CALLING ALL TEENS!
Calling all teens! Do you love nature and want to teach others about it? Do you want to expand your knowledge about plants and insects? Are you interested in working in a scientific lab setting? MANTIS (Making Advocates of Nature-Loving Teens In Service) is an interactive volunteer program created to give teens hands-on experience in nature conservation, arthropod husbandry, and informal science education.
Who can join?
MANTIS is for teens ages 14–17 who are enthusiastic about bugs, enjoy engaging with kids and families, love learning about the environment, care about sharing their knowledge, and promote a better understanding of our natural world!
Open positions:
- MANTIS volunteer
- Lead MANTIS volunteer (2+ years of previous MANTIS experience)
What are the expectations for MANTIS Volunteers?
- Commit to a minimum of 30 hours during the summer session (June-August)
- Must attend orientation in person
- Must attend training sessions in person
- Learning mindset
What are the expectations for Lead MANTIS volunteers?
- Commit to a minimum of 40 hours during the summer session (June-August).
- Support new and returning MANTIS teen volunteers in arthropod husbandry, informal science education with the public, and citizen science projects
- Must attend Lead MANTIS orientation
- Assist with MANTIS orientation and training for new and returning MANTIS volunteers.
- Must attend one (out of two) MANTIS orientations
- Learning mindset
Tell me more about MANTIS shifts...
MANTIS shifts
- Tuesday – Sunday
- 9:30am-11:30am
- 11:30am-1:30pm
- 1:30pm-3:30pm
Lead MANTIS Shifts
- Tuesday – Sunday
- 9:30am-12:30pm
- 12:30pm-3:30pm
Each shift rotates through entomology, citizen science, and educational activities
Important dates:
- Application deadline – April 10, 2026
- Group interviews – April 18, 2026 (1-3pm) or April 19, 2026 (10am-12pm)
- Acceptance email – April 30, 2025
- Lead MANTIS orientation – May 28, 2026 (4-6pm)
- MANTIS orientation– May 31, 2026 (4-8pm) or June 8 (10am-2pm)
- MANTIS program starts – June 1, 2026
Please be aware that everyone that applies is not guaranteed a spot in the MANTIS program. There are limited spots available. Interviews are required.