The Growing Project Educational Garden

Lead Internship Position 2017

Organizational Information

Mission: To promote a strong, diverse, and just local food system to all residents of Northern Colorado through direct agricultural experiences, education, and advocacy.

In 2009, The Growing Project was born with the launch of Garden Time program which works with at-risk youth in the garden at a residential treatment facility. Over the past six years, this program has expanded to three other organizations including The Boys and Girls Club and The Family Center/La Familia (Family Resource Center). In 2010, the Urban Food Outreach program was launched, providing the materials and education to install and maintain community gardens in low-income areas. Currently, TGP maintains 14 community gardens working with the local housing authority and various mobile home parks. In 2012, Food Finders was created to pick up unwanted/excess produce, by bike, from local growers and distribute it to nonprofits that feed the hungry. For its first five years, TGP was 100% volunteer-run. In the fall of 2013, TGP received a grant to hire its first full-time employee: an Executive Director, allowing the organization to better leverage its volunteer resources. In 2014 and 2015, TGP managed a ¼ acre educational garden, hosting various youth programs working with at-risk and adjudicated youth to complete community service hours. Additionally, volunteer hours were hosted 3 times a week so the public could learn about growing food and receive fresh produce in exchange for their time. In fall 2015, due to growth in our volunteer base and growth in funding, TGP secured a one acre plot for the educational garden enabling us to work with more youth and families in 2016.

Programs

· Garden Time holds horticultural therapy sessions in the garden with at-risk and disadvantaged youth from The Boys and Girls Club and The Family Center.

· Urban Food Outreach provides materials, education, and volunteer help to install and maintain community gardens in low-income areas. Gardens are located at Fort Collins Housing Authority facilities. Currently TGP is offering one garden build scholarship a year to organizations or neighborhoods that want to do community outreach and education through gardening.

· Food Finders uses bicycles to pick up unwanted or excess produce from farmers, gardeners, and grocers, and distributes it to nonprofits that feed the hungry.

· TGP University provides donation-based or low-cost classes on gardening, cooking, and nutrition. The Growing Project manages a large educational garden and hoop house, holding roughly 12 workshops each season and regular volunteer hours each week.

· Teens for Food Justice is an 8 week intensive gardening program for adjudicated youth from the diversion program at The Center for Family Outreach. Teens partake in 8 hours of work a week at TGP’s ¼ acre garden, 1 hour of horticulture therapy a week with a certified therapist, 1 cooking class per session, and a community service project. An educational component related to environmental or social issues will be tied into every work session. Youth will earn a $100 stipend for successful completion of the program.

· Partnerships: TGP manages and maintains partner gardens at The Family Center/La Familia and The Murphy Center.

Internship Description

The Growing Project is looking for 1 lead intern to help manage our educational garden at Hope Farms. Lead garden intern will assist the Garden Director and Executive Director in the day to day tasks at the educational garden as well as occasional involvement at other TGP gardens.

Dates of Internship(s)

April 3rd-October 30th

Title

Lead Educational Garden Intern

Location

The Growing Project’s Educational Garden at Hope Farms, 1601 North Shields and various gardens as needed.

Commitment

7-12 hours per week, with the ability to increase or decrease depending on the time of year.

Compensation

Lead interns receive a $600 stipend for the entire season. Intern receives a weekly CSA share! Intern also gets free entrance into any TGP workshop or event. Intern becomes a part of an amazing community of food activists.

Responsibilities

· Attend 2 weekly volunteer sessions

· Occasionally lead one of the above weekly volunteer session, some Saturday commitments

· Lead volunteer hours occasionally when Garden Director is unable

· Manage small groups of volunteers

· Communicate on a regular basis with Garden Director and Executive Director

· Help maintain plant starts at off-site greenhouse

· Help manage and maintain educational garden including: planting, watering, pruning, weeding, harvesting, fixing irrigation, general land maintenance

· Communicate with Food Finders pickup and delivery

· Help harvest and coordinate CSA shares

· Participate in youth programs as needed throughout the season

· Occasionally help with special events

Qualifications

· Highly organized

· Great communication skills

· Friendly personality

· Punctual

· Interest in horticulture or gardening

· 18 years old or older

· Ambition to learn sustainable food production

· Ability to work with youth

· Able to commit to entire growing season

How to apply

Submit a resume, short cover letter, and information about tentative weekly availability for 2017 to by Feb. 28. Please state which internship position you are applying for in your cover letter (you can express interest in multiple positions and, if selected, would be placed in position that best fits).