Applicants must be enrolled in high school at the time of the program (a minimum of 15 years old). If you are 15 years old, a work permit is required to be hired for the program.

Yes, the Teen Conservation Leadership Program is a professional, paid work experience.

Teen Role Pay Rate: $17.05 per hour —In alignment with the City of Chicago Minimum Wage Ordinance, this is a subsidized temporary youth employment program, and therefore the pay rate will be $17.05 per hour.

Senior Role Pay Rate: $17.50 per hour —In alignment with the City of Chicago Minimum Wage Ordinance, this is a subsidized temporary youth employment program, and therefore the pay rate will be $17.50 per hour.

Your attendance for orientation on Saturday, September 19 is required. Your attendance for each of the program scheduled Saturdays is also required, but we know that your schedules are busy and things come up. We are allotting up to four (4) absences and will only make exceptions for extenuating circumstances. Please only apply if you can commit to the orientation date and most of the program working days.

If you are already a paid staff member at Shedd Aquarium, you will not be eligible to participate in the Teen Conservation Leadership program.

The Teen Conservation Leadership program takes place on Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. from September 19, 2026 – May 1, 2027, which is outlined in the one-pager document. There will not be shifts on Oct. 31, Nov. 28, Dec. 26, Jan. 2, Jan. 16 and March 27.

All shifts for this program, including orientations and trainings, are paid. You will only be paid for the dates that you work.

We are looking for teens from Chicago who have a passion for conservation, sustainability, facilitating/teaching others about these topics, advancing and advocating for solutions to conservation issues, a desire to learn and a desire to improve the environment and world around them.

For the Senior Teen Conservation Leadership staff role, we are looking for applicants who can provide guidance, leadership and support to fellow teens.

The Teen Conservation Leadership program will position teens as youth leaders at Shedd, building their conservation and career skills. Teens will collaborate on a conservation project to create solutions for issues impacting our local waterways. To inform their project, teens will participate in stewardship activities at local nature sites, utilize Shedd galleries to learn about local aquatic wildlife at Shedd and connect with career experts to further their understanding of these vital ecosystems. Teens will then take a solutions-focused approach to educate others, advocate for and act on behalf of Chicago’s aquatic ecosystems. The program will culminate with a youth environmental summit planned for and implemented by the teens, where they will invite other youth, community and conservation experts.

In addition, Senior Teen Conservation Leadership staff will organize and lead team-building activities and end-of-day reflections. This role will also provide guidance and support to project groups as they are developing and executing their plans for their conservation project and youth summit.

This program does not involve working with animals inside or outside of the aquarium. As a part of the program, you will have the opportunity to visit exhibits at Shedd to see the animals there, but working with animals is not a focus of this program.

Parking is available at the Soldier Field North Garage. The parking fees are as follows:

• $8 per day for a daily pass
• $40 per month for a monthly pass

If you are taking public transportation:

• and plan to spend $20-$49 per month toward preferred transit option, Shedd contributes an extra $5
• and plan to spend $50+ per month toward preferred transit option, Shedd contributes an extra $10

You must complete the online application in one session. It will not be saved if you close the application website. Beyond basic information you will provide about yourself, there are only a few extended response questions. We recommend reading those questions and taking some time to think through your responses. Once you’re ready, you can re-open the application link and submit your collected thoughts.