ONSC Teaching Assistant Volunteer Training

Teaching Assistants are volunteers who help with workshops, camps, and school programs, as well as other educational programming during ONSC events at our main campus, north of Huntsville, AR. As an ONSC Teaching Assistant, you will receive 8+ hours of advanced training, shadow at least one program, and then assist Teacher Naturalists and/or other ONSC staff with programs and workshops. 

• Requirements: We ask that you commit to volunteering for 2 or more school programs, camp days, or workshops per season. 

• You must complete ONSC’s Volunteer Agreement Form, and have a clean background check (run by ONSC, unless you already have a recent copy from within the past year) to work with ONSC program participants.

Training will be from 9AM to 5PM, and will cover the ins and outs of our two most common types of programs: Day Programs and Overnight Programs.

The Teaching Assistant Training will include:

• Overview of ONSC History, Mission, and Programs

• Introductions & Name Game Activity

• Example Field Group Orientation & Field Investigation w/ONSC staff

  • Field Investigation Topics Overview & Field Journals Use

• Lunch (with instruction on Mealtime Support)

• Tour of ONSC Main Campus

• Review of Detailed Schedule of ONSC Day & Overnight Programs (with attention to roles of Chaperones/Teaching Assistants in each part of program)

  • Roles of Chaperones/Teaching Assistants: Safety #1 priority, Behavioral Management, Sharing in and Encouraging Enthusiasm and Engagement

• End of Program Routine & Post Program tasks

• Next Steps for Volunteering with Programs

If you are interested in being an ONSC Teaching Assistant, but are not able to attend this training day, please reach out to Liz Hill at liz.hill@onsc.us to work on arranging alternative times to come to the ONSC main campus for training.