Returning Zoo Crew Options
Returning teens who are back for a second (or third or fourth!) Zoo Crew program have a wider range of exciting options available to them, including the chance to work in animal care as a Junior Zookeeper, educate guests as a Naturalist, or continue to work with our Camp Zoofari program as a Camp Mentor.
Year-Round Zoo Crew provides participants with a range of enjoyable and challenging work experiences. These posts typically occur on weekend or school holiday days, though participants must plan ahead to ensure their Zoo Crew commitments do not conflict with other extracurricular activities.
This highly-motivated group of returning Zoo Crew members will lead and mentor their Zoo Crew peers. This is an opportunity for returning Zoo Crew to build leadership skills while providing insight into how we can improve the Zoo Crew program.
Teen International Travel Opportunities
Galápagos Islands
August 1 – 10, 2025
This is a really exciting new opportunity for Zoo Crew to connect with three of our conservation partners who are working to save Galápagos species like Galápagos tortoises and sea turtles. We will have the opportunity to meet, learn from, and work alongside our partners from Galápagos National Parks, ECOS Foundation, and the Charles Darwin Foundation’s Giant Tortoise Movement Ecology Program.
Requirements to Participate
- Must be a Zoo Crew member in good standing
- Must participate in 2025 Summer Zoo Crew
- Must be 15 years old by August 1, 2025
- Must complete an online application and be selected to participate
Other Opportunities for Returning Zoo Crew
2025 Zoo Crew Scholarship Award
The Houston Zoo values supporting the next generation of wildlife saving leaders. The Zoo Crew Scholarship was established from a portion of the Houston Zoo’s operating budget to support the continued education (community college, trade school, or four-year undergraduate degree) of teens who will be applying to college in their senior year of high school and express a commitment to continue to be an advocate for wildlife in whatever career they choose to pursue. The scholarships are awarded as financial assistance to support recipients’ educational pursuits. Please read on for further details about our scholarship program and the required application process.
Application Process:
Eligible Zoo Crew members must fill out an online application to be considered; consideration is not automatic. Nominations are not necessary. Applications will be made available on September 12, 2025. A link to the scholarship application will be sent by the Houston Zoo to all Zoo Crew entering their senior year of high school to the email you receive all Zoo Crew information and announcements.
The scholarship application must be filled out completely and written only by the Zoo Crew member applying. The application must be submitted on or before the deadline of 11:59pm on October 10, 2025. The application and evaluations will be reviewed by a Houston Zoo staff team to determine the scholarship finalists to be interviewed.
Award :
Up to four (4) scholarships of up to $2,000 each will be awarded based on the scholarship committee’s recommendations, one of which will be awarded to an applicant who will ultimately be pursuing a career in education or in the sciences (Biology, Engineering, Wildlife Conservation, etc.). Recipients are required to share a brief bio and photo after selections have been announced.
To be considered for this award, please complete the application below:
Alban-Heiser Conservation Award
The Alban-Heiser Conservation Award was established by former director of the Zoological Society of Houston, Joseph M. Heiser, Jr., in 1970 to honor “a Texas citizen who has made significant contributions to the appreciation and preservation of the earth’s heritage of living creatures, their environment, their ecology, and/or their relation to human welfare.” Notable recipients of the award include Gladys Porter, Merlin D. Tuttle, and Terry Hershey.
The award selection committee has now opened this award up to current Zoo Crew members who have made a notable contribution to the protection of Texas wildlife and their wild spaces. To be considered for this award Zoo Crew must meet the following criteria:
- Applicant must have made a notable contribution to the protection of Texas wildlife and their wild spaces.
- Actions must align with Houston Zoo’s initiatives to reduce threats to local Texas wildlife.
- Actions must be initiated and led by the teen applying for the award.
- Priority will be given to direct actions to reduce threats to wildlife, but award considerations will be given to those who raise funds to help with Texas conservation efforts.
Application Process:
Zoo Crew members in good standing are eligible to apply. To be considered, eligible Zoo Crew must fill out an online application; consideration is not automatic. Nominations and recommendation letters are not necessary. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis and selection will be based on the criteria described above.
Zoo Crew can apply once per year. If they receive an award and want to apply again in following years, additional applications will be considered based on activity expansion or new threat-reducing actions.
Award:
Up to three (3) awards of up to $500 each can be awarded annually based on the selection committee’s recommendations. Recipients are required to share a brief bio, description of their threat-reducing activities and photo after awardees have been announced.
To be considered for this award, please complete the application below:
