Spring Intern New Applicant

Urban Growers Collective (UGC) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that was founded in the fall of 2017. Working closely with community partners, UGC’s approach is to demonstrate the development of community-based food systems and to support communities in developing systems of their own where food is grown, prepared, and distributed within the community itself.

We operate 8 urban farms on 11 acres of land, predominantly located on Chicago’s South Side. These farms are production-oriented but also offer opportunities for staff-led education, training, leadership development, and food distribution.  Each farm utilizes organic growing methods, intensive growing practices, and year-round production strategies to best maximize growing space.

While farming is the foundation upon which we grow, helping people thrive is our emphasis and the motivation for our work. We work towards building stronger, healthier communities through a variety of programming centered around Food Access, Job Training & Education, and Community Engagement. Through our programs, we provide training and education on urban agriculture and food systems; offer skill building experiences, jobs, and economic opportunities to youth; identify and lift up community priorities and needs; and use evidence-based practices to create safe and beautiful places for communities to convene, create, heal, and transform.

UGC’s internship program is an important component of our overall mission, and is rooted in 20 years of developing career readiness programming in urban agriculture, specifically cultivated in Chicago, and heavily influenced by our predecessor, Growing Power. 

The internship is a tool in which community members from across the spectrum of experience, certification, and identity are able to build a practical, hands-on education in the basic principles of urban agriculture, to then inform their pursuits within and beyond the field. 

After participating in this internship program, it is UGC’s goal that participants will achieve or gain competency around the following topics:

Urban Growers Collective seeks a passionate and hard working individual for an introductory, experiential “Farm Production Internship” to learn aspects of planting, harvesting, composting, market sales, and general site maintenance for an urban farm in Chicago. This internship is composed of experiences almost entirely outdoors, in all types of weather (extreme heat or cold, rain, etc). 

Interns work collaboratively with UGC staff members and within a cohort to practice and gain farm production skills. Interns participate in weekly check-ins, and are required to attend UGC sponsored workshops throughout the internship. At the close of the internship, Individual interns are expected to complete a reflection project to summarize their experience. 

This internship is designed to reflect the realities of farming in urban spaces, at an intensive level of production. While there is beauty in this type of work, it is also difficult.. Please take this into account when assessing your desire to apply to this role. 

Additionally, this is an experiential internship that emphasizes repetitive physical tasks and independent work– these qualities require applicants who can demonstrate their capacity for taking initiative and patience in the learning process. Applicants who are over the age of 18, interested in pursuing a career in agriculture, have a demonstrable interest in building local food systems, and/or learning farm work are encouraged to apply. 

A Production Intern at Urban Growers Collective will have the opportunity to gain competence in the following tasks/areas. 

*Please note that this is a seasonal internship, and that an individual intern may not be able to gain competency in all skills included here due to seasonal needs.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an intern to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform functions of the position.

All internships take place over a 10-week period, and are required to work 40 hours per week. Program extension is performance based, and by invitation only.

Spring Program starts April 7th and ends June 14th.

Internships are paid through a stipend, totaling $6,500. Stipends are paid out bi-weekly over the course of the internship. Interns are subject to UGC’s attendance policy which may impact one’s total stipend if program minimums are not achieved. 

The following dates detail when payments are set to be distributed for Spring program:

Spring

Applicants seeking an internship role for school credit must indicate this in their cover letter. Please inquire with UGC for additional information regarding this policy and how it can impact program participation. 

Tues - Saturday, 8:30AM - 5:00PM

Some evening for events or market shifts

Must be able to commit to 40 hrs per week 

Interns are primarily assigned to UGC’s South Chicago Farm (9001 S Mackinaw ave. Chicago, IL 60617)

In order to apply, please submit your resume and cover letter. The cover letter should  highlight your experiences most relevant to the position, your personal stake in ‘the work’ and how it relates to UGC’s mission. 

Applicants seeking an internship role for school credit must indicate this in their cover letter.