2019 Jeff Metcalf Big Green Learning Garden Internship
**This internship is part of the University’s Jeff Metcalf Internship Program. Please review the Metcalf Interns’ Responsibility Notice to learn more about program requirements for Metcalf interns.
Students are responsible for independently finalizing the logistics of their internship, including transportation and lodging. If you are considering an internship in Los Angeles, Miami, NYC, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., or abroad, please reference these helpful city guides. **
At Big Green, collaboration and community are fundamental to our success. We create a healthier future for kids by connecting them to real food through a nationwide network of Learning Gardens and food literacy programs in schools. In Chicago we have built 180 Learning Gardens in Chicago Public Schools and will be expanding to 200 in 2019. Nationwide, more than 250,000 children walk onto a Big Green school yard every day—and the organization continues to grow! Learn more about our work at https://biggreen.org/.
Position Description
The Big Green/University of Chicago Intern’s primary responsibility is to support Big Green’s Program Team in Chicago, as they serve Learning Garden Teams and school communities. Primary activities include helping to lead Learning Garden kick-off days, planting days and harvest days at schools. Opportunities to assist the Chicago Program Team in additional capacities, such as workshops, community events, or delivery of supplies/materials may arise – all related to achieving Big Green’s Edible Garden Initiative in our partner schools.
This is an opportunity for individuals interested who:
- Have experience with gardening and leading youth in gardening activities.
- Have or wish to gain experience working in schools and in the nonprofit sector.
- Desire to be part of cultivating a real food culture in communities.
Position Responsibilities
- Work with Chicago Program Team to achieve seasonal goals.
- Support Garden Educators at school events with diverse populations of teachers, students, parents, and community members.
- Develop and lead “real food” education opportunities for k-8th grade students at Learning Garden schools at Kick-Off, Planting, and Harvest Days along side Big Green’s Garden Educators. In addition to introducing our food system, and its nutritional, environmental, and social impacts on Chicago’s youth topics will include, soil investigations, how to plant seeds and seedlings, and other garden activities.
- Build relationships with teachers and administrators at up to 10 Learning Garden Schools in order to support increased Leaning Garden impact and gardening capacity at those schools.
- Document stories highlighting successes in schools for potential blog, social media, and newsletter features.
- Present at an Associate Board Meeting the learnings from schools and reflections on Big Green mission and outcomes.
- Attend an Associate Board event to network and connect with like minded stakeholders.
Required Qualifications
- Excellent communication, and teamwork skills
- Confident and comfortable speaking to groups of up to 35 youth/adults
- Organized, able to manage priorities
- Reliable go-getter with a can-do spirit
- Familiarity with small-scale organic food production or home gardening.
- Successfully complete a CPS and Big Green background check
Preferred Qualifications
- Open to all current undergraduates, with priority for those majoring in Environmental & Urban Studies or members of the Program on Global Environment Student Advisory Research Council.
- Interest or experience working with children in an educational setting.
- Interest or experience instructing and guiding garden demonstrations with children and/or adults.
- Familiarity with urban gardening, botany, environmental science, health and nutrition, environmental and social justice, food systems, and food access.
- Ability to work with diverse populations including youth and adults.
- Drivers license and access to a personal vehicle or willingness to take public transportation to work sites.
- Familiarity with or interest in traveling through many Chicago Neighborhoods and joining communities to work toward real food access, knowledge and consumption.
Physical Requirements
- Occasionally lifts and carries objects up to 50 pounds.
- Occasionally stoops and bends.
- Occasionally reaches and grasps with arms and hands.
- Work involves exposure to outdoors including warm and cold weather, rain and sun.
Work Environment
- Our offices are downtown at 449 N Clark. At least one day per week on Mondays the full Big Green Chicago team will meet in our offices for team meeting and collaboration.
- The other days of the week job sites will vary between office work, onsite work at schools, and independent work offsite.
- Learning Garden schools are located all throughout Chicago in nearly every neighborhood, School sites will be determined by accessibility by public transportation and sites in close proximity to the University of Chicago will be prioritized for this position.