Bell Museum - Student Interpretive Guide

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Job ID

364233

Location

Twin Cities

Job Family

Stu Administrative / Support

Full / Part Time

Part-Time

Regular / Temporary

Regular

Job Code

2222

Employee Class

Student Insurance Eligible

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About the Job

Bell Museum

This is a Student employment eligible position

Pay Rate : $15.25 / hr

Location : UMN St Paul Campus, Bell Museum

Application Deadline : Open until filled. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting on September 9th, 2024.

Are you interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)? Do you like interacting with people? Do you enjoy connecting people to nature and the environment?

Have you had experience working with youth or families?

The Bell Museum is looking for Museum Interpretive Guides to deliver Bell Museum experiences to PreK-12 school groups and public audiences.

This position facilitates visitor learning in areas of the museum including the exhibit galleries, Touch and See Lab, and special programming.

Other duties include assisting at museum events on and offsite and facility rentals on an as-needed basis. This position benefits from experience and general knowledge in the natural sciences and natural history, as well as presentation and customer service skills.

This position requires availability during specific hours outlined in the qualifications section below.

Position and / or Unit Overview :

The mission of the museum is to ignite curiosity and wonder, explore our connections to nature and the universe, and create a better future for our evolving world.

The Bell Museum is Minnesota's official natural history museum, established by the legislature in 1872 and held in trust by the University of Minnesota.

For 150 years, the museum has preserved and interpreted our state's rich natural history and served learners of all ages.

Additionally, our scientific collections contain over one million specimens, representing every county in Minnesota and various locales around the globe, and the Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Planetarium expands the mission to the universe and points beyond.

We are looking for individuals to join our team who are inspired by our mission. We believe that difference is a strength and are looking for candidates that reflect and respect diversity.

We encourage you to apply for the position even if you do not believe you meet every qualification.

Major Areas of Accountability (with percentages) :

70% - Facilitate experiences in the permanent and temporary exhibit galleries for a diverse population of visitors, provide general animal care in the Touch and See Lab, greet visitors and answer questions across the museum.

Create an inclusive and welcoming environment for all visitors.

25% - Assist Bell Museum educators in facilitating programs for school and community groups, lead birthday parties and other family programming, support facility rentals, and assist with outreach events outside of the Bell Museum

5% - Attend monthly training meetings

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Interest in and curiosity about natural history and engaging the public in science
• Experience in customer service and / or working with the public or youth audiences
• Currently enrolled as a University of Minnesota undergraduate or graduate student carrying at least the minimum number of credits to qualify for student employment
• Experience communicating with diverse populations of differing backgrounds and ages
• Must have availability to work during two of the following time slots :
• Tuesdays : 9 : 00am-12 : 00pm
• Wednesdays : (3 slots) : 9 : 00am-12 : 00pm, 12 : 00pm-2 : 00pm, 2 : 00pm-4 : 00pm
• Thursdays : 9 : 00am-12 : 00pm

Preference will be given to applicants who are available for multiple time slots

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous or current coursework in biology, ecology, natural resources, or other natural sciences, or equivalent experience
• Experience in environmental education and / or interpretation
• Experience with access and accommodations
• Dedicated, dependable, flexible, and enthusiastic
• At least two semesters of availability after hiring

About the Department

The Bell ignites and sustains curiosity for nature and the universe. The Bell Museum envisions a hopeful future where all are inspired by nature and empowered by science.

The Bell Museum is Minnesota's official natural history museum, established by the legislature in 1872 and held in trust by the University of Minnesota.

For over a century, the museum has preserved and interpreted our state's rich natural history and served learners of all ages.

Additionally, our scientific collections contain over one million specimens, representing every county in Minnesota and various locales around the globe, and the Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Planetarium expands the mission to the universe and points beyond.

The new Bell Museum facility opened in 2018 and welcomed over 230,000 members of the community through our doors that year.

Since opening the new museum, the Bell has continued to be recognized as a leader and innovative, providing world-class exhibition and visitor experiences and STEM education programs committed to our mission of igniting curiosity and wonder, exploring our connections to nature and the universe, and creating a better future for our evolving world.

We are looking for individuals to join our team who are inspired by our mission to ignite and sustain curiosity for nature and the Universe and achieve our vision of a hopeful future where all are inspired by nature and empowered by science.

We believe that difference is a strength and are looking for candidates who reflect and respect diversity. We encourage you to apply for the position even if you do not believe you meet every qualification.

How To Apply

Student positions are a form of financial support while pursuing an education at the University of Minnesota.

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions.

You will have the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a resume.

In addition to the online application, we ask that you submit a resume and a cover letter addressing the following questions :

• Why are you applying for this position?
• How would this position benefit your academic, career, and / or personal goals?
• How do you think you can contribute to the Bell Museum's mission?
• What is your experience working or communicating with public audiences?

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail [email protected] or call (612) 624-8647.

For more information about the position, please contact Kate Sigurdson ([email protected])

Diversity

We believe it is essential to create an environment that welcomes and empowers people from historically underrepresented and marginalized communities to have equitable access to the museum's resources as well as opportunities to transform our work.

We are committed to upholding the diversity, equity, and inclusion definitions and values set forth by the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences and the University of Minnesota .

These values will be integrated in all aspects of the museum, including :

• Hiring, recruitment, retention, and advancement of staff and volunteers
• Selection and evaluation of program and exhibition content
• Providing meaningful opportunities to participate in planning and leadership

Employment Requirements

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here.

Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

About the U of M

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research.

Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St.

Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America's Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019, 2022).