Teacher/Assistant Teacher/Counselor Intern - Summer 2019
CARDINAL INTERNSHIP: New Haven, CT. The hiring manager wants to see Wes applicants each year after having worked with a Wes alum for several years at Common Ground. This is an excellent opportunity for students with an interest in teaching, education and programming, children/youth, teaching healthy living and environmental sustainability, community education, and educational nonprofits. If interested, apply now. Applications are reviewed as they're submitted. Salary ranges from: $10.10 – $15.00/hour, depending on experience. Interns can start prior to June 24; see below.
TO APPLY: apply through Handshake with your approved resume and a cover letter describing your interest and qualifications to Ms. Rebecca Holcombe, Director of Community Programs. Interviews held from February through April. Research Common Ground first
Placement Description
Common Ground is a charter high school, urban farm, and environmental learning center. Common Ground connects farm, forest, and city. Our campus includes production and educational gardens and a variety of animals. Located at the base of West Rock Ridge, our site includes 20 acres of forest with hiking trails, wildlife, and diverse natural habitats.
Join us at our farm and nature camp for children ages 4 – 13! Some camps have a special theme (animals, outdoor skills, cooking from the farm). The weeks before June 24 are primarily farm work (planting, weeding, greenhouse care, helping with animal care, etc). Lots of photos at commongroundcamp on Instagram!
Common Ground’s summer camp provides a diverse group of children with a fun, safe summer experience, emphasizing building friendships and developing an appreciation for the natural world. Campers experience nature as an exciting place to explore, and discover how people, food, and the environment are interconnected. The campers come together on “common ground” as they discover that we all have the responsibility and opportunity to help protect the Earth. Over the years, the camp has evolved from a small group of campers and staff to an energetic community of almost 300 children and adults.
Making camp financially accessible to low income families is essential to our mission. We provide over $15,000 in scholarship money each summer for campers, and we work hard to get the word out to underserved New Haven neighborhoods and schools.
Campers participate in both structured and unstructured activities on the farm and in the forest. Depending on personal interests and skills, an intern might lead farm animal care, take campers on a nature hike, lead a group in cooking a snack from the garden, be creative with recycled or natural materials, lead games that foster friendship and cooperation, explore the stream and catch crawdads, or coach a child on how to hold a chicken! Each day is different, but interns will always have some assigned stations or activities and will also offer daily activities for small groups based on their interests and experience. Daily work involves being an integral part of this community, teaching, playing, mentoring, getting dirty, eating strawberries, rounding up chickens, bandaging knees, and making memories.
Many campers come back year after year and some eventually return as camp counselors to share what they have learned over many summers at Common Ground. Several parents have reported back to the camp that their child’s college decisions were influenced by their time at Camp, as they looked for colleges with a strong environmental program where they could turn their love of nature and the environment into academic studies and eventually, a career.
The duties of an intern are as described above – participate fully as part of the staff team serving an amazing group of children who are having the summer experience of a lifetime!
Specific skills/experience required for the position
· Ability to work with children in a patient, nurturing manner (staff training provided to help learn skills in this area)
· Interest in helping children engage with the natural world
· Willingness to get dirty and work hard in all weather
· Ability to work on a team of adults and teenagers, including both taking and giving direction
· Work includes being a supervisor and role-model for high school students working as assistant counselors. Some teenage counselors may be close in age to the Fellow, so the ability to work with a group of peers while maintaining appropriate boundaries is essential.
· Ability to be physically active for most of an 8 hour day
· Demonstrated commitment, reliability, punctuality, and responsible behavior at previous jobs
Compensation
Interns work as Assistant Teachers or Teachers in camp, depending on prior level of experience working with groups of children. Applicants with no prior paid experience working with groups of children may be hired as counselors. Counselors are paid $10.10 per hour, Assistant Teachers are paid $12/hr, and Teacher wages start at $15/hr.
Work Dates and Hours
· Internship dates: June 24 – August 9 are required, as these are the dates for staff training and the Summer Camp program. Interns are welcome and encouraged to start anytime before June 24. Earlier weeks will be spent observing environmental education programs and helping on the farm.
· Work schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM (hours before June 24 are more flexible).