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:
Gardeners
Our garden is always in need of loving hands. The tasks are constantly changing, but weeding, planting, harvesting, and watering are all a part of the important work of keeping the garden beautiful. Join us for a garden workday, or talk to our garden keeper about how to become a weekly or monthly garden volunteer.
Earth Keepers
Our Earth Hut needs your help! The Earth Hut is a large natural shelter made out of traditional wooden shingles. This beloved structure is frequently in need of attention. Tasks include replacing shingles, raking the interior, and “tidying-up” around the edges of the shelter.
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!
Carpenters and Woodworkers
We need volunteers with carpentry tools to do some simple wood cutting to help us provide program materials. We also have some larger projects such as woodburning signs and making storage shelves for our supply barn.
Innovators
We need props and home-made musical instruments to bring our program to life! Puppets, masks, instruments from natural and recycled materials, and colorful banners can help us enliven our concerts.
Earth Crafters
If you have interest in making native tools and weapons, we could use your help! We would like several items to add to our collection. These include: a flint knife, a poplar bark basket, an Atl-atl, a Pump Drill, a Cherokee Blow Gun, gourd bowls, and other articles as per your interest. You don’t need to be an earth skills expert to craft these items, but some willingness to do independent work is essential!
Recycling Educators
When the students are eating picnic lunches in the park, we have a great opportunity for us to teach them about composting and recycling! Here is a fun opportunity to spend time with children as you move among the students during lunchtime and help them figure out how to separate the treasures from their trash when they are done eating. This is a great job to do on its own or together with performing (below).
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.