Great River Greening (Greening) is a leading environmental restoration nonprofit with a mission to inspire, engage, and lead local communities in conserving and caring for the land and water that enrich our lives. Since our start, our small but mighty team has restored more than 60,000 acres of lands across Minnesota and aims to restore another 40,000 in the next five years. At Great River Greening we offer flexibility, a friendly work culture, supportive Board of Directors, and opportunities to grow.
Great River Greening values Science, Community-Centered Conservation, Partnership, and Education. Great River Greening is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to the principals of equal opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability, and to cultural engagement, within our organization, within our environmental sector, and in the communities where we live and work.
The Youth Education Intern will support Great River Greening’s Future Stewards education and schoolyard restoration program. Beginning in the fall of 2026, the intern will shadow and co-lead school programs each week with Great River Greening’s Education and Outreach Coordinator, who will directly supervise and support the Youth Education Intern. Future Stewards students will range from grades Pre-K through high school. The Youth Education Intern will support preparation, project logistics, and execution of educational engagements.
Throughout the winter, the intern will co-design curriculum, evaluate, catalog and condense existing curriculum files, create educational materials, and complete other tasks as necessary to make Great River Greening’s educational resources adaptable for all education program areas. In the spring of 2027, the Youth Education Intern will have the opportunity to lead programming that they developed for Pre K- high school students with support from Great River Greening’s Education & Outreach Coordinator. They will write reflective reports on the efficacy of the programs tested and provide feedback for future revisions, as needed.
This position is compensated hourly at a rate of $17/hr for 20 hours per week from September to May, with exact start and end dates to be determined upon hire. Great River Greening has a flexible workplace, with staff working hybrid-remotely and in the office most Tuesdays. This position will work hybrid, as well, with the expectation of one required office day per week (typically Tuesday) and occasional field work out at educational sites. Must be available Monday-Friday within the hours of 7 am to 4 pm (school hours).
Primary Duties and Potential Tasks:
- Lead groups of 5-50 students in-class and outdoor environmental education programming.
- Create packing lists and other needed logistics for land-based restoration projects and youth outdoor programming.
- Condense and organize existing curriculum into short-term and long-term curriculum maps (digital).
- Research, develop, and execute varied curriculum for Future Stewards education programs while ensuring culturally responsive and inclusive strategies. Adapt curriculum to be suitable across varying durations of time, location (indoor/outdoor), age, frequency, topic, etc.
- Track student engagement numbers, demographics, and achievement of learning goals.
- Track learning outcomes, material use, number of students for regular reporting on each lesson.
- Create assessment tools for teachers and students and analyze the results to assess program efficacy and quality.
Preferred Skills and Abilities
The ideal candidate:
- Is working towards a job or career in the field of education.
- Has some experience working or teaching outdoors and a passion for environmental stewardship.
- Can adapt teaching methods and communication to a range of student ages and work with students of diverse backgrounds.
- Has basic knowledge of MN ecosystems and/or youth education, pedagogy, and teaching best practices.
- Has proficient verbal and written communication skills.
- Is able to lift 50 pounds, stand and walk on uneven terrain for longer than 30 minutes.
- Holds a valid driver’s license.
- Has current CPR/AED/First Aid certification or can become certified within first month of internship.
- Is experienced using Microsoft apps and Google apps or is able to learn these tools quickly.
- Can self-pace and self-manage given tasks over allotted time.
- Has strong communications skills. Bilingual is a bonus but not required.
Submit cover letter addressing qualifications, resume, and any references by e-mail to: Jessica Drummond, Education & Outreach Coordinator, at jdrummond@greatrivergreening.org. No phone calls, please. Applicants reviewed as received. See www.greatrivergreening.org for more information.