Junior Curators

Junior Curators is a school-year volunteer program at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh for high school students in grades 9 to 12 who care about conservation, animal care, and field biology. Members help with the museum's conservation work by joining educational programs and events, visiting natural areas, doing natural history service projects, and helping care for the live animal collection. The program follows the Wake County Public School calendar and runs from September to April. Each month, Junior Curators attend one required meeting with Living Collections staff. They also attend two required group meetings with guest scientists, researchers, and museum curators, held on the first Friday and one Tuesday of the month from 3:30 to 5 pm at the museum or offsite. Optional trips and service projects around North Carolina and beyond are offered, and some carry a travel fee. The program costs $75 per year, which pays for meeting snacks, a T-shirt, and gear such as boots and eye protection. Scholarships are available. Admission is competitive.

Open to students in grades 9-12 with a strong interest in conservation, animal care, and field biology. Applicants submit the online application form and a teacher recommendation form. Selected students must attend all required meetings and volunteer shifts. The museum says applications for 2027-2028 reopen in January 2027 and are due in March 2027.