Overview:
The Naturalist Program at the EcoTarium is a new educational initiative geared toward rising ninth and tenth graders interested in natural science, careers in STEM, and museum work.
Schedule:
The program will begin in October 2021 and align with the school year with additional volunteering and internship opportunities in the summer with Exhibits, Education, Natural Science Collections, and the Zoo Team.
The program will have two weekly sessions available: Mondays and Thursdays from 2:30-4:30. Students need only attend one session per week. Some pre-announced trips may take place on weekends, replacing the weekly sessions. We expect students to commit for the length of the academic school year.
The first two years focus on using 21st century skills to learn about New England ecology and other science topics. Each month will have a different theme with corresponding citizen science and museum projects paired with field trips and guest speakers. Year three will include rotations of internships in various departments in the museum.
Themes:
Birds of prey, nocturnal species, designing for wildlife, fish, amphibians, aquatic ecosystems, and many others!
Applicants must:
- Be entering 9th or 10th grade in Central MA. Priority will be given to Worcester Public School students
- Have interest in natural science and/or learning to work in a museum
- Complete the application with their caregiver: https://tinyurl.com/NatProgApp
- Once accepted into the program, all students will be required to submit additional documents electronically such as health history forms
Thanks to generous funders, we are able to offer this program at no cost to families with the goal of serving those in under-resourced communities.
Applications should be completed by September 1, 2021. After review of applications, students invited to continue will be contacted for an interview. Students should respond within a week of receiving the email invitation to schedule an interview. A waitlist will be maintained in the event of students dropping out or declining their place in the program.