live blue™ Service Leader Position Description
Open to individuals with a demonstrated commitment to volunteerism and an interest in working with the New England Aquarium to have a positive impact on the Greater Boston community and the local environment. You do not have to have a prior relationship with the Aquarium in order to apply!
**This program is not running as of August 2023*
Interested candidates can visit serve.neaq.org/calendar to view example events and signup to participate in projects prior to training.
Summary:
The live blue™ Service Leader position is an integral part of the live blue™ Service Corps, the New England Aquarium’s episodic, field-based volunteer program. The goal of the program is engage adult volunteers in the Greater Boston Area in conservation-based service opportunities designed to improve our local environment, foster engagement in the issues, and create a culture of ocean stewards. In its first three years, this highly successful program has offered over 120 service events that have engaged volunteers in over 6,000 hours of service. These service events provide an opportunity for busy adults to volunteer a few hours of their time while having a meaningful impact on Greater Boston communities and their natural resources.
Service Leaders are ambassadors for the Aquarium, often acting as the point-of-contact between volunteers, partner organizations, and Aquarium staff. They actively lead volunteers in the field across a wide variety of events, including coastal cleanups, habitat restoration projects, and community events organized by partner organization. We are excited to continue to grow this program by training new Leaders in 2019!
Position Description:
The live blue™ Service Leader (SL) position will work within the greater live blue™ Service Corps and the Volunteer Programs & Internships office to lead groups of volunteers in conservation-based service opportunities with partner organizations. While most opportunities are arranged by the Aquarium or partner organizations, highly successful SLs will also identify environmental and community needs that can be addressed by the program, and reach out to potential partner organizations to arrange events.
SLs will participate in a brief professional development program designed to ensure Service Leaders are fluent in a variety of relevant topics. These workshops cover: the importance and impact of community service; principles of volunteer and project management; the meaning of NEAq’s mission and conservation efforts; what regional environmental issues we face; and how to effectively encourage people to “live blue” by becoming stewards for the ocean. At the end of this workshop series, SLs can begin leading groups of volunteers in field service.
At these events, SLs work to foster volunteerism and ocean stewardship in adult volunteers by leading them in the field. SLs lead icebreakers, share conservation messages with their field team, and ensure the project runs smoothly, often alongside partner organization staff. Throughout this process, the live blue Service Coordinator will support the Service Leaders and serve as a resource for volunteer recruitment, event coordination, and organization.
Duties/Responsibilities:
Training and Leading events:
-Promote the Aquarium’s mission through action, conversation, and interaction with community partners and fellow volunteers
-Attend a three-part workshop series in order to prepare for the role of Service Leader (see schedule below)
-Lead at least 4 projects organized by Aquarium staff and/or partner organizations in 2019
-Leverage and support volunteers during service opportunities
-Problem-solve during service opportunities using techniques learned during workshop series
-Report project results to the live blue™ Service Coordinator, including positive stories from volunteers and quantitative impacts of service projects
-Highly successful SLs will also design and lead at least one new service opportunity in 2019 with support from the live blue Service Coordinator and the Volunteer Programs & Internships Office using skills discussed at workshop series
Ongoing Planning and Leadership:
-Attend regularly scheduled Service Leader meetings and/or one-on-one meetings with the live blue™ Service Coordinator to plan and implement projects (average 1-2 hours/month)
-Highly successful SLs will assist Aquarium staff with various duties as assigned, including staffing volunteer recruitment tables, planning and attending volunteer social events, and organizing large-scale days of service.
-Highly successful SLs will act as a liaison to local environmental organizations and design and implement new service opportunities with them
Skills/Qualifications:
-Past history of committed volunteer service at the New England Aquarium or another institution
-Demonstrated leadership capabilities as a volunteer, student, or employee
-Desire to become more involved in the Aquarium and local community
-Strong interest in service, especially field work
-Strong interest in environmental conservation, and awareness of local environmental concerns
-Ability to attend workshops held at the New England Aquarium
-Ability to attend service events throughout 2019 in preparation for leading his/her own service events
-Problem solving skills
-Strong interpersonal and communication skills
-First Aid/CPR preferred, training will be provided if necessary
Time Commitment (Average of 4-8 hours/month total):
-Attend two full day trainings, and a Service Leader meeting. These are tentatively scheduled for:
- Workshop 1: Date TBD 10:00am - 3:00pm
- Workshop 2: Date TBD 10:00am - 3:00pm
- New Service Leader Welcome & Training: TBD
-Attend a minimum of two additional service events sponsored by the live blue Service Initiative before May 2019 (generally 2-5 hours each)
- Commit to leading at least four projects organized by the Office of Volunteer Programs and Internships and our partner organizations in 2019.
-After your commitment is met, you can continue to organize and lead projects for as long as you wish to be an active Service Leader. If you wish to end your position as a Service Leader, an exit interview will be required.
-Attend Service Leader Planning Meetings (or one-on-one meetings with Aquarium staff) as scheduled (typically 6 per year).
To Apply:
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