Apogaea is made entirely out of volunteer dedication and love. We are hundreds of volunteers, working and playing together year-round and during the event to produce Apogaea's infrastructure. Event Volunteers make up the main force, aided by Sparks and Ignition steering groups. As volunteers we enjoy an opportunity to participate, make friends, play, learn and practice a variety of skills!
Volunteer Departments & Roles
Here are the main department roles!
Acculturation - Introduce participants to our culture and values
Apogaea Media and Propaganda - Communicate the happenings by producing: survival guide, WWWW, graphics, video, photography and more!
Board of Directors - Provide guidance and support to department leads
Bureau of Apogaea Medical and Fire (BAMF) - Provide safety services to participants
Cat Herder and Floaters - Ensure that volunteer operation is going smoothly, fill in any needed role
Center Camp - Serve coffee at center camp
Creative Art Team Support (CATS) - Refine grant process; read, discuss and grant creative applications
De-Greeters - Be that last high-five, hug, or spanking to the leaving participants
Department of Mutant Vehicles (DMV) - Ensure participant safety by directing art car traffic
Department of Public Works (DPW) - Set up, maintain and tear down physical infrastructure: roads, structures, porta potties, generators, fire barrels and other equipment
Finance - Maintain and report Apogaea's financial records
Fire Conclave - Maintain perimeter and fire safety at fire performances
Gate - Check in the arriving participants
Greeters - Welcome and guide participants upon arrival
Historian - Document and communicate the history of Apogaea
Ice House - Serve ice at the event
Info Booth - Answer various participant questions
IT Department - Create and maintain the digital infrastructure
Lamplighters - Light the lamps at night and recharge batteries during the day
Parking - Direct parking to maximize flat space for humans and tents
Placement - Coordinate the placement of main things at the event
Quartermaster - Keep track and organize all equipment articles owned by Apogaea
Radios - Ensure crucial communication by tracking and maintaining radio equipment
Rangers - Ensure safety of participants by constructive means
Ticketing - Operate the ticket sales process
Volunteer Coordination - Coordinate the volunteer force operations
Youth Coordination - Coordinate activities for youth during the event.
Open Ignition & Sparks Roles
Join Ignition and Sparks steering groups! These roles are responsible for smooth event operation and year-round projects. To apply for an open role, fill out the form below!
Open Ignition Roles
Center Camp Infrastructure & Decoration Lead - Create, manage and maintain the space which is "Center Camp". The Center Camp Infrastructure Lead will work closely with the Center Camp Coordinator, Performances and Cafe Leads to plan, budget, procure and set-up the layout of Center Camp to meet their needs as well as to ensure that Center Camp is a communal space for all Apogaeans.
Center Camp Performance & Art Facilitator - The CC Performance & Art Facilitator breathes life into the flesh and bones of our big-top by reaching out to the community and recruiting, organizing, scheduling, and promoting art installations, workshops, and performances. This position requires a person who is self-motivated, has good organizational and multi-tasking skills, is an assertive and good communicator, is comfortable with the word "deadline", and plays well with others.
ICC Lead - The Internal Communications & Collaborations lead is responsible for working with the various department leads to find, document, and implement tools and processes to improve communications and collaboration. This includes, but is not limited to the wiki, discussion groups/forums, task & date tracking, and contact management solutions.
Ranger Event Lead - Coordinate Ranger schedules and coverage for the event, provide support for Rangers and coordinate with ICS and BAMF.
Survey Lead - Produces surveys, the census, ember report collection, and elections. Uses Google Forms. Collects and shares results of voting and surveys.
Volunteer Database Lead - This lead will work directly with the Volunteer Department Lead to define each year's specific requirements and provide support for the Volunteer Database.
Wiki Lead - As Apogaea grows, so does our document archive, the Apo Wiki. We’ve worked hard to get things cleaned up and organized, but we’re looking for someone to help maintain our documentation into infinity and beyond. Primarily, this role will involve making updates and managing content.
Open Sparks Roles
Art Fair Kitten - The Art Fair Kitten is a Spark level position within CATS. You will be responsible for planning and organizing the annual Apogaea Art Fair which takes place sometime in March or April. Responsibilities include (but are not limited to): securing a venue, recruiting and registering artists who wish to participate, advertising the event to the community, setup/tear down the day of, etc.
Department of Public Works (DPW) Heavy Equipment Operator - DPW is looking for a driver with experience driving Heavy Equipment and Bobcat/skidsteer earthmovers. The volunteer should be proficient with the use of a skidsteer loader bucket and fork attachments. The driver should be able to work safely around untrained people, and of course, must be able to be 100% sober for their shifts. Work typically includes materials handling and earthwork. Contact [email protected] for more info and tell us about your relevant experience.
Ice XO - Ice is the only thing sold at Apogaea, and it is an important City Service. Come learn the ropes or school us good, either way we need you to be part of the team! We are looking for an interested volunteer to work with the Ice Lead and to help organize and manage the ice and the volunteers. No experience needed, but it is welcome. Be a part of DPW and participate in an important way. Please email [email protected] to tell us about your self and your interest. Coolest job in town.
Signs Assistant - Well here it is, your "Sign!" We have beautiful hand and machine made street and directional signs for our little City. We are looking for a volunteer to help us install this years streets and destinations onto the signs and then plant the posts and mount the signs. Artistic expression and creativity is encouraged if you want to improve the signs. The volunteer should be able to use a Post Pounder to install t-posts. All tools and materials will be provided. Ideally this volunteer would be available on Work Weekend before the event, and/or Strike after the event. Come help us build Apogaea and volunteer with DPW! 🙂 Email [email protected] and tell us if you are interested, thank you.