CURRENT VOLUNTEER POSITIONS (updated 02/23)

Below you will find a list of volunteer positions for which Gizmo is currently recruiting. This page is updated frequently, so feel free to check back at a later date if you don't see a position that would be a good fit for you now.

​If you see a position that matches your interests and qualifications, please email [email protected] to request an application. Note: Individuals who have not previously had a membership or participated in a program at Gizmo will be asked to come in for a tour first.

If you have a specific skillset not addressed in these positions that you believe could be an asset to Gizmo, please send us an email at [email protected].

If you are interested in teaching classes on tools & machines at Gizmo, email our Program Coordinator directly at [email protected].

GIZMO AMBASSADOR / GENERALIST

Position Duties

• Sweep, vacuum, and mop floors
• Wipe down staff kitchen/break area
• Assist with general tidying in shops and common spaces
  
• Restock common areas with supplies & communicate with staff regarding inventory
• Engage with and get to know Gizmo’s members
• Take photos and get information in order to feature our members and their projects on our social media
• Give tours to interested new members
• Assist staff with small projects as needed

Physical Requirements

Must be able to:

• Work while standing on concrete floors
• Use a standard step-stool type ladder 
  
• Reach and lift overhead
  
• Comfortably lift from approximately 2 to 25 lbs.
  
• Work in a fast-paced environment with various stimuli such as loud noises, smells, etc.
  
• Work in a non-climate controlled environment, which can be hot in the summer and cold in the winter

Desired Qualifications

• Customer service orientation
• Friendly, personable & comfortable giving tours and answering questions for prospective new members
• Strong work ethic and positive attitude, particularly when it comes to cleaning tasks
• Willingness to approach and start conversations with members about their work
• Ability to use a phone, camera or other device to take and transfer photos
• Familiarity with Google Apps & social media scheduling platforms (e.g. Meta Business Suite) a plus

Time Commitment

This position requires 2-4 hours per week, at a consistent day and time to be mutually determined by the volunteer and Gizmo. This can be anytime during Gizmo's operating hours.
This position requires a minimum 4-month commitment. The volunteer is expected to communicate proactively about scheduling conflicts that arise. Failure to show up for a shift two times without advance notice may result in your dismissal from the program.

CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS ASSISTANT

Position Duties

• Assist staff w/ facilitating programs for children ages 4-18
• Assist with program set-up, including arranging tables & chairs, papering tables, and gathering supplies
• Assist with program clean-up, including sweeping floors, wiping down tables & chairs, emptying trash & returning supplies to storage
• Give tours to visiting school groups
• Mindfully engage youth program participants, providing encouragement, feedback and physical assistance as needed but allowing the YOUTH to retain their autonomy as makers and problem solvers
• Model for parents, chaperones and visiting educators how to support their learners without doing it for them

Physical Requirements

Must be able to:

• Work while standing on concrete floors
• Sit, stand and bend frequently to engage with children on their level
• Work in a fast-paced environment with various stimuli such as loud noises, smells, etc.
• Work in a non-climate controlled environment, which can be hot in the summer and cold in the winter

Desired Qualifications

• Friendly, patient and approachable to children and teens
• Highly organized
• Willingness to recognize and respect children's autonomy and ability to do challenging things
• Experience working with children in a learning setting (school, camp, after-school program, etc.)
• Familiarity with inquiry-based and/or student-centered learning approaches a plus
• Adaptable to changes in plans
• Commitment to recycling and reusing program resources where possible, e.g. disassembling projects and returning supplies to shelves -- and modeling those practices for students

Time Commitment

Position open now through the end of May, 2023. Option to shift to a summer camp volunteer beginning in June.
This position requires 2-4 hours / week, including a regular shift on either Monday or Saturday and a flex shift on weekday mornings to support field trips and/or program prep.
Availability either Mondays from 4-6pm or Saturday afternoons is REQUIRED for this position. 
The volunteer is expected to communicate proactively about scheduling conflicts that arise. Failure to show up for a shift two times without advance notice may result in your dismissal from the program.

POTTERY STUDIO TECHNICIAN

Position Duties

• Cleaning and organizing Gizmo’s Pottery Studio, to include: wet cleaning all surfaces, mopping, re-organizing, washing bats and other tools, etc. 
  
• Very basic maintenance of pottery hand tools. 
  
• Taking inventory and reordering of supplies as needed. 
  
• Restocking consumables.
  
• Reclaiming and recycling clay using a pug mill.
  
• Properly disposing of clay waste-water.
  
• Assisting teachers with classes as needed and as schedules permit.
  
• Assisting in the completion of certain makerspace projects related to the volunteer’s skillset. 
  
• Being a friendly and helpful presence in the studio space and engaging with Gizmo’s members, offering suggestions, support, advice, encouragement, etc., and educating members on Gizmo’s specific rules and policies. ​
  

Physical Requirements

Must be able to:

• work while standing on concrete floors
  
• use a standard step-stool type ladder 
  
• reach and lift overhead
  
• ​comfortably lift and open plastic gallon sized jars and 5 gallon buckets (from approximately 2 to 25 lbs.)
  

Desired Qualifications

• The ideal volunteer should have basic, working knowledge of pottery and the process of working in a studio environment, including an understanding of the associated health and safety concerns which warrant proper cleaning and maintenance in a public studio space.
• Common knowledge of clays, glazes, the production process, hand tools and equipment, and various techniques. 
• Having a current Gizmo membership is optimal. The Makerspace is a community unto itself, and all volunteers are expected to be good stewards of Gizmo. The volunteer should have knowledge of Gizmo’s rules, policies and procedures, in order to best serve and educate members. They should also be willing to lend a hand wherever needed, including other shops and areas of the makerspace. 
• The ideal volunteer should be able to self-direct on to-do lists, work independently without supervision, and anticipate what needs to be done. Alternatively, there may be instances where they will be working alongside college students in the Work Study Program, 
• Gizmo is an ever-changing environment, so flexibility in finding new solutions to problems as they arise is important, as is adapting to new processes that may be presented.​​

Time Commitment

This position requires 2-4 hours per week, at a consistent day and time to be mutually determined by the volunteer and Gizmo. This can be anytime during Gizmo's operating hours, though weekday availability between 8am-4pm is preferred.
​
This position requires a minimum 4-month commitment. The volunteer is expected to communicate proactively about scheduling conflicts that arise. Failure to show up for a shift two times without advance notice may result in your dismissal from the program.

POTTERY STUDIO GLAZE TECHNICIAN

Position Duties

• Clean the glaze jars. Wipe the rims and lids so they seal tightly when closed.
• Vigorously shake each jar to mix glaze as you go.
• Wipe shelves and all areas that are used for glazing.
• Mop floors. 
• Take note of how full each glaze is, in order to keep inventory, and submit refill requests as needed. 
• Refill the pint jars from the overstock in the gallon jars.
• Ensure that all the glazing dishes and brushes are clean and put away.
• Organize and wipe down the brushes shelf.
• Properly dispose of glaze and clay saturated water, and refill clean water as needed. 
• Maintain and update the glaze test tile display as needed.
• Be a friendly and helpful presence in the studio space and engage with Gizmo’s members, offering suggestions, support, advice, encouragement, etc. Educate members on Gizmo’s specific rules regarding glazing​

Physical Requirements

Must be able to:

• work while standing on concrete floors
  
• use a standard step-stool type ladder 
  
• reach and lift overhead
  
• ​comfortably lift and open plastic gallon sized jars and 5 gallon buckets (from approximately 2 to 25 lbs.)
  

Desired Qualifications

• The ideal volunteer should have basic, working knowledge of pottery and the process of working in a studio environment, including an understanding of the associated health and safety concerns which warrant proper cleaning and maintenance in a public studio space.
• Common knowledge of clays, glazes, the production process, hand tools and equipment, and various techniques. Knowledge of glazes in particular is a must.
• Having a current Gizmo membership is optimal. The Makerspace is a community unto itself, and all volunteers are expected to be good stewards of Gizmo. The volunteer should have knowledge of Gizmo’s rules, policies and procedures, in order to best serve and educate members. They should also be willing to lend a hand wherever needed, including other shops and areas of the makerspace. 
• The ideal volunteer should be able to self-direct on to-do lists, work independently without supervision, and anticipate what needs to be done. Alternatively, there may be instances where they will be working alongside college students in the Work Study Program, 
• Gizmo is an ever-changing environment, so flexibility in finding new solutions to problems as they arise is important, as is adapting to new processes that may be presented.​​

Time Commitment

This position requires 2-4 hours per week, at a consistent day and time to be mutually determined by the volunteer and Gizmo. This can be anytime during Gizmo's operating hours, though weekday availability between 8am-4pm is preferred.
​
This position requires a minimum 4-month commitment. The volunteer is expected to communicate proactively about scheduling conflicts that arise. Failure to show up for a shift two times without advance notice may result in your dismissal from the program.