Job Description

See website for complete listing: www.growinggardens.org/internships

Full Season Environmental Education Interns gain incredible hands-on experience teaching and learning in our programs as they develop essential skills for environmental education. Throughout this full season internship, Environmental Educators improve their teaching techniques through practice, reflection, and feedback. Environmental Educators spend most of their time directly teaching Children’s Peace Garden (CPG) programs such as field trips, After School Garden Club, classroom visits, and summer camps. Children’s Peace Garden programs teach children environmental stewardship, nutrition education, respect for diversity, and creative self-expression to nurture a healthy, happy and well balanced child. 7,500 children from ages 3-11 participate in CPG programming.  Environmental Education Interns teach a wide variety of engaging hands-on activities about organic gardening practices, the garden as a source of food, and how to prepare simple, nutritious food from the garden, and more. Interns are given responsibility to teach independently as well as with a team, gaining valuable experience for future teaching in EE.

In addition to teaching in the CPG, full season Environmental Education Interns gain experience teaching in the Horticultural Therapy (HT) program. These programs primarily serve elderly community members and persons with special needs.  Environmental Education Interns have the opportunity to co-lead these programs at off-site facilities as well as various on-site field trips at the gardens.

During the summer months, Environmental Education Interns work alongside teenage youth in the Cultiva Youth Project. Interns experience ways to engage with teenagers on the farm while helping youth develop leadership skills, learn about sustainable agriculture, and cultivate job and life skills. Interns work with Cultiva on average once per week throughout the summer months.

In the Spring and Fall seasons, full season EE Interns will participate in Growing Gardens’ Food Project Gleaning program in partnership with GG staff. Interns will collect produce directly from farmers during Wednesday evening Farmers’ Markets in Boulder and bring it back to the Hawthorn Farm where it is distributed to our school partners. Interns will participate in Gleaning on a rotating basis.

Education Interns will gain hands-on experience and knowledge about vegetable production while maintaining the Children’s Peace Garden, and assisting in the Greenhouse and Cultiva fields.

Environmental Education Intern Duties

Teaching in Children’s Peace Garden, Horticultural Therapy and the Cultiva Youth Project

●     Teach Field Trips, After School Garden Club, Classroom Visits and Summer Camps in Children’s Peace Garden, independently and with co-teacher, with support and feedback from Program Coordinator.

●     Teach the following topics during field trips to the garden site and visits to classroom visits to local schools: plant life cycles, planting and garden care, insects, pollination, beekeeping, composting, harvesting, healthy eating, community, cycles, and much more!

●     Independently manage field trips, summer camps, classroom visits, and After School Garden Club.

●     Conduct surveys, document and report attendance at all programs.

●     Attend intern trainings as assigned throughout entire internship.

●     Act as a responsible, positive role model for Cultiva teens.

●     Assist with training for Cultiva teens who will assist in the Children’s Peace Garden summer camps

●     Support and co-teach Horticultural Therapy classes for seniors and people with differing abilities.

●     Document activities through photography for reports, grant proposals and marketing as needed.

Community Outreach

●     Assist with marketing for programming

●     Train volunteers to teach in the garden

●     Positively interact with the public during community outreach events

Event Participation

●     Assist with Growing Gardens’ Plant Sale, working 3 weekend days in May

●     Assist with planning and teaching during Earth Day Event in April

●     Assist with Growing Gardens’ annual Farm Dinner fundraiser in August

●     Assist with the Community Harvest Festival in September

Environmental Education Interns are responsible for other duties as assigned to engage with, and learn from, the Growing Gardens non-profit organization and community.

Knowledge and Skills the Intern May Develop:

Education:

●       Teaching  and co-teaching wide range of audiences in a garden-based setting including effective teaching techniques, group management strategies, and age-appropriate teaching/learning.

●       Learning and teaching Growing Gardens’ Environmental Education curriculum for field trips, classroom visits, summer camps, Horticultural Therapy, Columbine Elementary School, and After School Garden Club.

●     Learning and teaching gardening skills and related topics including those outlined above.

●     Cultivating leadership and job skills for teenagers in a farm work environment.

●     Practicing effective communication strategies.

●     Learning effective feedback strategies including peer-to-peer and from supervisors.

●     Working effectively in a dynamic team environment including comfort with changing tasks.

●     Cultivating a positive learning environment for all audiences including diverse populations.

●     Contributing as facilitator and active member of a professional learning community.

●     Evaluating programs through formal process.

Gardening and Agriculture:

●     Basic small-scale organic vegetable production techniques including: Seeding, Transplanting, and Propagation; Garden care through the seasons; Vermicomposting; Honeybees; Insects and Pollination; Gleaning; Harvesting; and more!!!!

●     Gleaning produce for donation

Structure of Internship

●     Internship duration is March 1 – October 31, 2018.

●     Intern must attend the mandatory Orientation on March 1st, 2018.

●     Intern position is 40 hours per week. Note: hours will vary between weeks and will average to 40 hours per week. Hours primarily take place during the week, however there is some weekend work required.

●       Each Intern is supported by a Mentor and Supervisor:

●     Mentor oversees daily activities and supports each Intern’s growth throughout the duration of the contract. Mentor meets with intern team weekly and individually as needed. .

●     Interns meet with Supervisor as needed throughout the duration of the internship, and oversees the final evaluation of intern and staff.

●     Attendance is required at seasonal Orientation meetings with all GG interns, mentors, intern supervisor and additional GG staff.

●     Interns may attend Learning Opportunities with Growing Gardens staff throughout seasons.

●     Monthly stipend of $800 and 1 week paid vacation

PLEASE SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR COMPLETE INTERNSHIP DESCRIPTION
www.growinggardens.org/internships