The Southeast Como Improvement Association regularly hires student interns to bring projects to life.
Community Garden Intern
Southeast Como Improvement Association (SECIA) is looking to hire a paid Community Garden Intern . This position will be approximately 5-10 hours of work per week.
The Community Garden Intern works with Community Garden Leaders, volunteers, and other SECIA Interns, and reports to the SECIA Executive Director. The Southeast Como neighborhood currently has 6 community gardens: Fairshare Farm (FSF), the Accord Native Plant Garden, Talmage Crossing Prairie Garden, Como Corner, the 15th Ave Diverter Raingarden, and the Marshall Field Pollinator Patch, all essential features of the SE Como community.
The goals for this position are to expand and foster high garden participation, support the management and caretaking of the gardens, and to host events that bring community members into SECIA’s gardens. Community gardens are part of SE Como’s long-standing environmental commitment and are vital to the organization’s principal goal of community building and equitable engagement. Connecting with students and residents in the neighborhood is critical for our work. SECIA has a long history of engaging students in community building through our internship programs, and we are looking for candidates to fill our open internship for 2021. More information about SECIA can be found on our website.
Job Duties may include:
- Participate in gardening days April through September in our Community Gardens: Como Corner Garden, Talmage Crossing Prairie Garden, the Accord Nave Garden and the Marshall Field Pollinator Patch (with varying frequency, depending on garden needs).
- Facilitate garden functions with direction from Community Garden Leaders (events, materials, volunteers, etc.).
- Participate in and support potential new gardens.
- Coordinate and meet with the Fair Share Farm coordinators.
- Do outreach and recruitment for our Community Gardens working with SECIA’s Communications team, email contact list, and Social Media posts.
- Meet regularly with the SECIA Executive Director and other interns and take turns organizing and leading the meetings to coordinate activities and discuss progress.
- Organize and acquire basic resources for the gardens as needed: mulch, wood chips, plants, etc.
- During the off-season, assist in pre and post-season planning for all Como gardens with Community Garden Leaders.
- Arrange seasonal water permits for the community gardens. Identify and pursue grant applications to raise funds for projects and initiatives.
- Help organize gardening activities and outreach for the Como Cookout and other SE Como events.
- Promote gardening as a way to improve our environment, prevent stormwater runoff, and sustain pollinators.
Required Qualifications:
- Demonstrated interest in native pollinator gardens and agriculture/horticulture;
- Available for in-person hands-on gardening April through September Strong communication and organization skills;
- Ability to work in Google Docs and Microsoft Office;
- Familiarity with social media platforms and organizational pages; and
- Flexibility and capability to work both remotely with proper guidance and onsite at the gardens, with appropriate COVID safety precautions, both independently and as part of a team.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Significant gardening experience and interest in organic practices
- Stormwater management and rain garden knowledge
- Experience with habitat restoration and nave plants
- Event Planning or Organizing experience
- Currently enrolled in a higher education program in Minneapolis or St. Paul
- Education in horticulture or agriculture preferred
- Availability for at least two semesters or up to one year; Connection to Minneapolis neighborhoods, and/or live in the SE Como area; and
- Familiarity with multiple languages a plus.
Compensation:
This is a part-me intern position and will be paid at $15.00 per hour.