Summer New Roots Education and Outreach Intern

OVERVIEW: 

The New Roots program at IRC is an initiative to support gardening, food security, nutrition, enterprise, and production within the US network of IRC offices. New Roots Tucson supports refugee food security and aids in their transition to the community through gardening, local food access initiatives and small business farming. We are looking for committed, inventive, hard-working, and enthusiastic individuals with interests in organic farming and community empowerment. The position works alongside a New Roots staff member on site in the gardens as well as planning virtually and in the office. The New Roots Education & Outreach Intern will work closely with the New Roots Education & Outreach Specialist to develop educational resources for both clients and community partners. The New Roots Education & Outreach Intern will also assist in developing program outreach materials and content for the @newrootstucson Instagram page. The New Roots Education & Outreach Intern would provide support to increase the capacity of New Roots programming at IRC in Tucson.  

Please note that this is an unpaid position.  

This is an in-person position with the possibility of occasional remote work.  

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Collaborate with staff to develop educational resources for program participants as well as community partners.  

• Develop program outreach materials and content for New Roots social media.  

• Help staff with ongoing garden projects at 3 garden sites (e.g. planting, cleaning, weeding, general site maintenance).  

• Develop new infrastructure projects to benefit the refugee garden sites (permaculture infrastructures, murals, accessible infrastructure, post-harvest wash station improvements, compost systems, etc.)  

• Assist with preparation and presentation of farm and garden workshops.  

• Communicate with farm and garden participants about upcoming events and to share relevant gardening and farming information.  

• Assist in securing donations of materials and technical advice to support community gardeners.  

• Track inventory of seeds, tools, and materials for the program.  

REQUIREMENTS: 

• Experience or demonstrated interest in food issues, gardening, garden design, or food security issues, preferably in a multicultural context.  

• Ability to communicate and work effectively as a team member in a multicultural environment.  

• Willingness to work outside in variable weather conditions.  

• Ability to meet at garden sites, primarily in central Tucson.  

• Ability to self-direct and communicate effectively  

• Ability to maintain confidentiality regarding client information  

• Strong verbal and written skills in English 

• Punctual and reliable 

• Technology requirements:  

• Interns will be required to use their own technology tools to work on virtual opportunities.  

• IRC is not responsible for any personal device expenses such as personal smartphones, tablets, hotspots, data charges, etc.  

• All personal devices must:  

• Be kept current with all operating system updates and security patches,  

• Use a password or PIN with a minimum of 4 characters to log onto smartphones and tablets and 8 alpha and numeric characters for a laptop.  

• Have lock screen set to 10 minutes or less with a password required to unlock the device  

• Configurations must be set to delete all data or lock after 10 unsuccessful attempts to enter a password or PIN. Lockout period must be no less than 30 minutes.  

• Additional policy details will be discussed during orientation and training.  

CLEARANCES:  

All offers are contingent on successfully passing background and criminal history checks as required by federal and state law or by IRC policy. 

COMMITMENT: 

• SUMMER: Minimum 15 hrs/wk for 3 months  

• FALL/SPRING: Minimum 15 hrs/wk for 14 weeks 

• Primary availability during IRC business hours (M-F; 9:00am-5:00pm) 

• Preference given to applicants able to make multi-term commitment 

Reports To: Julia Munson, New Roots Manager