Volunteen Program

The Zoo Atlanta Volunteen program is designed for teens ages 14-17 (and who are or will be in high school during the program year) to explore animal science careers here at the Zoo. Teen volunteers are able pursue their interests in animal care, educational programming, conservation, research and professional development. Volunteens serve in a variety of areas, including habitat interpretation, public events, conservation initiatives, Safari Camp, the Animal Nutrition Kitchen, basic animal care (husbandry), and more! Each program year runs from June 1 through May 31 of the following year. The more years that a teen participates in the program, the more in-depth the program opportunities will become, so we encourage teens to get involved early and to plan to stay! Teens will learn public speaking, confidence, customer service, animal knowledge, and much more during their time in the program.

Applications for the 2020-2021 Volunteen program year are open now. There are two upcoming Preview Nights: Tuesday, December 3 and Thursday, January 9. Both events are from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and will take place in the Conservation Action Resource Center (ARC) at the back of the Zoo (up the hill from the blue cranes and the winter Aldabra tortoise home). The Volunteen applications consist of an online application, a recommendation from a current or former science teacher, and a Letter of Recommendation from an adult who is not a relative or current or former teacher. All three parts must be submitted by 5 p.m. on February 1, 2020, in order to be considered. More details, as well as registration for Preview Nights and links for all three parts of the application, are available on the Zoo Atlanta website here. We look forward to seeing your application soon!