Job description

Spring Internships
Place Based Learning Center at Hawthorne Valley Farm
Immediate opportunities available! Come join our team where children, teachers, interns and farmers live, work, and learn together. The rhythms of nature and farm life take children beyond the classroom. Awakening to the environment, children rediscover the joys of learning and working together. Students experience the true ecology of living relationships.

The Place Based Learning Center at Hawthorne Valley Farm is a Waldorf based residential farm/environmental educational program located on a modern 400 acre full scale diversified biodynamic dairy farm. We are located 2 ½ hours north of New York City in the beautiful Hudson Valley. During the school year classes visit from Waldorf and other private schools and stay on the farm for one week. Interns and staff host classes from Grade 3 through 10 and help lead farm-based learning activities. Over the course of their five-day stay students have the opportunity to bake bread, clean the barn, work in the garden, ride horses, help prepare meals, explore our woods, create crafts, learn map and orienteering skills and many others. Interns share organic meals with the children and supervise house and Dining Hall cleaning tasks. Interns are introduced to biodynamic agriculture and the view of childhood from a Waldorf prospective. Interns together with the staff are responsible for nurturing the physical, emotional, social and spiritual well being of each child during their stay at the farm.

Desired Qualifications:
-Experience working with children in an outdoor setting and leading hands-on activities
-Ability to maintain an atmosphere of teamwork using strong communications and organizational skills
-Ability to live on campus in shared living quarters
-Some practical knowledge of farming, animal care, gardening, making crafts, Waldorf education is a plus
-A personal passion, energy and drive to enthusiastically work with children
-The ability to lift and carry 30 to 50 pounds
-Age of 21 or older
Responsibilities:
-Lead place-based residential farm and nature activities on a daily basis with groups of 6 to 9 children
-Provide a nurturing, responsive environment to students and guests of program
-Share daily and weekend animal care and occasional weekend shifts

The Spring Internship begins January 12 and ends on June 13, 2015. The start date is slightly flexible for the right candidate. There are two positions available. We will continue to interview until this position is filled. Compensation includes room and board (organic vegetarian meals) plus $650 per month stipend.

If you are at least 21 years of age, enjoy working with children, have a love of the outdoors, animals and farm life, consider joining us! Please send cover letter, resume and the names, phone numbers, e-mail addresses of three work references, preferably employers who have seen you working with children to: Danielle Fontaine, at Danielle@hathornevalleyfarm.org, or mail to: Hawthorne Valley Farm, Main House, 327 Route 21C, Ghent, NY 12075 or fax to: (518) 672-7608. For more information please call (518) 672-4790 and visit www.hawthornevalleyfarm.org for more information about other job opportunities.

Compensation

this position is: stipend / non-monetary compensation

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline