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Astronomy Education Volunteer: help visitors learn about the Universe

Washington, DC.NASM: Air and Space Museum - Mall


Astronomy Education Volunteer


OVERVIEW:

Astronomy Education Volunteers engage the Museum's many diverse audiences with hands-on programming about the sky and planetary science. Volunteers interact directly with the public by facilitating the use of telescopes for daytime or evening observing, leading activities about astronomy and space science, and answering visitors' questions about the Sun, Moon, stars, and planets. Programming takes place at both Museum locations, on weekdays and weekends, daytime and evening, as well as offsite outreach events in the DC area. Volunteer applicants do not need an extensive knowledge of astronomy or telescopes, just a desire to learn and share interesting things with other people.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Assist in setup and breakdown of telescopes and hands-on activities for on-site programming
  • Handle all equipment and teaching materials with care
  • Learn content about the Sun and other astronomical objects that visitors will observe
  • Work alongside fellow volunteers, Museum staff, and youth employees to present programming to the public


REQUIRED SKILLS & ABILITIES:

  • Open and eager to learn new things
  • Excited to share interesting concepts with many kinds of people
  • Willing to adapt each interaction to the particular audience that is present
  • Pass a background check
  • Be at least 16 years of age


SCHEDULING REQUIREMENTS:

Volunteers are asked to commit to at least 4 hours per month for 1 year. Volunteers are not required to keep a regular weekly schedule and can sign up for individual shifts as their availability allows. However, showing up consistently helps maintain familiarity with the equipment and subject matter. Most volunteer shifts are 2 to 4 hours long and happen at the following times:

  • Fridays and Saturdays from 11:30am to 3:30pm at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
  • Second Saturday of the month from 10:30am to 2:30 pm at the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA
  • One weekend evening per month at the Udvar-Hazy Center
  • Occasional weekday or weekend evenings in the DC area for outreach events


TRAINING:

In addition to the Museum's required training, volunteers will participate in a mandatory, initial astronomy training session of approximately two hours. This orientation is scheduled on a quarterly basis, usually on weekends at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. By the end of the training, new volunteers will:

  • Feel comfortable in the new National Air and Space Museum exhibit and education spaces
  • Better understand content about the Sun, its features, and ways to safely observe it
  • Have some practice experience in inquiry and collections-based interactions
  • Know some exhibit connections to program content
  • Gain a general understanding of best practices in informal education
  • Feel prepared to begin on-the-job training with specific equipment and activities during future volunteer shifts

In addition to orientation, ongoing quarterly training sessions are held for all astronomy volunteers. These sessions are also open to staff, interns, and volunteers from other programs or departments. The quarterly trainings are generally about two hours long, offered twice each (weekend and weekday) in a hybrid format to allow maximum accessibility, and cover topics across science, observing, educational techniques, history, and National Air and Space Museum-specific updates.

Application Instructions

It is mandatory for all Smithsonian Volunteers to be registered in VSys, our volunteer management database. We use VSys to track information such as hours, contact info, and badge expirations, and volunteers use VSys to sign up for opportunities/shifts they want.

If you already have a VSys account, please verify that the information in your account is still up to date and correct. You can log in via vol.si.edu

If you do not have a VSys Account, please complete the application form.

All the boxes in yellow are required.

  • Phone (Primary) - Please list your cell phone.
  • Birthday - If you are uncomfortable listing your year of birth, please list birth year as 1901
  • Additional Information - Please list why you want to be an Astronomy Education volunteer and/or what you hope to learn as a volunteer
  • Reference #1 - Please list Observatory; SIObservatory@si.edu
  • Reference #2 - Please list NASMTeachers; NASMTeachers@si.edu



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