Community Internship
Are you having a hard time deciding if you want to be a farmer, outdoor leader, cook, teacher, or builder? Do all of them on our 230 acre property in Northern California.
The job includes working on the farm, in the kitchen, and with our high-school students.
If you are interested in living what you believe, working outside, and being a positive role model for high schoolers, apply here:
Learn More
Interns enhance campus sustainability through their work in the kitchen, garden, and other areas. They also work closely with students and teachers at The Woolman Semester School.
Dates
- The 2012-2013 internship lasts for nine months to one year. It begins early August 2012, and ends in early June or August 2013.
- The intern schedule includes a number of breaks: a week in the summer, 2 weeks per semester, and 4 weeks at Christmas.
- The application deadline has been extended for qualified male aplicants to March 18
- We will do our best to complete the selection process by the end of March.
Accommodations
Interns live in cozy rustic cabins on our wooded campus. The cabins are heated by woodstoves and cooled by shade & natural ventilation, and are all a short distance from central bathroom, shower & laundry facilities. Interns either live in small single cabins, or larger double cabins.
Who Should Apply
This program is for people who love to work and love to play, who want to learn as well as to teach, who are self-motivated, community-minded, reliable, and who take their responsibilities seriously. A positive attitude and healthy work-ethic are a must; if you sing while washing dishes, laugh when splattered with mud in the garden, or tell jokes while hiking in the rain, this might be the perfect place for you.
Qualifications
Interns must be at least 21, with a bachelors degree or equivalent life experience. Other helpful qualifications include: a driver's license and good driving record, current wilderness first aid or lifeguarding certifications, experience working with young people, cooking and gardening experience, or other practical skills.
Drugs & Alcohol
The Woolman community does not permit the presence of marijuana or other illegal drugs on campus. Really. Every community member makes a personal commitment to be completely drug free, and in the unlikely event of breaking their promise, that person would have to leave the community. Alcohol and tobacco may be used by adults in their own residences, with certain restrictions applying.
Responsibilities
Cooking: Interns cook 3 meals per week, usually 1 breakfast and 2 lunches.
Gardening: Interns spend about 8 hours in the garden each week, both under the mentorship of our garden manager, and as mentors to students.
Shared Work: Interns take a leadership role with groups of students in such activities as cooking, grounds keeping, gardening, firewood, orchard maintenance, bike repair, etc.
Homework Supervision: Interns oversee homework time every night; so each intern has one weeknight that they are on homework supervision. They make themselves available to students to help with with reading, organization, task management, writing, preparing presentations, and research.
Teacher Assisting: Each intern assists a teacher in one class. Duties include leading discussions, helping to plan activities, giving students feedback on their work, copying classroom materials, and giving students 1-on-1 help.
Weekend Supervision: Interns are “on duty” during certain weekend hours, meaning that they are present and available for students, and are keeping track of students’ safety and whereabouts. Aside from occasionally giving students a ride to town, this is a laid-back job that mostly involves hanging out.
Special Projects: Each intern will be encouraged to develop their own “pet project” while here, which will draw on their passion and skill to meet a need in the community. Some examples are building a structure in the garden, taking responsibility for a campus area such as the bike shop or beehives, offering a weekend seminar to students, and many other creative possibilities.
Class Trips: Another unique part of being an intern at the Woolman community is the opportunity to help lead school service and learning trips. These week-long excursions take students hiking through our local watershed, on a cultural exchange to Mexico, doing volunteer work with people in need, and more. Interns gain rich learning experiences on these trips, while providing teachers invaluable help with trip leadership, driving, and planning.
Salary/Cost
There is no cost and no salary for participating in the Community Internship Program.
Interns are compensated with Room and Board.
Questions? Contact Jacob Holzberg-Pill:
If you sing while washing dishes, laugh when splattered with mud in the garden, or tell jokes while hiking in the rain, this might be the perfect place for you. The Community Internship is a 10 month experience of living, working, growing, and learning as part of the Woolman educational community. The program enriches the lives of interns through a multitude of learning opportunities while simultaneously enriching the lives of students, staff, and everyone else in the community through the presence and contributions of the interns. Interns are fully integrated into the life, work, and play of the Woolman community, and gain valuable knowledge and experience by taking responsibility for important aspects of its functioning.