Education Programs Volunteer Resources

Take a moment to get familiar with some of our position descriptions, as well as some of our available Education Programs and activations!

Position Descriptions

Job Description: Education Program Assistants serve as education ambassadors by assisting with on and off-campus programming including field trips, homeschool workshops, virtual field trips, public programs, outreaches, scheduled amphitheater talks, auditorium shows, birthday parties, and more. Trained Education Program Assistants that exhibit willingness and ability to successfully lead such programs will have the opportunity to serve as a main facilitator if desired.

Responsibilities:
Education Program Assistants are expected to greet program groups and assist EDU staff with program activities including program setup, facilitation, and break down. Each volunteer will be assigned to programs for each shift (preference and training taken into account). Based on program scheduling, AM shifts will be mainly field trips and school program assistance, PM shifts will be mainly outreaches and public programs.
Job Description: Exhibit Interpreters serve as our “on the floor” education ambassadors through guest engagement and interpretations of our new exhibits including wet (aquarium), digital, and static exhibits in the Marinelife Gallery, Rinker Breezeway, Welcome Center, and Outdoor Ecosystem Tanks. Exhibit Interpreters will also engage with guests around campus using new STEM Carts for biofact/object interpretation. **Note: Exhibit Interpreters will not be stationed at Hospital Tanks. For Hospital specific interpretation, see Hospital Interpreter description.
Responsibilities:
Exhibit Interpreters are expected to engage with visitors at each exhibit and accurately interpret exhibit topics or theming. Exhibit Interpreters will be assigned to 1-2 exhibits at a time and will follow an assigned rotation schedule to cover multiple exhibits throughout one shift.
Job Description: Hospital Interpreters report to and are trained by the Hospital Department staff members. They serve as our education ambassadors through guest engagement and interpretation of the patients and patient care in our outside hospital.

Responsibilities:
Hospital Interpreters are stationed with our sea turtle patients in the outdoor hospital; they are expected to communicate accurate information to the guests and lead informative discussions when hospital staff are performing in-tank treatments in view of the guests. All activities in proximity to patients or patient tanks should be mindfully performed in order to mitigate patient stress.

Outreach Programs

We have a Partnership in Education program with hotels during nesting season from March-October. For partner hotels, we do outreach programs twice a week at the hotel property. Each outreach is about an hour long, and can touch on a variety of topics, from nesting to sea turtle 101. We typically also offer our Jr. Vet Lab as a hands-on activity for kids.
During the months of February-May, there are many outreaches happening around the area. This is our busiest time of year! We typically have a table/booth during these events, such as ManateeFest, ArtiGras, and of course our big outreach of the year, Tortuga Music Festival! We have different setups and activities for each event. We could always use help during these events, so please feel free to let me know if you want to participate!
We offer programs at other community locations, such as libraries or community centers. We offer programs such as Jr. Vet Lab, or a presentation all about sea turtles, and will often bring biofacts and fun hands-on objects for participants to see/touch!
If you want someone from Loggerhead to speak at a meeting or function, a speaker request is what you are looking for! Not limited to an educational staff member, this is a chance for other departments to share what they do! By filling out an online form, we can match you with exactly what you are looking for!

Winter Programs

Junior Veterinarian Lab accommodates size children, ages 6-10, and is a program designed to educate children on the process of sea turtle rescue and release. The Jr. Vets come to the aid of a green sea turtle replica and learn about common injuries and illnesses that affect these endangered animals.
For ages 2-5, explore the wonder of wildlife around us through play-based stations, story time, and a short hike along our Juno Dunes Trail. This 60-minute program will introduce families to the different senses of nature, while encouraging curiosity and discovery through various provocations and educator-guided activities!
Welcome to a program that is geared for our smallest of hatchlings, ages 0-5. During this 20-minute program, you will be engaging children with an under-the-sea story time!
Thank you for leading Juno Dunes Natural Area Hikes here at LMC. This program is an outdoor seasonal program where you will lead a group along the hammock trail located in Loggerhead Park. It will be your responsibility to educate our guests on the flora and fauna found along the trail in this one hour tour. The Juno Dunes Natural Area Hike will consist of:
Introduction: Introduce yourself and LMC (what we do, why, etc) as you are walking guests to the trailhead.
The Hammock (45 minutes): You will lead participants through the Loggerhead Park hammock trail, identifying various native and non-native flora and fauna along the way. The program concludes at the pavilion at the top of the trail.

Summer Programs

The Turtle Walk program is a unique opportunity for LMC to grant public access to an otherwise inaccessible sea turtle experience during peak Loggerhead nesting season. With the approval of state issued permits, experienced Loggerhead Marinelife Center scouts will patrol our designated section of Juno Beach searching for sea turtles while visitors enjoy an informative presentation on the plight of sea turtles and engage in a variety of hands-on learning experiences. Once a loggerhead sea turtle emerges and begins her egg-laying process, the group is then led down to the beach to witness this unforgettable experience.
The Hatchling Release program is a unique opportunity for LMC educators to grant public access to an otherwise inaccessible sea turtle experience. State-granted permission to view hatchling releases is not given to the public and is reserved only for those organizations or individuals included under a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission permit. The program begins with an educational lesson about sea turtles and their nesting behavior and concludes with a walk to Juno Beach to view hatchlings being released by LMC staff.
See a nest excavation in action and be a part of sea turtle research! With permission from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, a permitted staff member will lead guests down onto Juno, Jupiter, or Tequesta beaches to discuss the nesting and hatching processes of sea turtles. After an introduction to the sea turtle nesting and hatching process, guests may have the opportunity to witness a live nest excavation and create their own data sheets to take home as a memento.
Children (ages 6-12) will learn how to be a Sea Turtle Nesting Field Technician for LMC’s Research Department. The children will identify a nest, the species, and how to collect valuable data to learn more about the species that nest on our beaches. As the Lead Nesting Field Technician, you will discuss the three species of sea turtles that nest on our beaches, specialized adaptations of each species, and LMC’s process for gathering important research data and information!