Summer Unity Gardens Internship

Description

2021 Internship Opportunities

Name of site:                          Unity Gardens Inc.

Address:                                  PO Box 10022 South Bend, IN 46680

                                                3701 Prast Blvd.  South Bend, IN 46628

Phone:                                     (574) 315-4361

Site contact person:                Sara Stewart                                      Email: GrowUnityGardens@yahoo.com

Direct Supervisor:                   Mitch Yaciw

Website:                                 www.theunitygardens.org

MISSION

The Mission of the Unity Gardens Inc. is to connect our community to healthy food, the natural environment and one another.  We do this through supporting ~40 open gardens, providing free garden classes, and hosting a variety of summer wellness programs (Garden Guides, Farmer’s Markets, and Children’s Programs).

JOB DESCRIPTION

Opportunities are as endless and flexible as creativity allows! Possibilities include:

Free-Pick Garden: Interns use permaculture and ecosystem principles to care for vegetables, perennials and animals. Interns will welcome and help visitors find food to pick, share recipes and lead volunteer groups in the garden.

Garden Guide: Interns greet garden visitors, help visitors find food, share and gather recipes, and collect qualitative and quantitative data for research. Garden Guides also engage kids and families; helping design activities, and engaging them in play in the garden.

Free-Pick Kids’ Garden: Interns manage Kids’ Discovery Garden to engage children in free play through tasting plants, exploring nature, handling chickens and using the Sound Station.

Market Garden:  Interns help manage 4 hoop houses and outdoor raised beds, manage pests, harvest for Farmer’s Market, and develop marketing materials. We sell produce, plants, honey and value added products at the South Bend Farmer’s Market, 3-4 days/week.  A sales personality is a must!

Educational Opportunities: Each new project requires research and ongoing learning. Teaching opportunities abound, whether it is demonstrating how to pick peppers for visitors, leading a volunteer or school group, hosting a cooking demo, or presenting a garden lecture to a class.

More: Interns can help manage the 1+ acre vegetable garden, native plant garden, herbal garden, food forest and mushroom cultivation. Interns can lead volunteer groups, tour visitors through the garden, take pictures for social media, develop garden signage, design and carry out environmental research projects, create art in the garden, and connect with the other neighborhood Unity Gardens. Fund raising, event planning and grant writing are other opportunities!

Neighborhood Unity Gardens: Interns can work throughout the Saint Joseph County area, on-site at a variety of gardens and in libraries or other public areas in lieu of a central office until our on-site Welcome Center is complete. When at the gardens, it is expected that one will treat all garden contacts with respect and courtesy in a non-discriminatory manner.

• Horticulture *  Event Planning         *  Fund Development                *  Children’s Programs
• Marketing *  Sustainability            *  Education                             *  Social Justice/Outreach
• Product Development *  Composting              *  Volunteer Coordination         *  Food justice
• Journalism *  Social Media             *  Art and Photography             *  Building

DIRECT CONTACT WITH POPULATION SERVED

Interns will have direct contact with those who come to the gardens, whether they be volunteer groups, harvesters, civic leaders, or program participants.

SUPERVISION

Intern will work directly with business and horticultural staff (Manager, Assistant Manager) & Executive Director, and independently as projects are assigned.

ORIENTATION

Initial work will be in garden acclimating to the culture and organizational tempo. Interns will gain knowledge on the garden’s history, mission, visions, and goals.  Each intern has the opportunity to take a special project in an area of  their interest. Second and third year interns (Advanced and Senior) serve as leaders to the intern team and help with activites conducive to organizational sustainability.

WORKPLACE DESCRIPTION

The setting is outside work in the garden farm and throughout the community, including South Bend Farmers Market.  We wear masks to protect are team and garden visitors. The LaSalle Square Unity Garden is a 7 acre non-for-profit urban garden which grows free-pick food for everyone to enjoy! We grow to reduce healthy food barriers, foster connection and opportunity in the community, promote the urban ecosystem of native plants, food plants, pollinators, birds, and more. This central Unity Garden supplies ~40 other Unity Gardens throughout St. Joseph County with plants, seeds, tools and know-how. The 7-acre location is designed as a garden-park with fruit trees, berries, bees, chickens, goats, and vegetable and native flower gardens. Solar panels power the electricity, mulch and compost power the plants, and hoop houses allow year-round growing in the Market Garden. The food forest, native plants, herbal garden, and companion plants are used to minimize pest damage while beautifying the garden. We are 2 miles from downtown South Bend which boasts many community events, buses and bike routes, and is an easy day-trip to Chicago. 

Responsibilities

All interns work in the garden, harvesting, weeding, planting, mulching, leading volunteer groups, etc.  Work conditions can be variable depending on the weather.  In addition to above, the following information may be helpful. 

DATE PREFERENCE/PREFERRED WORK SCHEDULE

April, May, and June through August and September hours are consistently needed.  Day evening, & weekends are all choices. Scheduling is flexible. Twenty to 40 hours a week in the summer internship program is typical. Additional opportunities can be designed per individual learning objectives and scheduling needs.

STUDENT QUALIFICATIONS

The Unity Gardens Intern will be expected to:

• Utilize computers and social media
• Communicate proficiently promptly, & professionally via phone, text, email, writing, or in public speaking venues
• Use critical thinking skills to prioritize, make decisions, and actively inquire as needed
• Proactively schedule, commit, and work the hours and time frames agreed upon
• Adhere to all applicable local, state, and federal laws and guidelines

DRESS CODE: Outdoor wear, closed shoes.  Weather appropriate attire. Unity Gardens t shirts may be provided as needed.

Qualifications

Summer interns are chosen based on commitment to mission, passion for learning, history of reliability and organizational budget constraints.  Interviews via phone or in person are preferred.  Please text 574-315-4361 or email growunitygardens@yahoo.com for opportunity.