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Job Title: Curator Of Community Outreach
Type of Company: I work for a natural history museum in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Education: BS, Zoology, University of Florida
Previous Experience: I completed an environmental education internship at a wildlife center the summer after graduating from college.
Job Tasks: My daily job duties include answering phone calls and email requests about outreach programs, which are natural science programs that are delivered at a variety of locations outside of the museum. Attention to detail and organization have been extremely important in helping me to successfully complete multiple tasks at once (scheduling, delivering programs, accounting).
I am responsible for training educators to deliver these programs, and I also personally deliver 50 programs a year out of a total of 350 programs. We offer approximately 20 different topics, and I am constantly researching information to create new programs and to update outline information for current topics. My programs serve the general public across the state, so I am out of the office and on the road several times a month. I need to present to a wide variety of age groups and ability levels, so I am often reviewing and studying program content in order to present at the best level I can.
We charge a program fee to cover the cost of travel and programming and, as a result, I keep track of money coming in and money being paid out to educators and for supplies. I must report program statistics monthly and annually to summarize who my programs are reaching, where are they being delivered, and how much it costs to deliver the programs. I am also involved in writing grants to secure additional funds to bring programming to people who are not able to pay the fee.
My job encourages creativity, and I work with many other educators in the museum to deliver a variety of natural science programs.
Best and Worst Parts of the Job: My favorite part of the job is delivering programs. I have the opportunity to share my knowledge and love of the natural sciences with others and feel like I am making a difference in the way people perceive the world around them. I enjoy interacting with people of all ages, and in our efforts to reach across the entire state I have an opportunity to travel to new cities and counties.
The least favorite part of my job is the repetitive paperwork. It is a necessary evil to get the job done well, but it can be very tedious at times.
Job Tips:
1.) Choose a major in biology, zoology, or any other natural science curriculum major available.
2.) Apply for jobs or internships at museums, camps, nature centers, and parks. Some of these can be paid positions or you can volunteer.
3.) Get some experience conducting field research, where you are assisting someone to collect data. These jobs involve outdoor work in a variety of conditions (heat, cold, etc.) and provide an excellent first-hand understanding of the natural world.
Additional Thoughts: Jobs in the environmental education field are competitive, so the more experiences you have the more options you will have.
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