Families in the Washington area looking for worthwhile ways for their teenagers to spend their summer vacations have an option available to them that most probably wouldn’t expect: the National Zoo.

The Zoo is best known as a place for families, particularly those with younger, preteen children. But thanks to Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ), a nonprofit group that supports the Zoo by providing it with, among many other things, an extensive volunteer program, the Zoo also offers teenagers from the D.C. area and beyond a variety of interesting summer volunteer opportunities.

As volunteers in the FONZ Teen Volunteer Program, kids have the opportunity to gain some valuable work experience, earn student service learning hours and explore future careers, while also gaining a unique insight into the Zoo and its residents. They can also take pride in the fact that they are providing invaluable support to the National Zoo and playing vital roles in helping FONZ achieve its goal of educating and inspiring the public.

The FONZ Teen Volunteer Program offers opportunities for 160 to 170 teens each summer to volunteer at the Zoo in one or more of six programs. These programs are varied and offer dynamic positions for kids as young as 13 with different interests, skills, personalities and time availability. No matter the program, FONZ’s goal is to provide teenagers with an interesting and enriching learning experience that it hopes will help teens to develop a work ethic and an understanding of the value of service.

For Natasha Tworoski, the opportunity to learn more about working with animals in a zoo was too good to pass up. The 17-year-old from St. Paul, Minn., has been a frequent visitor to the D.C. area while traveling to see her aunt, who lives in Virginia. When her aunt suggested that she stay with her one summer and volunteer at the Zoo, Natasha, who cites famed gorilla researcher Dian Fossey as her "hero," jumped at the chance.

Last summer, Natasha volunteered in a program through which young kids participating in D.C. Parks & Recreation summer camps have the opportunity to learn about zoo careers and what it’s like to work behind the scenes at the Zoo. The centerpiece of the camp kids’ visit to the Zoo is the chance to role-play in a hands-on exhibit called "How Do You Zoo?" that allows kids ages 5 to 10 to explore zoo careers by pretending to be an animal keeper, a zoo veterinarian and a commissary worker in a mock zoo.

Teens volunteering in the "How Do You Zoo?" program teach the young visitors about the duties of each position while guiding them through the exhibit. Volunteers also lead the kids on a tour of the Zoo and occasionally narrate a slide show that teaches the camp kids about different zoo career opportunities.

Natasha, who someday hopes to become either a zookeeper or a field biologist, chose the "How Do You Zoo?" program because it gave her an opportunity to learn about what is involved in being a zookeeper and to teach what she learned to younger kids. The program’s three-day training also gave Natasha a chance to go behind the scenes and meet Zoo employees in the real areas of the Zoo represented in the "How Do You Zoo?" exhibit.

And Natasha is not alone in her desire to learn more about a potential career. According to FONZ naturalist and teen volunteer supervisor Debbi Hanibal, the primary reason most FONZ’s teen volunteers choose to donate their time at the Zoo is to learn about, and gain some experience in, a field they may be interested in pursuing one day as a career.

Teens in the "How Do You Zoo?" program volunteer for two weeks, Monday through Friday, six hours a day. Positions are available for about 18 volunteers every summer.

Although many teenage volunteers choose to volunteer at the Zoo to learn about, and gain experience in, a career field that interests them, some are simply looking for an enjoyable and exciting way to spend their summer and fulfill their student service learning hours in the process.

For Nathaniel Levy, 17, of Rockville, Md., earning community-service hours was part of his initial motivation for volunteering, but his aspiration for what he wanted in a volunteer opportunity drove his decision to commit his time to the Zoo. "There are many ways to earn community-service hours," Nathaniel noted. "I wanted to be in a position to work at an institution like the Smithsonian and to work with other volunteers in a professional atmosphere."

While searching for information on the Smithsonian’s website, Nathaniel found a link to the Zoo’s volunteer web page and followed it, ultimately discovering a volunteer opportunity with FONZ that interested him and he felt met his criteria for "more mature, professional work."

Nathaniel was accepted as a volunteer exhibit greeter at the Invertebrate Exhibit last summer. Exhibit greeters serve an important role, acting as ambassadors for the Zoo by welcoming visitors at the entrance to the Invertebrate Exhibit, one of three controlled-access buildings at the Zoo–the Reptile Discovery Center and Amazonia are the others. Greeters also help to make visitors’ experiences more enriching by answering questions and engaging them in discussion while the visitors wait in line.

Using educational tools and animal artifacts that visitors can handle, such as, in Nathaniel’s case, a dried starfish, lobster claws and a spider exoskeleton, exhibit greeters help pique the public’s interest and excitement about visiting the exhibit and help make the wait easier on young kids. Exhibit greeters also answer questions about the Zoo and the Invertebrate Exhibit, explain the purpose of controlled access and count the number of visitors entering the exhibit.

Being able to meet and work with Zoo staff and other volunteers was a highlight of his experience, Nathaniel said, as was the opportunity to watch, and occasionally participate in, regular feedings of some of the animals.

Teens volunteering as exhibit greeters work a total of 12, three-hour shifts after receiving training from Zoo and FONZ staff that includes an overview of general information about the Zoo, an in-depth look at the Invertebrate Exhibit and training in effective ways to communicate with the public. FONZ offers about 15 exhibit greeter positions each summer.

Last June, the Zoo debuted its newest exhibit, Kids’ Farm and with it, an exciting new volunteer opportunity for area teens. Kids’ Farm is an interactive exhibit designed to introduce children ages 3 to 8 to cows, chickens, goats and other barnyard ambassadors and to teach kids the basics of animal care and the origins of some of the food we eat.

As it does for most Zoo exhibits, FONZ developed and implemented an education program for Kids’ Farm that includes an interpretive program to be staffed each summer by about 30 teens. The program gives teens ages 14 and up an opportunity to interact with the public and work more closely with animals than they would at most Zoo exhibits.

Kids’ Farm interpreters participate in a minimum of 12, three-hour shifts, during which they become farm animal experts, field visitor questions and involve kids in the exhibit by supervising interactive display tables and posing questions to engage young visitors.

In three training sessions, Kids’ Farm volunteers learn the basics of animal care and are taught strategies for making themselves approachable to the public. Past volunteers have found this training invaluable to enhancing their public speaking skills.

Rachel Specht, 17, of McLean, Va., chose to volunteer at Kids’ Farm because it presented a unique opportunity for a hands-on animal experience at the Zoo. At the Caring Corral, by far the most popular feature of Kids’ Farm, young visitors help keepers and volunteers groom some of the exhibit’s animals. Teen volunteers occasionally help kids brush goats and miniature donkeys, teaching the importance of grooming the animals and keeping them clean and healthy. Volunteers may also have the opportunity to assist staff with farm chores such as feeding and cleanup.

Rachel credits the experience of learning and informing visitors about animals for building her self-confidence when working with the public. "People ask you questions and you think ‘I know about this, I can answer that,’" she explains, confessing that she developed a surprising fondness for the chickens at the exhibit. She enthusiastically recommends volunteering at Kids’ Farm to anyone interested in learning to interact confidently with the public or cultivating an appreciation for the countless contributions and charms of farm animals.

The Senior Class Aide program pairs 20 to 25 teen volunteers ages 16 and up with teachers in FONZ’s Summer Safari Day Camp. In four- to seven-hour shifts over two weeks, volunteers help teach lessons, lead tours and supervise younger class aides. The program provides teens an opportunity to develop leadership, organizational and interpersonal skills.

The Senior Class Aide program appealed to 17-year-old Vanessa Auclair of Washington, an aide in 2004, because of the opportunity to work with children at the Zoo. Vanessa, who plans to study education in college, claims that she learned as much as the kids did from lessons about conservation and the environment. Vanessa’s volunteer position also led to a paid, part-time job with FONZ, assisting with children’s birthday parties.

The Class Aide program gives younger teens ages 13 to 15 the opportunity to work in FONZ’s Summer Safari Day Camp, fulfilling responsibilities similar to those of senior class aides. The younger class aides assist FONZ day camp teachers by interacting with children during class activities, supervising the class on Zoo walks and helping with classroom setup and cleanup. Class aides must complete one day of training to familiarize themselves with Zoo and camp policies. Senior class aides complete three, more comprehensive training sessions.

FONZ accepts about 50 class aides each summer to volunteer for two weeks, Monday through Friday, for four- or seven-hour shifts each day.

With 163 acres of forested hills, the National Zoo ranks among the largest zoos in the country. The task of keeping the Zoo’s extensive grounds attractive and well manicured is no small feat, and the 5 to 10 teens who volunteer in the Horticulture program each summer provide much-needed assistance. They help Zoo gardeners tend the park’s many gardens and landscaped areas, and their tasks include all forms of gardening, including mulching, weeding and pruning plants. Horticulture volunteers also help care for the varied flora in Zoo exhibits and assist gardeners working in the Zoo’s greenhouse. They receive on-the-job training while working one-on-one with a gardener on the Zoo’s Horticulture staff and gain a basic understanding of the work involved in the maintenance and landscaping of a large urban park.

Teens who enjoy physical labor and are looking to spend part of their summer outdoors have an excellent opportunity through this program to do just that. Horticulture volunteers work one week, Monday through Friday, for six hours each day.

FONZ will accept applications for summer volunteer positions until May 1. But the programs often fill quickly, and volunteer coordinators begin interviewing candidates as applications are submitted, so those interested in applying should do so early.

Parents and teens who would like to learn more about the FONZ Teen Volunteer Program and the benefits of becoming a FONZ volunteer can contact teen volunteer supervisor Debbi Hanibal at debbi@fonz.org or by calling 202-673-1688.

Matt Olear is media specialist and writer with Friends of the National Zoo. Deborah Press is an intern with the FONZ Communications Office.