Operations Internship

June – December 2016
Growing Gardens’ mission is to enrich the lives of our community through sustainable urban agriculture. We envision people experiencing a direct and deep connection with plants, the land and each other. Growing Gardens unites the Boulder County community through urban agriculture projects, such as: The Cultiva Youth Project (Ages 12 – 19), The Children’s Peace Garden (Ages 3 – 11), Community Classes, Growing Gardens Food Project, the Community Gardens, and our Community Orchard.
The Operations Intern will support all Growing Gardens programs and be a community ambassador for the organization. The Operations Internship is fast paced and requires a great deal of hard work, focus, and care. It is also deeply rewarding.

Operations Intern Duties
Outreach

• Be an ambassador for Growing Gardens and positively engage with the community during all outreach events
• Create, edit and distribute individual program e-newsletters

Event Planning and Execution

• Provide staffing support for the Growing Gardens Cultiva Farm Dinner, Community Harvest Fest and other special events
• Solicit, collect, thank and organize product donations for annual auction
• Assist with post event follow up, donor acknowledgement, and soliciting participant feedback

Online Registration

• Assist with Growing Gardens online registration for all programs
• Assist with registration tracking, and follow up with program participants as needed
• Organize and distribute participant information for instructors

General Operational Support

• Answer the office telephone and make follow up phone calls
• Update and help maintain organizational records including the database
• Provide additional administrative support as needed

Knowledge and Skills the Intern May Acquire:

• Exposure to the operations of a non-profit, community-based organization.
• Introduction to fundraising
• Networking in local community with press, agriculture and natural foods industries
• Conflict resolution, volunteer coordination and communication skills
• The ability to work in a dynamic, team environment

Structure of Internship

• Internship duration is June 1 – December 15, 2016
• Intern position is 20 hours per week. *Note: hours may vary between weeks; however the average number of hours per week will be 20 hours. Hours primarily take place during the week, however there is some required weekend work.
• Intern will be working closely with a mentor from Growing Gardens’ staff who will oversee all daily activities.
• Interns will have the opportunity to shadow Growing Gardens’ staff and attend staff meetings to learn about the operation of the non-profit organization.
• Learning Objectives Contract – Developed within first month of internship.
• This includes: position description, educational objectives, learning activities and skill development.
• Evaluation – A midpoint evaluation and end of internship evaluation will include intern self-evaluation, supervisor, and mentor evaluation.

Benefits of Interning with Growing Gardens

• Experience working on a diversified vegetable farm
• Hands-on experience making a positive impact in the lives of children, teens, and adults.
• Community connections and networking within the burgeoning local food movement.
• Friendly, relaxed environment.
• Develop marketable leadership and management skills.
• Classroom training offered through Growing Gardens classes.
• Possibility to garden in one of our gardens at the Hawthorn Garden site.
• Fresh vegetables from the garden as the season permits.
• Site is centrally located and easily accessed via public transportation.
• Monthly stipend of $400.

Qualifications
We are looking for an outgoing, friendly person with excellent communications skills with experience in Excel, Word, and knowledge of database management. Our staff and youth enjoy their time together in the garden and office and we’d love for someone with a sense of humor to join us while we have fun and do good work. The Operations Intern must be responsible, dedicated and organized. This experience is a great opportunity for someone interested in a job in non-profit development, marketing, or community organizing.