Job Description
Spring Season Environmental Education Interns gain incredible hands-on experience teaching and learning in our programs as they develop essential skills for environmental education. Environmental Educators improve their teaching techniques through trainings, practice, reflection, and feedback. Spring Environmental Educators spend most of their time directly teaching in the Children’s Peace Garden programs such as field trips and classroom visits. Interns may have the opportunity to gain experience observing and teaching in the Nutrition Education Program and on the Food Project Farm in Longmont.
Spring Season Environmental Education Interns will participate in Growing Gardens’ Food Project Gleaning program with Growing Gardens 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.
Environmental Education Interns will gain hands-on agriculture experience by working in the greenhouse, Children’s Peace Garden and Cultiva fields as scheduling permits.
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION INTERN DUTIES
TEACHING IN CHILDREN’S PEACE GARDEN:
- 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!
- Teach Field Trips and Classroom Visits in the Children’s Peace Garden independently and with a coteacher, with support and feedback from the Education staff.
- May assist the Food Project Program Coordinator with Field Trips at the Food Project Farm site in Longmont.
- May assist teaching Nutrition Education Classroom Visits with our Early Childhood Education and Title 1 School partners.
- Conduct surveys and document attendance at all programs.
- Attend intern trainings as assigned throughout internship
- Assist with administration tasks as needed.
EVENT PARTICIPATION AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Environmental Education Interns will assist with marketing for programming and will educate and engage with community members during the following community outreach events:
- Growing Gardens’ Plant Sale, working 1 weekend day in May
- Additional educational outreach events on occasional weekends throughout the spring
- Assist on a rotating basis with Wednesday evening gleaning at the Boulder County Farmers Market in May
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 WILL DEVELOP:
EDUCATION:
- Teaching and co-teaching to a wide range of audiences in a garden-based setting including effective teaching techniques, group management strategies, and age-appropriate teaching/learning.
- Strong background knowledge in the following topics: plant life cycles, planting and garden care, insects, pollination, beekeeping, composting, harvesting, healthy eating, community, cycles
- Practicing effective communication strategies.
- Learning effective feedback strategies including peer-to-peer and 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 processes.
- Intern will receive training on Advocacy vs. Inquiry, Ages & Stages, Learning Styles, Cultivating Community, Giving and Receiving feedback and so much more!
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.
- Gleaning produce from other local farms for donation
STRUCTURE OF INTERNSHIP
- Internship duration is March 2nd – May 29th, 2020
- Interns will attend a mandatory orientation within the first 2 weeks of their internship experience.
- Intern position is 15 or 20 hours per week. Note: hours may vary between weeks and evening work is required. The most effective schedule for both intern and Growing Gardens is any 3 days per week, Tuesday – Friday, approximately 5 hours per day, variable based on program schedule.
- 15 hr/week commitment is unpaid, but qualifies for college credit
- 20 hr/week commitment stipend amount is $650
- 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
- Supervisor is available upon request for check-ins and meetings and provides general oversight of Growing Gardens’ internship program.
- This internship is unpaid and qualifies for credit at the university level
LEARNING PLAN CONTRACt – Each Intern will develop a Learning Plan contract with their Mentor by the second week of the internship. This contract includes: position description, educational objectives, learning objectives, and skill development plan.
EVALUATION – To support the intern’s growth during the internship, the Mentor will provide a midpoint and end-of-internship evaluation. Evaluations include Intern self-evaluation, Mentor evaluation of intern and intern evaluation of mentor and supervisors. Intern supervisor is present as needed for midpoint and end-of season evaluations.
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OF INTERNING WITH GROWING GARDENS:
- Friendly, relaxed work environment!
- Hands-on career experience at a well-respected non-profit!
- Development of marketable education and leadership skills
- Additional training offered through Growing Gardens classes, workshops, and staff career panels
- Access to a wide variety of organic seeds and plant starts!
- Shared garden plot with other Growing Gardens Interns in the Hawthorn Community Garden
- Easy access to public transportation from garden!
- This internship qualifies for credit at the university level
- and so much more!!!!!!!!
To apply:
Send resume, cover letter and completed application to Megan Reynoso
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Positions will remain open until filled.