green thumb? Our state of the art Butterfly House has multiple volunteer opportunities!
Entomology Volunteer: Cleaning exhibit tanks, feed invertebrates, insect care. Show off our critters to visitors, answer questions (Additional training required)
Conservatory Volunteer: Engage with visitors, answer questions, make sure guests are complying with USDA regulations.
Horticulture Volunteer: Prepare the Conservatory for opening by watering the plants in the conservatory and cleanup of debris. Help with outside weeding, watering, mulching, etc.
Butterfly House accepts Youth Volunteers (ages 14+) - spaces are limited.
Do you like engaging people in educational experiences? Our mission is to nurture critical thinking and reasoning skills in every learner who enters our spaces. We believe in fostering a learner-driven and impactful experience using hands-on exploration, facilitated dialogue, and inquiry-based learning. Volunteers help by leading and supporting these programs for our learners of all ages!
Additional Requirements: All who are interested must attend an additional Catalyst Training.
Catalyst program accepts Youth Volunteers 16+ years old.
Do you love organizing? Our volunteers assemble / disassemble kits from classes and camps, sort materials, sort LEGOS from LEGO Robotics Program, file curriculum materials, maintain our Library, and prep materials for camps and classes.
Volunteers must be over the age of 18.
Do you want to help maintain our exciting exhibits? Volunteers assist in cleaning, vacuuming, and washing various exhibit components, and other general assistance.
Do you have a trade skill to share? Familiarity with carpentry, woodworking, metal working equipment, and/or computers; understanding of electricity, mechanical aptitude, inquisitive attitude, and good visualization skills is a plus! We are always looking to create new experiences!
Time Commitment: Two 4-hour shifts per month any day of the week.
Volunteers must be 18+ years old.
Do you love interacting with people? Our Volunteers enthusiastically interact with visitors as they arrive or leave the Museum, assist and direct large groups as they check in, roam campus and be available to assist guests with directions, questions, etc.
Volunteers must be 18+ years old.
Do you like to be a part of family friendly programming? Our Volunteers assist with various museum functions, such as classes, informational sessions, new exhibit previews/openings, large school groups, and special themed events, by providing help with set-up, engaging visitors with activities, tear-down, providing information/directions, and various miscellaneous tasks.
Volunteers must be 18+ years old.
Our Summer Camp program welcomes Youth Volunteers, ages 14-17 to support the informal science education led by Camp Staff. Camp Volunteers prepare the classroom for the day, help the Educator and Assistant with classroom management and work directly with the kids on a wide variety of experiments, projects, and activities. Volunteers help provide a fun and safe environment while assisting campers in their exploration of science!
Camp Schedule for 2024:
Camps run June 3 - August 16 at the Museum in Durham. We also offer camp at the Montessori Community School of Chapel Hill from June 17 – August 2. Volunteers must work 8:00am – 3:30 pm each camp day. Volunteers attending school on a traditional calendar must be able to work two weeks of camp. The weeks do not need to be consecutive. Volunteers attending school on a year-round calendar must be able to work one week of camp.
Requirements:
How to Apply:
If you are interested in joining our Summer Camp Youth Volunteer Program, you must complete the Summer Camp Youth Volunteer Application. Once you complete the application, you will be given access to two forms:
1) Teacher/Mentor Recommendation Form: If this is your first time applying, you are required to submit two (2) Teacher/Mentor Recommendations using a form that will be given to you when the application is submitted. Returning volunteers do not need to submit Teacher/Mentor Recommendations.
2) Volunteer Availability Form: This is where you can elect which Camp you would like to volunteer with and what weeks you are available to volunteer. All volunteers who apply must complete their Volunteer Availability Form by the application deadline to be considered.
All application materials must be submitted online by April 1st, 2025 at midnight.
Selection Process:
After reviewing completed applications, new candidates will be scheduled to interview at the Museum of Life and Science. Volunteer interviews will occur at the Museum with the Volunteer Coordinator, the volunteer applicant, and the volunteer's caretaker. Decisions of acceptance will be made on a rolling basis and will be dependent on the volunteer applicant's interview and availability. Final volunteer schedule will be published mid-late April. All who are selected to join our program must attend Summer Camp Youth Volunteer Orientation: dates, TBD
If you have any questions, please contact volunteer@lifeandscience.org.
Do you love gardening and the outdoors? The Outdoor Learning Environments team enhances the sustainability and educational impact of our outdoor spaces while providing volunteers with valuable learning experiences and community engagement opportunities. Volunteers assist with planting, watering, weeding, removing invasive plant species, and other general assistance with the outdoor exhibits.
Requirements:
Volunteers must be 18+ years old
Two 4-hour shifts minimum a month.
All shifts are in the morning from 8am-12pm Fridays and Saturdays only.
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kids Night Out | 7 | 11/8/2024 | 4/25/2025 | |
| YCS Advisory Board FY25 | 20 | 10/15/2024 | 5/27/2025 | |
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holidays in the Park 2024 | 20 | 11/30/2024 | 12/29/2024 | |
| Pumpkin Patch Express 2024 | 7 | 10/19/2024 | 10/27/2024 | |
