AmeriCorps Community Educator

The Wild Center (TWC) is seeking highly motivated AmeriCorps volunteers for a 1700‑hour (~12 month) term at a natural history museum in the heart of New York State’s Adirondack region. Volunteers are a key part of TWC’s visitor experience and will receive a broad range of interpretive experiences and opportunities, including development of local natural history knowledge, public programming skills, and best practices in customer service.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate interpretive experiences for visitors (audience size 1‑150), including live‑animal programs, technology‑based Science on a Sphere, and outdoor programs such as naturalist walks, community‑science programs, and nature‑play activities.
• Learn to handle live animals—including turtles, birds, and mammals—for engaging interpretive experiences.
• Teach school programs that align with NYS standards to a variety of school‑aged students, K‑college.
• Spend time outside in all seasons to facilitate activities such as ice fishing and snowshoeing in winter, maple sugaring in spring, and guided nature walks in summer.
• Engage with visitors in indoor and outdoor exhibit spaces, including the Climate Solutions Tinkering Studio, Otter Falls, Raquette River Roll‑ball run, and Thomas Dambo’s first NY Troll, Patrick Sapling.
• Support museum operations: opening/closing duties, visitor wayfinding and parking, survey administration, trail maintenance, and Wild Lights set‑up and take‑down.
• Assist with planning and implementing large‑scale events such as festivals, conferences, and the Adirondack Youth Climate Summit.
• Serve alongside community organizations to support events and programs run by the Tupper Lake Recreation Department, Tupper Lake Public Library, Tupper Lake School District, etc.
• Attend and participate in outreach events to meet community‑expressed needs.
• Other duties as assigned.

Focus Areas

• School Programming: Serve alongside the School Program Coordinator to teach school programs featuring live animals and assist with logistics during school field trips.
• Outdoor Programming: Spend additional time engaging visitors in seasonal outdoor activities, including ice fishing, maple sugaring, and water‑based programming.
• Animal Husbandry: Assist staff with daily care and husbandry of The Wild Center’s live‑animal collection, primarily focusing on enclosure cleaning and diet preparation.

Qualifications

• Ability to commit to the full 1700‑hour term (~12 months or 50 weeks) of AmeriCorps service.
• Satisfy the National Service Criminal History Check eligibility criteria.
• Be a citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States.
• Be at least 18 years of age at the commencement of service.
• Interest in teaching natural history, climate science, and working outdoors throughout the year.
• Flexibility and adaptability in a dynamic team setting with shifting duties.
• Self‑motivated; seeks opportunities to learn and grow and can thrive independently.
• Engaging and excited to teach; able to deliver interpretive programs on stage with a microphone to large, intergenerational groups after training.
• Positive attitude and willingness to work with people, including members of the rural Adirondack community.
• Strong organization and time‑management skills; able to handle multiple tasks concurrently.
• Maturity and professionalism; represents The Wild Center and AmeriCorps New York.
• Detail‑ and safety‑oriented; keen eye for details when working with wildlife.
• Willingness to adhere to all Wild Center policies, including uniform, safety procedures, and regulations.

Experience & Education

• High school diploma or equivalent (or not have dropped out of elementary or secondary school) and agreement to obtain a high school diploma or equivalent prior to using the education award.
• A college degree is not required; current college students and non‑traditional applicants not pursuing a degree are encouraged to apply.

Work Schedule

• 5 days a week, including weekends, special events, occasional early mornings, and regular evenings, with two consecutive days off each week.
• Hours completed over up to 12 months, starting January 5 2027 to mid‑December 2027.
• Volunteers required to attend AmeriCorps‑specific service days throughout the term.
• Occasional off‑site travel required; mileage reimbursement provided for outreach events.

Physical Demands

• Ability to traverse rolling trails and spend prolonged periods outdoors in all seasons and weather conditions, including extremely cold temperatures.
• Daily periods of standing, bending, and crouching.
• Physical ability to frequently lift, scrub, and climb.
• Regular exposure to dirt, dust, animal feces, and cleaning chemicals (specific to animal‑husbandry duties).

Compensation & Benefits

• Approximately $850 bi‑monthly (twice per month) living allowance, based on a 24‑pay‑period contract (subject to change).
• $7,395 Segal AmeriCorps Education award after 1700 hours of service.
• Option for health‑insurance coverage.
• Shared, fully equipped housing with all utilities included; one house ~1 mile and another ~8 miles from