How You Can Help
We would love to have your volunteer help! There are a number of large and small ways to become involved in what we do. Here is a list of some of the kinds of help we need:
Member, Board of Directors
Schoolhouse of Wonder is a Durham-based non-profit organization that serves communities in the Durham and greater Triangle area. Its mission is to inspire children from all walks of life to create a world where people respect themselves, one another and the communities in which they live. We ignite imaginations, build self-confidence and teach respect by connecting children to the wonders of nature. Our approach integrates essential aspects of successful child development encouraging creativity, confidence and respect. We encourage children to explore their natural and cultural surroundings, learning to respect that which they understand and that which they do not.
We are continuing to grow our board and are currently seeking members with skills and experience in elementary education/programming, fundraising/development, human resources, and marketing/communications. Board members are expected to attend monthly board meetings, and working sub-committee meetings as needed. The approximate monthly time commitment is 9-12 hours. Although a financial contribution is expected, more important is a willingness to take an active role in developing the organization through the donation of time, skills, and energy.
Nature School Volunteer Teacher
Volunteers lead school groups of supervised children through selected Nature School classes. These classes are experience-based field trips focused on natural and cultural history. Examples include classes on insects, organic gardening and composting, sensory plant walks, Native American living, pioneer living and river ecology. Training and shadowing required.
Hours: 8 am - 2 pm any weekday a field trip is scheduled
Earth Crafters
Crafters work on building and repairing primitive craft samples and imaginative play components. Examples of projects include:
- Primitive bow, arrows, Atl Atls, etc
- Basket weaving, bark basket making, other native crafts
- Costume making for imaginative games
- Upkeep of shingled tepee
- Repair and fabrication of fire starting materials: Bow and drill, flint and steal, etc.
- Any other projects that fit our programming that the volunteer found interesting
Hours: flexible
Special Events Volunteers
Don’t have much time but still want to be involved? We have several special events over the course of the year that are great opportunities to be a part of the Schoolhouse community. These events include Schoolhouse work parties, community festivals, and a fundraising road race. Let us know if you want to be on our contact list for these events.
Photographers
We are always in need of pictures for our website! Pictures of the animals, plants, and people who are a part of our programs are very helpful. Come take pictures of our teaching day or help us build a collection of wild plant photographs that we can use to create a web-based field guide.
Graphic Artists
We need original illustrations for our teachers guides and clip art for our flyers! We also need colorful painted banners and signs for our concerts and events!
Performers
Do you enjoy singing or telling stories? Do you play any kinds of acoustic instruments? Here is your chance for 15 minutes of fame. You don’t need to be an experienced performer to be a part of our environmental concerts. Just come ready to perform and have fun! (Concerts occur around midday on most weekdays during our teaching seasons in the fall and spring.)
Internships
There are several kinds of internships to choose from:
Teaching Internships
As a teaching intern, you have the opportunity to explore the art of developing young people’s connections to nature. Teaching interns come to our week long training that occurs each year in February and August. After the training, these interns join us at least one day a week for three months to participate in the presentation of our Nature School classes. Each intern is matched with a mentor on our staff who will meet with them regularly to share thoughts and ideas about teaching and learning. In addition to training and teaching, we also ask teaching interns to complete a long-term project designed to improve our programs. To apply, please send an application letter by the first week of February (for a Spring internship) or by the second week of August (for a Fall internship).
Mentoring Internships
We offer mentoring internships for people interested in exploring ways to create a culture of learning focused on nature awareness and community building. Areas of study will include: deepening long term relationships with students, developing and teaching earth skills, and learning individual and group mentoring tips and techniques. Creating a warm and well-developed teaching community takes commitment! Mentoring interns make a commitment to join us every monday for a complete season to be a part of our Outdoor School program
Project Internships
As a part of our team working behind the scenes at Schoolhouse, you will gain experience in the varying tasks of making our organization a success. Your tasks will vary depending on your interests and our needs. Central to the Project Internship is the opportunity to design and complete a project for use in our programs. This project will allow you to explore a specific skill with guidance from our staff. Skills may include organic gardening, primitive technology, program development, and more. Past projects include: developing a new nature school class, creating activities packets for elementary school teachers, and designing a nature trail. We ask Project Interns to work with us at least 50 hours over the course of a season. To apply, please send an internship application letter to us at any time.
Camp Internships
Camp internships offer an opportunity to be a leader in a community of children and adults that come together to celebrate the natural world. The internships can be one full week long or longer. Interns join us as assistant counselors in our summer camps. They have the opportunity to be a part of the creation of Schoolhouse’s unique camp culture. They help design and facilitate the activities that we do each day in our week long children’s camps or our young adult adventures. To apply, please send in an internship application letter by the first week of April.
Please see our internship page for more information on all internship programs.