Student Employee, Planetarium Fieldtrip Assistant

Joliet Junior College•Joliet, IL

26d•$15

About The Position

This role supports the daily operations, educational programs, and public events of the Trackman Planetarium at JJC during peak fieldtrip season. The student position plays a key role in creating engaging, educational, and accessible astronomy experiences for visitors of all ages. Responsibilities include assisting with the setup/facilitation of planetarium shows, field trips, and outreach events, providing exceptional customer service to guests, creation of promotional materials/media content, and maintaining a clean, safe, and welcoming environment. The Planetarium Assistant also helps with research, presentation preparation, and general administrative tasks while gaining hands-on experience in science education, public engagement, teamwork, and event coordination.

Requirements

GPA of 2.0 or above.
Must be enrolled at JJC in at least 6 credit hours.
High School diploma or equivalent.
Interest in related fields of Astronomy, Science, and/or Education
Availability on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings
Must be able to work well with K-12 students, adults with special needs, and diverse community members.
Must be able to communicate effectively. Strong public speaking, verbal, written, and customer service skills.
Computer literacy
Attentiveness to detail, excellent organizational skills, initiative, and multitasking.
Demonstrate professionalism with commitment to JJC’s mission and Core Values
Ability to establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with other members of the college and community, displaying cultural competence as well as emotional intelligence.

Nice To Haves

Willingness to work a flexible schedule.
Ability to travel to off-campus locations as needed. Valid Driver's License and reliable transportation.
Experience with classroom or group management.
English and Spanish verbal and written communication proficiency.
Demonstrated multicultural competence.

Responsibilities

Greet and usher visitors to JJC and the Trackman Planetarium for events and field trips.
Assist in the coordination and facilitation of planetarium shows, educational programming, community outreach, in-house science demonstrations, camps, and classes.
Supervise, guide, and direct school age children, educators, and chaperones throughout scheduled field trip events, ensuring timely transitions between activities.
Engage audiences on topics in astronomy, physics, and aerospace.
Present the history of JJC’s Cronin Schoolhouse with field trip visitors.
Aids in researching planetarium show content and imagery, presenting lectures, and hands-on demonstrations.
Coordinate social media efforts to increase outreach and awareness of Planetarium events. Create promotional items and visual displays, flyers, TV promos, brochures, bulletin boards, and other materials to market events.
Research, summarize, and catalog content for new full dome films.
Maintains cleanliness and safety in the Planetarium environment.
Attend training and become familiar with the Planetarium digital projection system, including audio, video, and full dome software.
Assist the Planetarium Coordinator in use of the Traveling Trackman Planetarium at local schools. Including set up/break down, greeting, seating, and transitioning of groups throughout the scheduled event.
Track and report data of Planetarium events and attendance throughout the semester.
Reserve booking of the dome for public shows, field trips, and other events via 25Live.
Collaborate with other departments and promote campus-wide partnerships.
Maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with other members of the college and community.
Perform related other duties as assigned