High School Explainer

EXPLORATORIUM•San Francisco, CA

19h•$0 - $20•Onsite

About The Position

The High School Explainer Program at the Exploratorium is a flagship youth program at the museum that offers a unique work-based educational enrichment program for high school and early college students. Explainers work on the museum floor with visitors, exploring hands-on exhibits, facilitating demonstrations, answering questions, and tending to other duties. Explainers observe and explore their own learning processes as they are introduced to broad concepts in a range of scientific disciplines. While they provide a valuable service to the Exploratorium and its visitors, Explainers cultivate their own communication and leadership skills, expand on their scientific knowledge, and learn from each other via peer mentorship. High School Explainers report to the managers of the program. This is a paid position at $19.61/hour. Mandatory training for first-time High School Explainer program participants will be held on August 22, August 23, August 29, and August 30, 2026, from 12:00 pm - 5:30 pm.

Requirements

Candidates must be high school aged students (including students in traditional and alternate post-high school programs – between the ages of 15 and 18 for first time Explainers, and up to the age of 20 for returning Explainers)
Must be able to obtain a valid work permit
Must be able to attend all basic training dates above
Must be able to work 1 weekend day per week for the entirety of the School year term, September 7, 2026- June 15, 2027

Responsibilities

Participate in up to 60 hours of training. Topics include: working with the public, conducting informal conversations with visitors, sharing information with visitors at exhibits, gaining an understanding of informal methods of learning as they relate to science, and other activities as required.
Monitor museum for daily operations: prepare demonstration station areas, prepare galleries, move exhibits and stools to proper locations for opening, and assist staff during emergency procedures.
Greet and orient individual visitors and groups.
Oversee activity on the exhibit floor.
Serve as a guide or facilitator to enrich the museum experience and initiate visitor engagement.
Perform scientific demonstrations and engage visitors in the process.
Assist visitors with special needs throughout the museum when requested.
Monitor museum exhibits to be sure that they are in proper working order. Troubleshoot, report malfunctioning exhibits, and perform minimal exhibit maintenance as instructed.
Handle visitors’ lost items and respond when children become separated from their parents or groups; provide assistance to reunite families and field trip groups.
Perform other duties as assigned.