Indianapolis Zoo Would Like To Recruit Some Teenagers

By Maura Giles

Indianapolis, IN - Applications are now being accepted for an exciting youth volunteer program. The Indianapolis Zoo’s Zoo Teen Program is an exciting way for students, ages 14 to 18 years, to explore career opportunities, meet new friends, gain customer service skills and much more! The Indianapolis Zoo seeks responsible, reliable, enthusiastic students with an interest in learning about animals who can interact with Zoo guests and be role models for their peers.

This year, the program expands to include volunteer opportunities from spring to winter, with a limited number of positions available for young people who love the Zoo and want to work around animals. The Zoo Teen program is a great way for youths to explore the possibilities of a career in zoo and aquarium sciences. The program also helps students understand what it takes to run a world-class zoo.

Applications are available at the Zoo’s Education Center during regular business hours of November and December and on indianapoliszoo.com, under “Careers/Volunteer > Zoo Teen.” The application deadline is December 31, 2008. Students will be scheduled for volunteer shifts from the April through December. Many assignments can be scheduled in half-day blocks so students can experience a variety of areas throughout the Zoo.

First-time Zoo Teens can apply for Explorer positions as a Zoo Camp Assistant, Dolphin Demonstration Attendant, Character Mascot or Zoo Teen Naturalist. Returning Zoo Teens can apply for any of the Explorer positions, or move into a Specialist position. As Specialists, Zoo Teens work as Junior Camp Counselors or education interpreters with goats, rabbits, guinea pigs and other animals in the Encounters Biome.

For additional information, please visit the Indianapolis Zoo web site, indianapoliszoo.com, or contact the Zoo’s Volunteer Services Office at volunteer@indyzoo.com or (317) 630-2041.

Located in White River State Park downtown, the Indianapolis Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the American Association of Museums as a zoo, aquarium and botanical garden. The Indianapolis Zoo inspires local and global communities to celebrate, protect, and preserve our natural world through conservation, education, and research, and by providing an enriching and wondrous environment for our visitors and the animals in our care. Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things.