Student volunteers
Student volunteer program
Participating in the Student Volunteer Program is a great way for students to get a behind-the-scenes look at how AGU manages such a large meeting while also earning free student registration for at least eight hours of volunteer time.
Applicants are not guaranteed a volunteer position. Only a few dozen positions are available, and volunteers are selected based on their suitability for the available positions.
Please note that the Research Vessel Sally Ride Docent Volunteer Program requires a 12-hour commitment and has a separate application form. See below for more details.
Contact AGU if you have questions about this program.
Apply for a Student Volunteer position
Deadline for applications is 24 October, 11:59 p.m. ET.
Apply nowCentennial Volunteer Opportunities
AGU/NASA Narratives Assistant AM
Number of volunteers: 2Date(s): Monday, 9 Dec; Tuesday, 10 Dec; Wednesday, 11 Dec; Thursday, 12 Dec
Duties: The volunteer will assist with the Narratives program, which for this Fall Meeting will be exclusively recording the stories of NASA scientists. The volunteer will coordinate the check-in and check-out procedures for interviewees. Volunteers will likely also get to sit in on a couple of the interviews while they are being recorded.
AGU/NASA Narratives Assistant PM
Number of volunteers: 2Date(s): Monday, 9 Dec; Tuesday, 10 Dec; Wednesday, 11 Dec; Thursday, 12 Dec
Duties: The volunteer will assist with the Narratives program, which for this Fall Meeting will be exclusively recording the stories of NASA scientists. The volunteer will coordinate the check-in and check-out procedures for interviewees. Volunteers will likely also get to sit in on a couple of the interviews while they are being recorded.
Development Department Volunteer Opportunities
Austin Challenge Street Team Volunteer AM
Number of volunteers: 20Date(s): Monday, 9 Dec; Tuesday, 10 Dec; Wednesday, 11 Dec; Thursday, 12 Dec; Friday, 13 Dec
Duties: Members of the Austin Challenge Street Team will work to inform other meeting attendees of the importance of supporting AGU's Student Travel Grant programs by donating to AGU. Student volunteers will be asked to talk about why AGU and their meeting experience is important to them and ask others to share their stories as well. Position requires a "people-person", upbeat personality and comfort approaching and talking with strangers at the meeting. Find out more about how the Austin Challenge is supporting Student Travel Grants in 2019 by visiting www.agu.org/austin
Austin Challenge Street Team Volunteer PM
Number of volunteers: 24Date(s): Sunday, 8 Dec; Monday, 9 Dec; Tuesday, 10 Dec; Wednesday, 11 Dec; Thursday, 12 Dec; Friday, 13 Dec
Duties: Members of the Austin Challenge Street Team will work to inform other meeting attendees of the importance of supporting AGU's Student Travel Grant programs by donating to AGU. Student volunteers will be asked to talk about why AGU and their meeting experience is important to them and ask others to share their stories as well. Position requires a "people-person", upbeat personality and comfort approaching and talking with strangers at the meeting. Find out more about how the Austin Challenge is supporting Student Travel Grants in 2019 by visiting www.agu.org/austin
Austin Challenge Street Team Volunteer Evening
Number of volunteers: 4Date(s): Monday, 9 Dec
Duties: Members of the Austin Challenge Street Team will work to inform other meeting attendees of the importance of supporting AGU's Student Travel Grant programs by donating to AGU. Student volunteers will be asked to talk about why AGU and their meeting experience is important to them and ask others to share their stories as well. Position requires a "people-person", upbeat personality and comfort approaching and talking with strangers at the meeting. Find out more about how the Austin Challenge is supporting Student Travel Grants in 2019 by visiting www.agu.org/austin
Honors Volunteer Opportunities
Honors Tribute Assistant
Number of volunteers: 5Date(s): Wednesday, 11 Dec
Duties: Assist with the setup of memorabilia. Provide support at the honoree check-in station (i.e., distribution of medallions, boutonnieres, corsages, etc., for more than 90 individuals) as well as during the formal photo session between the AGU President and honorees. Greet and pass out programs to ceremony attendees. Serve as a guide, greeter or usher at the banquet, among other duties.
Apply for a Student Volunteer position
Deadline for applications is 24 October, 11:59 p.m. ET.
Meetings Department Volunteer Opportunities
Poster Help Desk Assistant, AM
Number of volunteers: 10Date(s): Monday, 9 Dec – Friday, 13 Dec
Duties: Volunteers will assist meeting attendees in the poster hall. This includes providing supplies to poster presenters, locating specific poster presentations using the online program, and answering general meeting questions. Afternoon volunteers will also assist with the distribution of materials to some oral session rooms. Volunteers are asked to select one other five-hour shift at the poster help desk, for a total of two shifts during the meeting.
Poster Help Desk Assistant, PM
Number of volunteers: 10Date(s): Monday, 9 Dec – Friday, 13 Dec
Duties: These volunteers will assist with the needs of centennial activities which may include some canvassing, watching the centennial areas, and interacting with members.
Poster Help Desk Assistant, Midday
Number of volunteers: 1Date(s): Monday, 9 Dec – Friday, 13 Dec
Duties: These volunteers will assist with the needs of centennial activities which may include some canvassing, watching the centennial areas, and interacting with members.
Poster Hall Evening Assistant
Number of volunteers: 4Date(s): Monday, 9 Dec – Thursday, 12 Dec
Duties: Volunteers will report for two hours each day Monday through Thursday to help AGU staff break down the poster hall and set it up for the following day’s presentations.
Sally Ride Volunteer
Number of volunteers: 9Date(s): Monday, 9 Dec; Tuesday, 10 Dec; Wednesday, 11 Dec
Duties: This volunteer position takes place in a public area of San Francisco, so being able to communicate effectively with not just AGU attendees, but the public curious about the vessel, will be critical. Student volunteers should work in tandem with team members on the vessel itself, so the ability to coordinate activities, adjust to conditions on the fly, and communicate with those waiting to go on tours and coming off tours to keep the flow moving are essential. Basic organizational skills and problem-solving skills will be needed. Ocean sciences or affiliated sciences knowledge is preferred given proximity to the vessel.
Centennial Central Volunteer
Number of volunteers: 2Date(s): Monday, 9 Dec – Tuesday, 10 Dec; Wednesday, 11 Dec – Thursday, 12 Dec
Duties: Centennial Central is a hub of activity celebrating AGU's science in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of AGU. Volunteers in this work will help direct attendees to the correct stage or networking location, answer questions on overall programming, and guide speakers to proper prep areas. With more than 125 speakers, two stages, and multiple networking areas, there should be a lot of people to guide.
Centennial Central Volunteer
Number of volunteers: 1Date(s): Friday, 13 Dec
Duties: Centennial Central is a hub of activity celebrating AGU's science in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of AGU. Volunteers in this work will help direct attendees to the correct stage or networking location, answer questions on overall programming, and guide speakers to proper prep areas. With more than 125 speakers, two stages, and multiple networking areas, there should be a lot of people to guide.
Public Information/Press Volunteer Opportunities
Social Media Volunteer
Number of volunteers: 2Date(s): Monday, 9 Dec – Friday, 13-Dec
Duties: The volunteer will help fellow AGU members develop and draft science policy messages to their policymakers to be used when calling, writing, or meeting with their legislators during Fall Meeting. The volunteer will spend a total of four hours on the assignment, one hour per day from Monday to Friday.
Talent Pool Volunteer Opportunities
Career Center Assistant, AM
Number of volunteers: 4Date(s): Monday, 9 Dec; Tuesday, 10 Dec; Wednesday, 11 Dec; Thursday, 12 Dec
Duties: Assist AGU Career Center and Student Lounge staff by: helping job seekers utilize the AGU job board; guiding interviewers and interviewees to their booths; guiding mentees to their mentoring sessions; and assisting speakers in the student lounge.
Career Center Assistant, PM
Number of volunteers: 4Date(s): Monday, 9 Dec; Tuesday, 10 Dec; Wednesday, 11 Dec; Thursday, 12 Dec
Duties: Assist AGU Career Center and Student Lounge staff by: helping job seekers utilize the AGU job board; guiding interviewers and interviewees to their booths; guiding mentees to their mentoring sessions; and assisting speakers in the student lounge.
Student & Early Career Scientist Conference Volunteer
Number of volunteers: 2Date(s): Sunday, 8 Dec
Duties: Assist AGU Career Center and Student Lounge staff by: helping job seekers utilize the AGU job board; guiding interviewers and interviewees to their booths; guiding mentees to their mentoring sessions; and assisting speakers in the student lounge.
Thriving Earth Exchange Volunteer Opportunities
Thriving Earth Exchange Reception Volunteer
Number of volunteers: 6Date(s): Monday, 9 Dec – Tuesday, 10 Dec
Duties: Volunteer will support the Thriving Earth Exchange “Building a Community Science Movement: A networking reception hosted by Thriving Earth Exchange” where the volunteers will assist with setup and clean-up from the event; welcome attendees, have them sign in, and hand out drink tickets; and take photographs of the event. Thriving Earth Exchange staff will organize a brief orientation on Monday, 9 December so that volunteers can get to know one another and Thriving Earth Exchange, and prepare for their volunteer work during the week. [Please note that the above shift start and end times don't take into account that this position will require the student volunteers to participate in a 1 hour orientation to take place sometime, TBD on Monday, 9 December 2019.]
Thriving Earth Exchange Community Science Workshop Volunteer
Number of volunteers: 2Date(s): Monday, 9 Dec, Wednesday, 11 Dec
Duties: Volunteer will support facilitation of an efficient and orderly start to the “Community Science 101: Practical Tips and Real-world Strategies for Engaging with Communities” Workshop. Duties include setting up and taking down workshop room layout and materials; checking-in participants; taking photos of the workshop in progress; take notes and/or participate in the workshop interactive activity by role playing the community leader card. Volunteers are asked to attend a student event and help recruit participants for the workshop and to distribute flyers with event details to conference attendees prior to the workshop. Thriving Earth Exchange staff will organize a brief orientation on Monday, 9 December so that volunteers can get to know one another and Thriving Earth Exchange, and prepare for their volunteer work during the week. [Please note that the above shift start and end times don't take into account that this position will require the student volunteers to participate in a 1 hour orientation to take place sometime, TBD on Monday, 9 December 2019.]
Apply for a Student Volunteer position
Deadline for applications is 24 October, 11:59 p.m. ET.
Special Opportunity: R/V Sally Ride Docent Volunteer Program
Details, including eligibility, for this opportunity are below. Please note that the Sally Ride Docent Volunteer Program is a different opportunity from the Sally Ride Volunteer position listed above under the Meetings section. Additionally, this position requires a different application form. For all other positions, apply through the link at the top of the page.
Research Vessel Sally Ride Docent Volunteer Program
The Ocean Sciences section is looking for 10-12 graduate student volunteers to work as docents during public and AGU-member tours of the Research Vessel Sally Ride in association with the AGU Fall Meeting. Volunteers are needed 9-11 December 2019. The vessel is operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography and facilitates general purpose oceanography supported largely by NSF and ONR as part of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet. It will host AGU Centennial Ocean Science displays and be open for hourly tours from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Pier 15 in San Francisco.
Docents are needed to direct visitors through the vessel. Volunteers will receive a briefing on the vessel’s systems but should have knowledge of oceanographic scientific equipment so they can answer questions during tours. Volunteers will be asked to work for up to 12 hours total during the week of the meeting and will have Fall Meeting registration fees refunded after the meeting.
Sally Ride Docent Program eligibility and process
Student volunteer applicants must: be graduate students enrolled at a degree-granting institutions; be AGU student members; have prior ocean-going research experience; and understand and speak English well.
Process:
Process:
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1Interested graduate students who meet the qualifications may fill out the online application.
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2When filling out the application, be sure to include prior ocean-going research experience.
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3Volunteer program coordinators will review applications and select volunteers based on their qualifications and availability.
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4All applicants will be notified whether or not they are being considered in early October.
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5Confirmed student volunteers will be refunded their 2019 Fall Meeting registration fees. This will be processed as a refund after the meeting.
