Sign up to be a Virtual Volunteer for the Climate Museum during Climate Week NYC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — August, 2020, New York — The Climate Museum is inviting people from across the US and the world to take action on the climate crisis this September by registering to volunteer virtually during Climate Week NYC (September 21-27, 2020).
Ordinarily, the Climate Museum team, strengthened by dozens of college interns and high school docents, engages the public at exhibitions and public events. This programming sparks thousands of climate conversations about how to overcome obstacles, champion carbon reduction, explore the impact of fossil fuels, and interpret the crisis through a creative lens. When the Covid-19 pandemic forced the postponement of all in-person events, the Climate Museum moved its college and high school internships and all public programming online for all of 2020.
Now, the museum is recruiting volunteers of all ages to take part in a week of virtual activities that will offer on-ramps to those who are worried but silent, seeking ways to engage with the climate crisis. These activities will allow participants to start vital conversations needed to advance climate awareness and explore climate justice. Most activities are geared for adults, but one option, Climate Art for Congress, outlines a project for K-12 students to explore art, science and civics. By participating during Climate Week NYC, volunteers will help build the Museum’s digital footprint, supporting its mission and connecting with others who are committed to climate action.
Volunteers will choose from a selection of carefully curated activities that will range from 15 minute climate art projects to a 90 minute video discussion on climate and inequality. The range of options includes quick, actionable steps; creative exercises; and access to Museum programs. Volunteers who share their ideas, opinions, and creativity will also help to shape future Climate Museum exhibitions.
“What excites me most about virtual volunteering is that it’s open to everyone, across the globe, and of any age,” says the Museum’s director and founder, Miranda Massie. “We’ve created this volunteering opportunity because of the sheer volume of requests we receive to get involved in our work. People want to take action on the climate crisis, but often feel outscaled and unsure how to help. Action is both critically urgent now, and the best remedy for the helplessness we all sometimes feel. I’m pleased we’re able to offer this program. Volunteers who sign up will discover the tools they need to contribute to civic climate solutions and, from our past experience, will move forward with a sense of resolve.”
Adam Lake, Head of Climate Week NYC, commented: “This is a fantastic opportunity for an even wider range of young people to be a part of Climate Week NYC. As the biggest climate event this year moves into an online space, initiatives like this show that the fight for change can be even more inclusive and engaging. The global scope of this opportunity will bring together voices from around the world and further solidify the strength to build a better future.”
The volunteer registration deadline is Friday, September 18, 2020. Interested individuals, community groups, and businesses can find further information at climatemuseum.org/sign-up-virtual-volunteer
About the Climate Museum
The Climate Museum is the first museum in the U.S. dedicated to climate change. Its mission is to inspire action on the climate crisis with programming across the arts and sciences that deepens understanding, builds connections, and advances just solutions. Its early public programming is detailed in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Sierra Magazine, The Guardian, Scientific American, The New York Review of Books, and Exhibition. The Museum's online programming for 2020-2021 includes a climate arts exhibition, a fossil fuel media literacy workshop webpage, a discussion series on climate and inequality, youth arts programs, and an Action Center with opportunities for civic action on climate for all ages.
Press Contact: Saskia Randle, srandle@climatemuseum.org, (212) 324-3511
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