BVI
Bicentennial Volunteers, Inc.
Click below to sign up for volunteer opportunities
About Volunteer Opportunities
Former TVA employees and their spouses contribute more than 6,000 days of volunteer service each year through BVI.
This service takes various forms, such as staffing TVA visitor centers and assisting TVA with special events.
Volunteer opportunities are available at the TVA visitor centers shown below. Long-term commitments are not necessary. The BVI staff will work with you to accommodate your schedule.
- Fontana Dam, in western North Carolina
- Kentucky Dam, near Paducah, KY
- Norris Dam, near Knoxville, TN
- Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Plant, near Chattanooga, TN
If you are interested in volunteer work, please click the link below to access the BVI Registration Form.
If you have questions, please call BVI toll-free at 888-821-2191.
Check Out What’s New
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Tennessee Valley Authority closed six campgrounds for winter on Friday, Nov. 15, and they will reopen March 15, 2025. Visitor centers at TVA dams have already or will close soon for the season. TVA’s day-use recreation areas on dam reservations remain open year-round....
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in the visitor centers?
The visitor centers house displays that provide information about TVA history, its electric system, and the management of the Tennessee River and its tributaries. BVI volunteers serve as guides at the visitor centers to answer questions about TVA, the history of the facilities, and the surrounding areas.
Which visitor centers are staffed with BVI volunteers?
Fontana Dam, Kentucky Dam, Norris Dam, and Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Facility are staffed with BVI Volunteers. Norris Dam and Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Facility are staffed with volunteers who live within commuting distance. Fontana Dam and Kentucky Dam are staffed with volunteers located in the Tennessee Valley.
Is training offered in order to work at a visitor center?
Yes, BVI does a yearly training session in Chattanooga, Kentucky, Knoxville (or Norris), and Muscle Shoals. In addition, new volunteers are scheduled with seasoned volunteers on their first shift.
Do I have to have a recreational vehicle (RV) to work at Kentucky Dam?
Yes, BVI rents campground lots for volunteers to stay at when volunteering at Kentucky Dam.
Where do I stay if I volunteer at Fontana?
BVI rents 2-bedroom, 2-bath cabins at Fontana Village for volunteers.
Do I get paid mileage to work at visitor center?
Yes. BVI pays the current government mileage rate per mile from home to the visitor center, to and from the visitor center during the volunteer’s stay, then from the visitor center back home. BVI does the same for volunteers pulling a RV; however, they are reimbursed a bit more than the current government mileage rate per mile.
Do I get paid for meals when on duty?
Yes, BVI pays $17 per person for each meal while on duty or in travel status.
Do I need to be a TVA retiree to be able to volunteer?
BVI prefers that the volunteers are TVA retirees or former TVA employees.
What are the hours of operation at the visitor centers?
- Fontana Dam
- Opens first Saturday in April and closes last Sunday in October
- 9 am to 7 pm, April through August
- 9 am to 6 pm, September through October
- Kentucky Dam
- Opens first Saturday in April and closes last Sunday in October
- 9 am to 5 pm, April through October
- Norris Dam
- Opens first Saturday in April and closes Sunday before Thanksgiving
- 10 am to 4 pm, Monday through Saturday
- 1 pm to 4 pm, Sunday
- Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Facility
- 9 am to 5 pm, April through October
- 11 am to 3 pm, November through March
Where are the visitor centers located?
- Fontana Dam is located off North Carolina Highway 28 near the Tennessee border.
- Kentucky Dam is located off U.S. Highway 62 east coming from Paducah, Kentucky, or west from Clarksville, Tennessee
- Norris Dam is located off Interstate 75, Exit 122 north of Knoxville.
- Raccoon Mountain/Laurel Point are located off Raccoon Mountain Road near U.S. Highway 64/72 west of Chattanooga.
What are the shifts for the volunteers?
- Fontana Dam
- April through August, two people work a 9 am to 2 pm shift, and two other people work a 2 pm to 7 pm shift.
- September through October, two people work a 9 am to 1:30 pm shift, and two other people work a 1:30 pm to 6 pm shift.
- Kentucky Dam
- April through October, two people work a 9 am to 1 pm shift, and two other people work a 1 pm to 5 pm shift.
- Norris Dam
- One or two people work the 10 am to 4 pm shift, Monday through Saturday.
- One or two people work the 1 pm to 4 pm shift on Sunday.
- Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Facility
- April through October – One or two people work the 9 am to 1 pm shift, then another one or two people work the 1 pm to 5 pm shift.
- November through March – One or two people work the 11 am to 3 pm shift.