Volunteen Opportunities

Be a part of Celebrating and Saving Wildlife and Wild Places when you join the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) volunteen team. The DZS is a renowned leader in wildlife conservation, animal welfare, environmental sustainability and humane education. With the variety of opportunities listed below, we are sure you will find your place at the Detroit Zoo.

Please note: All Volunteen participants will need to provide the date of their Covid-19 vaccination on their application and bring their vaccination card to orientation.

Zoo Corps:

The Zoo Corps program provides teens opportunities for personal and professional development as they become leaders and environmental stewards in their communities. 

The Zoo Corps program prepares teens to have inspiring and meaningful interactions with Zoo guests. Training and continuing professional development will prepare Zoo Corps members to facilitate hands-on activities that explore science concepts, environmental stewardship, humane education, conservation concepts and animal information. Zoo Corps members will have opportunities to participate in one-of-a-kind experiences and personal and professional development. 

 

View Experiences: 

  • Guest Facing: Day-to-day youth participants, with the support of DZS staff, engage with guests about DZS conservation work and present activities on science concepts that allow guests to ask their own questions or increase their observation skills of animals at the Zoo.


  • Leadership and Professional Development: These experiences are in addition to guest engagement shifts.  Some examples could include: 
  • Youth Conference 
  • Participation in a Youth Council (Managing and Facilitating Social Programming for Teen Participants) 
  • Fieldwork experiences l
  • Off-Site Educational Field Trips 
  • Onsite Behind the Scenes Experiences 
  • Volunteer Appreciation Celebrations Geared Specifically for Teens 
  • Professional Development Workshops (Resume Writing, STEM Career Exploration etc.

 

Program Requirements: 

  • Youth aged 14-17 years old 
  • COVID-19 vaccination highly encouraged
  • Access to reliable transportation to and from the Detroit Zoo
  • Willingness to work outside in all weather conditions
  • Eagerness and willingness to engage with guests of all ages 
  • Ability to commit to a minimum of 140 volunteer hours in the first calendar year
    • 100 hours during the summer term (June 1st- August 31st ~ approx. 8 hours a week) 
    • 20 hours during the fall term (September 1st- December 31st)
    • 20 hours during the winter/ spring term (January 1st- May 31st) 
  • Commit to attend all mandatory training dates 
    • Training dates count toward hour minimums
  • Complete and submit required application and documentation
  • Parent and teen will participate in a phone or virtual interview 

Application: 


 

Orientation:
Zoo Corps orientations for 2023 will be offered on the following dates:

  • March 18th
  • April 29th
  • May 20th
  • June 10th
  • July 15th
  • August 12th
  • September 9th
  • November 11th

 

Additional Information: 

If you have any questions about the Zoo Corps program, please reach out to the education department at  education@dzs.org 

CITs:

Counselor in Training (CIT) is a perfect introduction to camp counseling. CITs enjoy a leadership position mentoring elementary-aged Safari campers while enjoying camp and developing new skills. The CIT program allows teens to make a meaningful impact on campers and their communities. 

 

Program Requirements: 

  • Youth aged 15 to 17 years old 
  • Must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 
  • Access to reliable transportation to and from the Detroit Zoo
  • Willingness to work outside in all weather conditions
  • Eagerness and willingness to engage with guests of all ages 
  • Ability to commit to two full weeks of summer camp (Monday-Friday 8:30 am -4:15 pm) 
  • Commit to attend all mandatory training dates 
    • Training dates count toward hour minimums
  • Complete and submit required application and documentation
  • Parent and teen will participate in a phone or virtual interview 

 

Application: 

 

Additional Information: 

If you have any questions about the CIT program, please reach out to the education department at  education@dzs.org