In 2023, we will have three types of interns: Horticulture, Floriculture and Programs, and Education and Community Programs.
Is it for you? Our interns have run the gamut of majors and minors at UW like Conservation Biology, Life Sciences Communication, Landscape and Urban Studies, Studio Art, American Indian Studies, Gender and Women’s Studies, and Computer Sciences. These varied disciplines and professions all converge in our garden space to create a fantastic opportunity to learn from many different plants, peers, and community members. In 2023, our Wyman Kitchen Garden will feature Hmong, Latinx, African Diasporic, and Indigenous plants…perhaps you have expertise to share?
Our Horticulture interns work with hundreds of plants over the growing season and learn the many differences between our numerous garden spaces, whether prairie, woodland, kitchen, rock or English. Horticulture interns also learn how to talk about plants, the history of different gardening styles, and how to work with community members on collaborative projects.
Our Floriculture and Programs and Education and Community Programs interns will have plenty of opportunities to share their passions for the natural world with Allen Centennial Garden’s many visitors throughout the summer. These interns will help us ensure each garden can tell a story. This depends on getting visitors excited about learning and handling specific plants in our garden. Our Floriculture and Programs intern will have a hand in growing our cut flowers and dye plants, learn their harvest and care, and support educational and artistic activities where visitors create art using plants grown in Allen Centennial. Our Education and Community programs intern will learn the many stories of the garden and develop the skills to share those stories with the public on garden tours, at garden events, and through social media.
Allen Centennial Garden’s internship program emphasizes professional skills in addition to skills specific to a public garden setting. Interns will be supported by an intensive week of onboarding that includes garden specific training and how to think critically about the process of work. Professional development continues throughout the summer. We have sessions that focus on things like building a resume or working on a cover letter. We will also examine how to build collaborative relationships with community members. We have field trips to other sites within the region and around town to learn more from our peer organizations.
Each intern has the opportunity to complete a self-directed intern project to enhance the garden. This is an excellent chance to leave your mark on the garden while learning how to manage and plan a substantial project, develop leadership skills, and learn to evaluate what went well and what did not. Past intern projects have included researching and building bird houses, designing a garden space, and developing a self-guided ‘Touch’ Tour that focused on plants that are soft or rough.
Interns join an established community that includes UW faculty and students, former interns, community collaborators, and our volunteer partners the Friends of Allen Centennial. Working at Allen Centennial is exciting because of how many people you have the opportunity to meet, work with, and serve.
To learn more or to apply, check out our information page here.