Part Time Conservation Interpreter and Visitor Services

Pennsylvania State University is hiring a part-time Conservation Interpreter at Shaver's Creek Environmental Center. The role involves providing visitor services and education, leading guided programs, and engaging with the public. The position requires physical activity and works up to 24 hours per week, including weekends. Clearances are needed for employment. This is an entry-level position aimed at individuals interested in environmental interpretation.
Job Number: REQ_0000065757

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.

JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

Shaver's Creek Environmental Center is seeking a part-time Conservation Interpreter (CI) to provide front-line visitor service and education to Shaver's Creek Environmental Center visitors, including welcoming and providing orientation to the site and visitor opportunities.

Established in 1976, Shaver's Creek is an environmental education field laboratory seeking to enhance the quality of life of our local and global community by providing exemplary outdoor learning opportunities. Administered by Penn State Outreach, the Center functions as a university field campus providing facilities and programming that meet the education and research needs of many academic disciplines.

The Center is located within Penn State's 7,000 acre Stone Valley Forest, 13 miles south of State College. We traditionally offer summer camps, environmental education programs, natural/cultural history exhibits, live amphibians and reptiles, hiking trails, native gardens and more. Our Aviary is one of the few federally and state licensed facilities in Pennsylvania providing perpetual care and housing for eagles, falcons, hawks, and owls.

The CI also supports, develops, and provides guided programs including hikes, aviary and herpetarium tours, community science initiatives, and tabling events, and includes staffing the bookstore and engaging with visitors in person and on the phone. CIs are entry-level positions for emerging professionals with an interest in interpreting the natural world to public audiences. CIs work with full and part-time staff to support visitor services and educational operations around the Shaver's Creek campus.

This position requires long periods of standing, walking, talking, and occasionally lifting up to 35lbs. This position works up to 24 hours a week, including Saturdays and Sundays.

This job requires the following 3 publicly available clearances:
• PA State Police Criminal Background Check
• PA Child Abuse History Clearance Form
• FBI Criminal Background Check
The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing
diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability in all of its forms. We embrace individual
uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusion that supports both broad and specific diversity
initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity in society and
nature, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusion as a core
strength and an essential element of our public service mission.

University Park, PA