OrigamiUSA is seeking volunteers to join the Special Sessions Committee. This committee handles all aspects of producing our in-person classes held at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). Most of the current committee members will be stepping down or taking an advisory role and we are looking for new volunteers to step up. We need volunteers with a fresh perspective and lots of energy to get the job done!
There are two series per year-- a Spring and a Fall Special Sessions series, each series consisting of three one-day sessions. Each session offers both morning and afternoon classes. Spring sessions are held March, April and May. Fall sessions are held in Oct, Nov and Dec. These are usually held on the 2nd or 3rd Sunday of the month. Details are on our Special Sessions webpage. https://origamiusa.org/special-sessions
Responsibilities are shared among Special Sessions Committee members:
- Contact teachers to ask them to teach and get details about the classes. Requires a lot of follow up.
- Scout for new teachers/talent when attending conventions.
- Suggest class theme/models for teachers who need assistance deciding what to teach.
- Experience teaching origami and willingness to teach a Special Sessions class is a plus.
- Create the Class schedule. We usually have 6-10 classes for each day divided into morning (10:30am-12:30pm) and afternnoon (2:30-4:30pm) sessions.
- Update the website pages with class descriptions and photos.
- Keep track of registration for each class.
- Coordinate with the OrigamiUSA adminstrator to follow up with teachers and students as needed.
Requirements for the job:
- Attend Special Sessions events in NYC six times a year.
- Availability to attend committee meetings by phone or Zoom.
- Comfortable navigating the OrigamiUSA website.
- Has attended one or more in-person origami events.
- Good communication & organizational skills.
- Dependable, team player with good follow-through.
- Customer service experience a plus.
Timeline and Effort: Preparation begins 8-10 weeks before the first day of each series. Planning for the Spring series begins in Decmber. Planning for the Fall series begins in July. This is an intensive period of work with contacting teachers and follow up until schedule is finalized.
Perks: You will become a badged volunteer at the AMNH which includes:
- Free AMNH museum vouchers for you and your family/friends
- Discounts at the shops in the AMNH and the Cafe in the museum
- Free tickets to some other museums aournd NYC (that provide reciprocal access for volunteers)
- Attend free special sessions classes, when responsiblities permit.
Submitted by: Wendy Zeichner
If you have questions: Please email sessions [at] origamiusa.org with the subject: "Volunteer for Special Sessions".