Volunteer
Volunteers have been integral to the success of the Academy for 200 years. Nearly 400 volunteers, from ages 14 to 80+, contribute their time toward our mission each year. Dedicated volunteers assist visitors throughout the museum's exhibit spaces and provide critical support behind the scenes in research departments and offices.
Becoming a Volunteer
- The minimum age is 14; there is no upper limit.
- You must provide a regular commitment of time, ranging from one-half day to several days per week, for at least one year (although longer commitments are sometimes required for certain positions).
- All applicants must complete our online application. Once you have completed the application, you may also contact us directly regarding specific openings listed below.
Apply to be a volunteer today!
Live Animal Center volunteers (minimum 17 years old)
Volunteers are a vital part of our animal programs team. In assisting the keepers in the day-to-day care of our live animal collection (cage cleaning, food preparation, etc.), as well as the maintenance of the center and exhibits (washing windows, doing laundry, cleaning tanks etc.) they gain unique skills in animal husbandry. Volunteering with Animal Programs offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on knowledge and skills and to explore careers in live animal care.
Outside In Volunteers (minimum 14 years old)
Interested applicants should be outgoing, scientifically minded and kid friendly. Volunteers greet visitors, make them welcome, explain a few special rules for visiting Outside In and encourage their active exploration by circulating informally around the exhibit, interacting with them and using an inquiry approach to help them become involved with the hundreds of objects and animals in the room. If you love and want to learn about animals of all kinds, volunteering in Outside In will be a very rewarding experience. (Friday-Sunday 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.)
Mediated Experiences Intern (minimum 16 years old)
Mediated experiences volunteers engage guests within the Academy’s signature and special exhibits with hands-on educational science activities and convivial conversation. Assignments may include animal and fossil specimen interpretation, supporting The Big Dig fossil exploration area, delivering seasonal tour topics and participating in intergenerational story times and workshops.
Volunteers commit to regular weekly shifts on a recurring day for a morning (9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.), afternoon (1-4:30/5 p.m.) or full day (9:30 a.m. to 4:30/5 p.m.) timeslot, including weekday and weekend opportunities.
Collections Assistants
Botany, Diatom Herbarium, Entomology, Ichthyology, Invertebrate Paleontology, Library & Archives, Malacology, Ornithology, Vertebrate Zoology. (Weekdays only 9 a.m.-5 p.m.)
Special Events Volunteers
Dinos After Dark, Bug Fest, Members Night
Patrick Center for Environmental Research Volunteers
Lab and technical support volunteers
Bird Safe Philly & Lights Out Philly
Bird collision monitors and injured bird transporters (April-May and September-November). For more information visit Bird Safe Philly.
Nature at Noon
Naturalists of all interests and experience. Do you use iNaturalist or eBird? Are you interested in supporting nature walks and encounters where accessibility is paramount? We believe the outdoors are for everyone, and we invite your support for Nature at Noon, the City Nature Challenge and our ongoing community science projects.
Internships
Public Programs Intern
Public Programs Interns are trained in techniques of informal interpretation for the public spaces of the museum. Interns also learn how to develop programming, lesson plans and activities for museum guests and school groups. They will also work under the supervision of Experience and Engagement staff to gain experience with volunteer trainings and educational material maintenance. A weekly commitment of 20-24 hours (3 regular days) for 10 weeks is required, encompassing at least one full weekday and 1 full weekend day each week. Candidates must be available from Memorial Day through the second weekend of August for 10 weeks.
Paid Summer High School internships are available through the following opportunities:
To learn more about becoming a volunteer at the Academy, please contact us at 215-299-1029 or volunteers@ansp.org