Animal Care Team Volunteers will provide assistance to the Animal Care staff with tasks including food preparation for animals, exhibit cleaning and maintenance (this includes animal waste), cleaning food prep areas and instruments, and special projects for the exhibits and quarantine tanks. Experience in these tasks is preferred but not required.

Currently, the Newport Aquarium houses three groups of animals; Birds, Reptiles & Amphibians, and Aquatic Animals (fish, sharks, jelly fish, etc.). All Animal Care Team Volunteers will be asked to select one of these groups to work with when they are onboarded to the team. Note that some Animal groups may be full with volunteers, so we may ask you to rank your preference.

All Animal Care Team Volunteer Requirements include:

• 18 years or older
• Comfort working around large volumes of water, while working with aquatic animals, birds, or reptiles & amphibians
• Comfort with preparation of foods (including live foods) for feeding to animals; no history of allergy related to animals or plants which might interfere with ability to volunteer
• Able to remain on your feet for up to 4 hours, bend, stoop, climb stairs, and be able to lift 25lbs.
• Commit to a minimum of 2 shifts (8 hours) of volunteering per month (shifts are 8am-Noon or 1pm-5pm)
• If accepted as an Animal Care Team Volunteer, a one-time administrative fee of $50 is due at time of orientation

We onboard new volunteers 3 times a year.

Summer: applications accepted from February 1st – May 31st, we will interview applicants in June, and onboard in July.

Fall: applications accepted from June 1st – September 30th, interviewing applicants in October, and onboarding in November.

Winter/Spring: applications accepted from October 1st – January 31st, interviewing applicants in Feburary, and onboarding in March.

Click Here to Complete the Volunteer Application

Applications completed online will be automatically submitted to the WAVE Foundation’s Community Engagement Office. Should you have any questions regarding the application or any of the volunteer opportunities, contact us by emailing volunteer@wavefoundation.org.

The WAVE Education volunteers engage guests on and off-site with our ambassador animals. Our Education Programs include, but are not limited to, WAVE of Wheels, Living Curriculum Initiative, Gills Club, and Camp WAVE. This position is on a mission to excite, engage, and educate school-aged children about the wonders of aquatic life and the importance of conservation. Volunteers must be 18 years or older and willing to commit to helping with four outreach programs a year. This is ideal for individuals with strong communication skills, who love to learn and want to interact with a diverse groups of people.

WAVE Education volunteers receive training to handle animal ambassadors such as African Penguins, Coral Cat Sharks, American Alligators, and Sand Boas.

We onboard new volunteers 3 time a year.

Summer: applications accepted from February 1st – May 31st, we will interview applicants in June, and onboard in July.

Fall: applications accepted from June 1st – September 30th, interviewing applicants in October, and onboarding in November.

Winter/Spring: applications accepted from October 1st – January 31st, interviewing applicants in Feburary, and onboarding in March.

Click Here to Complete the WAVE Education Program Volunteer application

Applications completed online will be automatically submitted to the WAVE Foundation’s Community Engagement Office. Should you have any questions regarding the application or any of the volunteer programs, contact us by emailing volunteer@wavefoundation.org..

Exhibit Interpreters engage guests with educational information and experiences that go beyond the aquarium glass. Exhibit Interpretation volunteers must be 18 years or older and willing to commit to 8 hours monthly (2 volunteer shifts). Exhibit Interpreters will also make use of WAVE Discovery Stations which aid in the delivery of educational and conservation material with artifacts. Periodically, Exhibit Interpreters will act as mentors to high school aged students that are interested in aquatic life and conservation. This is ideal for individuals with strong communication skills, who love to learn and want to interact with a diverse group of people.

Exhibit interpreters receive training to engage our guests and answer questions about everything within the aquarium, interpret exhibits, and discovery stations.

If accepted as an Exhibit Interpreter, a one-time $25 adiministration fee is due at the time of orientation

We onboard new volunteers 3 times a year. 

Summer: applications accepted from February 1st – May 31st, we will interview applicants in June, and onboard in July.

Fall: applications accepted from June 1st – September 30th, interviewing applicants in October, and onboarding in November.

Winter/Spring: applications accepted from October 1st – January 31st, interviewing applicants in Feburary, and onboarding in March.

Click Here to Complete the Exhibit Interpreter Application

Applications completed online will be automatically submitted to the WAVE Foundation’s Community Engagement Office. Should you have any questions regarding the application or any of the volunteer programs, contact us by emailing volunteer@wavefoundation.org..

Our volunteer divers provide diving assistance to the Dive Team and Animal Care Team through maintenance and care of various facility exhibits, feeding animals in the exhibits, help cleaning and maintaining the exhibits on a regular schedule, and participation in other tasks as required. Volunteer requirements include:

• 18 years or older
• Provide one dive per month and 6 additional dives within that year to maintain active status (18 dives per year)
• Advanced Open Water certified (No online certifications will be accepted)
• CPR and First Aid Certified (No online certifications will be accepted)
• Pass an annual dive physical and provide a Dive Medical Form
• Participate in dive skills assessments before being fully accepted into the program
• Complete the Dive Resume and upload this to your online application. No other resume format will be accepted. Please fill this out before filling out the volunteer application so it can be attached.
• Due to a large amount of current volunteer needs on the weekend, we are looking for volunteers that have weekday availability.
• If accepted as a Dive Team Volunteer, a one-time administrative fee of $50 is due at the time orientation

Due to the onboarding and training process as volunteers with our Dive Team, we open applications to become a Dive Team Volunteer once a year. Our upcoming Dive onboarding schedule is as follows:

Applications for the 2024-2025 Volunteer Dive Team are due by September 30th, 2024, any applications submitted after that time will be considered for the Volunteer Dive Team in 2025-2026.

We will be conducting Dive Volunteer Interviews in October 2024 – early November 2024

Volunteers accepted into the Dive Program will be notified in late November 2024 – early December 2024

Volunteer Dive Assessment will be conducted in January 2025

Volunteer onboarding at the Newport Aquarium will take place in February 2025

Click Here to Complete the Volunteer Diver Application

Applications completed online will be automatically submitted to the WAVE Foundation’s Community Engagement Office. Should you have any questions regarding the application or any of the volunteer programs, contact us by emailing volunteer@wavefoundation.org.

WAVE Foundation Office & Special Events Volunteers will assist the entire WAVE Foundation Team with administrative projects including updating the databases, assisting with paperwork preparation, supply ordering, and volunteer tracking. They will also serve as an ambassador for WAVE Foundation in the community and at our annual fundraising events. A great volunteer for this position should be organized and ready to engage with both current and prospective volunteers, have great organization skills, and an outgoing personality that is passionate about WAVE Foundation’s mission.

This volunteer position is episodic, meaning that there are not necessarily needs on a weekly basis. Assistance from WAVE Office & Special Events volunteers is needed at key points in our year; prior to large events, prior to new volunteer and intern onboarding, etc. Volunteers in this position will be notified when hours are available and for what tasks.

There is a one-time administrative fee of $25 to be paid by volunteers at the time of their orientation.

We onboard new volunteers 3 times a year.

Summer: applications accepted from February 1st – May 31st, we will interview applicants in June, and onboard in July.

Fall: applications accepted from June 1st – September 30th, interviewing applicants in October, and onboarding in November.

Winter/Spring: applications accepted from October 1st – January 31st, interviewing applicants in Feburary, and onboarding in March.

Click Here to Complete the Volunteer Application

Applications completed online will be automatically submitted to the WAVE Foundation’s Community Engagement Office. Should you have any questions regarding the application or any of the volunteer programs, contact us by emailing volunteer@wavefoundation.org.