Program Intern for Community Gardens
Summer 2021 Internship Opportunity
Gather New Haven: Gather New Haven unites two nonprofits that have been leaders and innovators of New Haven’s urban environmental movement. The New Haven Land Trust (NHLT), Connecticut’s first urban land trust, has served the community for nearly 40 years by acquiring and stewarding over 80 acres of nature preserves city-wide and by supporting 55 community gardens throughout New Haven’s diverse neighborhoods. NHLT has grown significantly over the last five years to include programs for young environmental entrepreneurs and a marine and coastal exploration summer camp on Long Island Sound. New Haven Farms (NHF) burst onto the scene seven years ago with its innovative Farm-Based Wellness Program (FBWP) that partners with medical centers to engage people with diet-related chronic disease risk factors in learning about nutrition and gardening at one of their seven urban farms across New Haven.
Both organizations have a growing commitment to racial equity and community leadership and have taken strides in cultivating community ownership among its stakeholders. A large part of both organizations’ work takes place in bi-lingual settings, with Spanish as the predominant language. The merged organization synergizes closely aligned missions, values, programming, and diverse support networks into a leader for advancing engagement and stewardship of urban nature as a resource for healthy people and communities.
Position Description: We are looking for one or more interns to work with our program for the summer. We are working on a variety of projects that could include graphic design, event planning, researching, building management systems, mechanical or technical projects, and/or administration. Our internships always include outdoor work such as shovelling wood chips, clearing plants from fences, etc, so the candidate should be ready to work outdoors.
Required Skills: We are looking for individuals with:
The ability to self-motivate and pursue project goals without significant supervision;
Enthusiasm for urban agriculture and environmental issues;
Interest in working in a small but dynamic team of colleagues and occasionally supporting multiple initiatives over the summer;
Interest in participating in physical activities such as weeding, clearing plants, shovelling, etc.
Familiarity with New Haven, Spanish-speaking is a plus but not required
Driver’s license is helpful but not required
Hours/Wages: Tuesday through Saturday. Hours are generally 9-5 but may be flexible depending on the tasks of the day, hours are always discussed a few days in advance. We would like the applicant to commit to full time or close to full time for the summer. Students will need to find funding from their university independently.
Internship Dates: We offer two intern orientation/start dates: May 24th and July 5th. The May date is strongly preferred for this position. Internships can run from 8 to 12 weeks, depending on the candidate’s availability.
Supervisors: Summer interns will be supervised by the Program Manager, Eliza Caldwell.
