This vital youth program is funded through grants and donations. Click here to donate via our ongoing GoFundMe campaign!!
THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THE SPRING 2017 YOUTH INTERNSHIP PROGRAM IS NOW CLOSED. APPLICANTS WILL BE INTERVIEWED AND SELECTED IN MARCH! If you were not able to complete an application before the deadline, you can apply for the Fall 2017 Youth Internship Program in August.
Fall 2016 Youth Internship Program (L to R: Our Director Jenga, Tyrique, Rashad, Dwaine, Keneisha, Dylan, Chasity, Nyla, and our Youth Internship Coordinator Charm)
SPRING 2017 YOUTH INTERNSHIP PROGRAM (APRIL 1 – JUNE 17, 2017)
Backyard Gardeners Network is offering paid internship opportunities to Lower 9 youth in Spring 2017. Open to youth ages 14 to 19 years old. Lower 9th Ward preference, but all youth are welcome to apply.
The internship starts April 1 and ends June 17, 2017. Interns work an average of 5 hours per week and gain experience doing gardening, community outreach, and workshop assistance. Field trips and educational trainings are also part of the internship. Interns are paid an average of $50 per week!
The purpose of the internship program is to provide a fertile training space for personal and professional development, soft job skills, community engagement, gardening education and program support that serves to continue the cultural tradition of food-growing in the Lower 9th Ward, deepen interns’ engagement and connection with their community, and model service-based work in the community.
Interns will work/study in 3 main areas:
Community Outreach
- Community Outreach involves talking to Lower 9 residents, conducting door-to-door surveys, distributing flyers and other BGN information in the community, and/or tabling at outreach events. This work develops interns’ communication skills, as well as a deeper connection with the Lower 9 neighborhood and community.
Gardening and Program Support
- Interns will maintain their own plot at the Guerrilla Garden, as well as help with general garden maintenance. They will learn about topics such as soil preparation, planting, harvesting and composting. This work will develop interns’ understanding and appreciation of where food comes from, their connection with the land, and the types of delicious foods that grow in our climate.
- Interns will also support our programming at the Guerrilla Garden by helping with tasks such as set up, sign up, general assistance and clean up. The primary programs that interns will support are Food As Medicine, Kids Club, and our monthly Super Saturday community parties.
Education/Training and Evaluation
- An important aspect of the internship will be education/training and evaluation. Trainings will include: money management, relevant cultural history, and food justice.
- Interns will be responsible for weekly self-evaluation, which is a method of tracking one’s own progress, and monthly group evaluation, which is how we give and receive feedback to one another and help one another to grow.
Field Trips are also part of the internship program. Though interns are not paid for field trips, they are a required part of the program. Past field trips have included kayaking on Bayou St. John, student-led campus tour of Tulane University, and a tour of Grow Dat Youth Farm.
Hours: Interns will work approximately 5 hours per week, primarily on Thursday afternoons, Friday afternoons, Saturdays and/or Sundays. The schedule will be finalized after interns are selected, and will be distributed at orientation. Volunteer hours (2 hours or more per week) are also offered and strongly encouraged as part of the internship.
Pay: Interns will be paid on a bi-weekly basis at a rate of $10 per hour (average 5 hours per week). Interns will not be paid for missed hours.
Locations: Work will generally take place in and around the Guerrilla Garden (600 Charbonnet) or our main office (603 Forstall)
Contact: Jenga Mwendo, Founder and Director
(504) 994-7745 -cell (504) 875-2948 -office
jenga@backyardgardenersnetwork.org
