Instructor (Seasonal)

The Zoological Society of Milwaukee (the Society) is seeking a seasonal instructor to join a fun and talented team of professionals in supporting one of the most cherished community assets the Milwaukee County Zoo. This position supports educational programming within the Conservation Education department at the Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM). The seasonal instructor works closely with full time educators Summer Camp Coordinator and the Director of Education in support of the Zoological Society of Milwaukees (ZSM) mission to educate people about the importance of wildlife and animals and support the Milwaukee County Zoo (MCZ) and the Conservation Education departments vision to inspire and empower all members of our community to take conservation action. All instructors are expected to deliver engaging lessons in a variety of educational settings both in the classroom and in an outdoor Zoo setting.

Dates: 5/31/25 8/13/25

Mandatory Training: 6/1 & 6/2

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as an instructor for seasonal enrichment programs for more than one age band (i.e. 02 years 2 years 3 years 4&5 years 6&7s 8&9s 10&11s and 1214 years).
• Collaborate with all full and parttime staff interns and volunteers to successfully implement and interpret curriculum setup takedown and prepare classroom spaces and engage with all members of the public.
  • Implement curricula with the whole child in mindincorporating different strategies and skill sets that are appropriate for different stages of child development such as socialemotional learning STEAM and conservation education techniques.
  • Positively extend the learning experience for participants with an opportunity for handling and teaching with a selection of live animals in the classroom.
  • Communicate with fulltime educators to reflect on curricula and innovate.
  • Be accountable and adaptable by taking on curricula and making it your own while adhering to the curriculum objectives and the departments vision values and policies.
• Employ strong customer service and interpersonal skills to connect to and relate with a variety of participants family members and volunteers ranging in age and diversity.
• Participate in required training including animal handling (if applicable) to ensure a safe and engaging education experience for participants.
• Adhere to the departments policies and procedures to ensure the safety of all participants and staff.
• Professionally represent the Society and the Conservation Education Department on Zoo grounds community events and with partner organizations.
• Provide assistance to additional programs and processes that support the department and staff as needed including mentoring support staff and providing formal feedback for the intern program.
• Facilitate and support positive internal communications and organizational culture.
• Assist with Conservation Education department light housekeeping as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Undergraduate degree and/or equivalent experience in education conservation wildlife natural resources and/or social sciences (e.g. informal or formal education conservation zoology biological sciences forestry human dimensions of natural resources psychology etc.) or other field that connects to mission and vision of the department.
• Experience teaching children in an informal or formal educational setting is required.
• Demonstration of excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills.
• Spanish or second language fluency beneficial.
• Proven ability to work independently and in teams.
• Must have reliable transportation to the Milwaukee County Zoo.
• Employer paid professional Adult & Child CPR/AED and First Aid certifications (training with skills check).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook Word and PowerPoint) and/or additional collaboration platforms.

The Zoological Society of Milwaukee believes diversity equity access and inclusion (DEAI) are the hallmarks of a robust vibrant community and have adopted DEAI as foundational to our organizations priorities and values. A successful candidate will embrace these values and incorporate a similar commitment within their scope of work to foster an inclusive culture that celebrates diversity which is demonstrated through actions and words.

The Society provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race color religion age sex national origin disability status genetics protected veteran status sexual orientation gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment including recruiting hiring placement promotion termination layoff recall transfer leaves of absence compensation and training.

The Zoological Society of Milwaukee is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in all its services. If you need accommodation in the application or interview process please contact our Human Resources department at .