Nonprofit
Daytime Telescope Facilitator Volunteer
Details
Description
The Adler Planetarium is proud to host a team of volunteers whose goal is to share the sky with our guests. The Adler Planetarium’s telescope facilitation program is increasingly popular; indeed, guests come to Adler specifically seeking experiences involving telescopes. Come join our wonderful team and you, too, can learn how to bring the heavens alive with telescopes!
The Adler’s mission is to inspire exploration and understanding of our Universe. Our model of guest engagement follows four core values:
- Empower: We empower guests to follow their own path of learning.
- Welcome: We read our audience to make decisions on how best to facilitate their learning experience. The Adler is a place for everyone.
- Collaborate: We respect our guests for who they are and what they know, and we build a collaborative learning environment.
- Play: We take our science seriously, but not ourselves. We play with purpose and go out of our way to make guests feel special.
Daytime Telescope Facilitators provide authentic, engaging experiences for our guests, primarily through opportunities to view the Sun safely through a telescope when the weather permits -- but also through fun indoor exploratory activities when the weather isn’t quite so cooperative.
What do we look for?
- Volunteers must be 18 years old or older.
- We don’t need you to have a degree in astronomy. No, really! This role is first and foremost about engaging with our guests. We will help you become comfortable working with guests of all ages, facilitating activities, and handling telescopes.
- We love outgoing people who enjoy working with others as part of a team and who are willing to dive into new experiences.
- We need “guides on the side,” not “sages on the stage.” In other words, we facilitate and explore along with our audiences. We don’t lecture at them.
- Our volunteers must be able to lift and move awkwardly-shaped telescopes and accessories that together weigh up to 40 pounds. Our volunteers also need the ability to reach and navigate around multiple people in tight spaces and move and react quickly as needed to assist guests with telescope viewing.
- We need a regular commitment of 6 hours per month. Available shifts are listed below, but we need the most support on Saturdays.
- Mondays: 10 am – 1 pm
- Fridays: 10 am – 1 pm
- Saturdays: 10 am – 1 pm
- Other evenings & special event opportunities are also periodically available
The Adler Planetarium is proud to host a team of volunteers whose goal is to share the sky with our guests. The Adler Planetarium’s telescope facilitation program is increasingly popular; indeed, guests come to Adler specifically seeking experiences involving telescopes. Come join our wonderful team and you, too, can learn how to bring the heavens alive with telescopes!
The Adler’s mission is to inspire exploration and understanding of our Universe. Our model of guest engagement follows four core values:
- Empower: We empower guests to follow their own path of learning.
- Welcome: We read our audience to make decisions on how best to facilitate their learning experience. The Adler is a place for everyone.
- Collaborate: We respect our guests for who they are and what they know, and we build a collaborative learning environment.
- Play: We take our science seriously, but not ourselves. We play with purpose and go out of our way to make guests feel special.
Daytime Telescope…
Location
Adler Planetarium
How to Apply
Training will consist of:
- Attendance at a one-hour general volunteer orientation session held virtually on Saturday 5/10 at 12:00pm CST.
- Attendance at a four-hour telescope training class (how to use a telescope, practical observing techniques, information about the Sun, facilitation skills, etc.) held in-person at the Adler Planetarium on Saturday 5/17 at 9:00am CST.
- Experience shadowing a veteran telescope volunteer or Adler staff member.
We ask volunteers in this position to:
- Make a minimum 6-month commitment to provide telescope observing for a minimum of 6 hours per month. Guests come to Adler 363 days per year; the only two days we are closed are Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. We’re busy on weekends, but we’re REALLY busy during holidays, holiday weekends, summertime, and spring break.
- Be flexible in their guest interaction role. The Telescope Facilitation portion of this role is most active May through November when the sky is more often clear. For the winter and early spring months, when clouds can be more prevalent, volunteers shift their focus to fun indoor exploratory activities that provide engaging connections with space and telescopes, even when the sky doesn't cooperate. However, when it is clear out and not too cold, outdoor telescope facilitation can still continue!
- Attend all sessions of a comprehensive training program, and complete the program certification process.
Training will consist of:
- Attendance at a one-hour general volunteer orientation session held virtually on Saturday 5/10 at 12:00pm CST.
- Attendance at a four-hour telescope…
