Teen Ambassador Volunteer Program

# Teen Ambassador Volunteer Program Woodland Park Zoo's teen volunteer program - long known as ZooCorps - gives Seattle-area high schoolers a summer working the zoo grounds alongside staff. Teen Ambassadors connect with animals, conservation topics, and the visiting public, building leadership and job skills while deepening their knowledge of species and habitats. ## What You'll Do - Engage zoo guests at interpretation stations and around animal exhibits - Participate in citizen science opportunities run by the zoo's conservation staff - Learn about animals, their habitats, and Woodland Park Zoo's field conservation partnerships - Develop transferable job skills - public speaking, teamwork, and customer service - Complete 20 hours of volunteer shifts across the summer season ## Who Should Apply Teens entering grades 10 through 12 in the fall who can attend the mandatory late-June orientation day and complete their shifts between late June and early September. Space is limited - 15 Teen Ambassador Volunteers are brought on each year - and selected applicants are interviewed in mid-April, with decisions sent at the beginning of May. Woodland Park Zoo partners with the Canopy Neurodiversity Foundation to support applicants who identify with autism and/or ADHD through the application and interview process. ## Outcomes Participants finish the summer with documented volunteer hours, direct guest-engagement and interpretation experience at an AZA-accredited zoo, and a first credential for future conservation, animal care, or public-facing work.