The Paulson Ecology of Place Initiative is offering two internship opportunities for Summer 2023. Please see below for more details on the following internships, including internship description and application details and links:
Apply to both internships through Career Education: https://www.wellesley.edu/careereducation/internships. Deadline to apply, March 1, 2023, 5pm EST.
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Wellesley College Botanic Gardens & Paulson Initiative Summer Internship 2023
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Paulson Initiative Off-campus Summer Internship
Looking for a deep dive into caring for plants, gardens, and landscapes on campus? Want to spend your summer working hands-on, outdoors, bonding with an amazing team of students? Apply Here! |
Apply for the
Wellesley College Botanic Gardens and Paulson Initiative Summer Internship!
OVERVIEW: Wellesley College Botanic Gardens and the Paulson Ecology of Place Initiative are jointly offering a new 8.5-week summer internship on campus, for students interested in a hands-on deep dive into skills and projects that build horticultural and botanical knowledge, and enhance their connection to nature and sense of place at Wellesley. Make a positive impact on the Wellesley campus by gaining ecological knowledge, building community, and strengthening your connection to the local ecosystems that sustain us.
This new offering replaces the Botanic Gardens summer internship and Paulson Initiative on-campus summer internship that have run independently in past years.
ELIGIBILITY: Open to Wellesley College rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors
AWARDS AVAILABLE: 8 interns
APPLICATION DATE: Applications open Feb. 1. Due March 1, 2023 at 5:00 pm EST
FUNDING AMOUNT: These are full-time paid positions, with a stipend (at least $3,500) plus free campus housing and meal plan for the full duration of the internship. Interns are required to live on campusc
INTERNSHIP COMMITMENT: June 1, 2023 - Friday, July 28, 2023 (8.5 weeks), Monday through Friday including some weekend dates, totaling approximately 40 hours per week. Students may not take on other concurrent summer jobs or classes. Participation in the Science Center poster session on Thursday, July 27 is required.
Scan QR code above for full details, or visit tinyurl.com/wcbg-intern
Wellesley College Botanic Gardens and Paulson Initiative Summer Internship
FULL INTERNSHIP DESCRIPTION:
Program Goals
The Botanic Gardens and Paulson Summer Internship will guide interns in achieving the following learning goals:
- Build community with an interdisciplinary group of fellow interns and staff
- Engage deeply in hands-on work stewarding diverse landscapes and gardens on campus
- Serve as an essential part of our horticultural team during the summer growing season
- Develop collaborative skills through team activities and meaningful projects
- Participate in workshops and activities to gain ecoliteracy and botanical skills
- Build a professional network through field trips and campus collaborations
- Acquire research skills, tools, and technology to support landscape connection
- Strengthen project management and goal-setting skills
- Confidently communicate in written and spoken form
Program Details
Under the mentorship of Botanic Gardens staff, interns will be trained in and support daily horticultural tasks including weeding, pruning, irrigation, mulching, pest management, planting, and other physical care of plants, landscapes, and greenhouses. Interns will also gain and share knowledge about the plants and gardens, work on plant databases using software such as IrisBG.
Under the mentorship of Paulson Initiative staff, students will learn and share plant cultural connections, mindfulness in nature, community science, and close observation skills. Students will research and develop inclusive interpretive, visualization, artistic and communication materials to connect the community to the landscape. Exploratory projects could include zines, social media, and leading tours on topics such as plant-based dyes, pollinators, or foraging
Workshops may include developing skills in GIS, nature crafting, plant identification, landscape/garden design, food production, community building, antiracism/decolonization, and other topics of interest. Local field trips and community lunches will support career exploration related to plants, landscapes, and the environment.
Summer interns will have opportunities to participate in some components of the Science Center Summer Research Program, and participating in the final poster presentation session on Thursday, July 27, is a required component of this internship. Please note that this internship emphasizes experiential learning and a breadth of collaborative projects, and including small independent projects, but does not include a full independent research project. Interns may apply for a Tanner Conference presentation in the Fall to share their experiences.
CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS:
No previous experience is required, but a genuine interest in hands-on work with plants, and cultivating meaningful, sustainable landscapes and gardens, is essential.
- strong demonstrated interest in plants, gardens, landscapes
- strong demonstrated interest in nature connection activities and community building
- committed to supporting a respectful, inclusive team environment
- committed to full internship duration and completing all internship requirements
- prepared to perform physically demanding tasks, in all weather conditions
- prepared to follow all safety practices for insects, ticks, poison ivy, and other hazards
- responsible, positive, communicative team member
This internship involves physically demanding work often in hot, humid conditions on most days of the internship. Interns commit to supporting each other and working collaboratively, with all students and staff. Students who have worked with the Botanic Gardens and/or Paulson Initiative in the academic year are encouraged to apply if interested - this full-time internship is a deeper dive into skills and career exploration.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
This internship is listed via Career Education: Students apply through Workday. The Workday application cannot be saved so must be completed in one sitting. Applications will open in Workday on Feb 1, 2023, and close March 1, 2023 at 5pm EST. Please direct Workday related questions to internships@wellesley.edu
REQUIRED FOR APPLICATION:
All required documents must be uploaded in PDF and named in this format: Name_DocumentType (e.g., JennYang_Resume; JennYang_CoverLetter).
1. Resume: include any relevant work, volunteer, course or research experience
2. Cover letter: address the following in a 1- or 2-page letter:
- Briefly describe how your past work, course, research, or volunteer experience prepares you for this internship, including any experience with physically demanding labor, tough weather conditions/insects/plants/outdoors, past work in gardens, landscapes, greenhouses , or other work environments
- Share what you are most excited to gain from this internship, professionally, personally, and/or academically (please refer to full internship description above)
- Share what unique perspectives and interests you will bring to this internship, and how you plan to contribute to a welcoming, inclusive team culture
3. Reference: Name and contact information of one Wellesley faculty or staff member, or a non-Wellesley mentor/supervisor, who has agreed to serve as a reference and who can support your application. *This information will be entered directly into the application so does not need to be in PDF. No reference letter is required.
QUESTIONS?
Please contact:
Suzanne Langridge, Director of Paulson Initiative <slangrid@wellesley.edu>
Jenn Yang, Associate Director of the Botanic Gardens <jyang2@wellesley.edu>
Kristina Jones, Director of the Botanic Gardens <kjones@wellesley.edu>
PAST PROGRAM INTERNS:
Recent Paulson summer interns:
2022: Lucy Gonzalez ’24, Ayana Hampton ’25, Anna Hedinger ’23, Eva Knaggs ’23, Carolyn Bacaj ’23, Katie Knight ’25, Mona Shokrani ’23
2021: Ashley Bisram ‘22, Ryan Rowe ‘23, Diana Salinas ‘24, Mateo Gariepy ‘22, Rachel Carethers ‘24, Katherine Muniz ‘22
2020: Mika Taga-Anderson ‘22, Phoebe Shea Perez ‘23, Kayli Hattley ‘22, Liz Borecki ‘21, Lily Herold ‘22, Ruvimbo “Miracle” Taanarwo '23
2019: Junita Sirait '22, Kristine Meader '21, Anya Sheldon '20, Annabel Brazaitis '22, Nicole Zhao '20
2018: Rahwa Michael '21, Maggie O'Connor '20, Jessica Ostfeld '20, Han Qiao '19
Recent Botanic Gardens summer interns:
2022: Kayli Hattley ’22 (coordinator role), Marcela Hernandez ’23 (media intern), Rohini Narayanan ’25, Kathryn Zaia ’25, Emily Wall ’24, Rena Ramaraju ’25, Shea McCarthy ’23, Maeve Galvin ’25
2021: Iris Cessna ’24, Edith Po ’24, Laila Hurd ‘24, Mika Taga-Anderson ’22, Isabella Chung ’24, Kayli Hattley ’22, Jazmin Martinez ’23, Caroline Esposito ’24
2019: Amy Liu ’22, Annalise Michaelson ’21, Sophia Harrison ’21, McKenna Montminy ’21, Ronnie Alvarez-Alfani ’20
2018: Frances Dingivan ’20, Anna Beyette ’21, Paloma Quiroga ’21
For more information, please visit these resources:
Past Botanic Gardens summer intern video:
https://www.wellesley.edu/news/2022/stories/node/199311
Past Paulson summer intern projects:
https://www.wellesley.edu/paulson/paulson-internship-opportunities
Botanic Gardens internship page
www.wellesley.edu/wcbg/students/internships
Paulson Initiative internship page
www.wellesley.edu/paulson/paulson-internship-opportunities
Career Education internship listings
Wendy Judge Paulson ‘69 Ecology of Place Initiative Off-campus Summer Internship
Established in 2017, the Paulson Ecology of Place initiative aims to inspire and prepare Wellesley College students to engage intellectually, physically, and spiritually with nature and sense of place, enriching their academic experience, personal well-being, and sense of belonging at Wellesley, becoming a network of change agents in their communities and the world.
The Paulson Ecology of Place Off-Campus Summer Internship provides an opportunity for Wellesley students to engage in meaningful and practical projects in their home landscape and acquire skills and knowledge that enhance their connection to nature and sense of place in their home region.
ELIGIBILITY: Rising sophomores, juniors, and non-graduating seniors
AWARDS AVAILABLE: Paulson Place Off-campus Internships: 2-4
FUNDING AMOUNT: Full-time (35-40 hours per week for at least 8 weeks or equivalent number of hours): $5400; Half-time: $2700 (18-20 hours per week for at least 8 weeks or equivalent number of hours)
INTERNSHIP COMMITMENT:
- Complete a pre-internship assessment and a post-internship assessment and reflection that includes at least one image that reflects their internship experience;
- Complete a weekly blog post that provides an opportunity to reflect on their connections to their home landscape;
- Complete any mandatory events, deliverables, and online Summer Pathway work as required by Wellesley Career Education; and
- Participate in the Tanner Conference (or determine an alternative with Paulson Initiative staff if not at Wellesley in the fall)
INTERNSHIP FORMAT: In person, if possible given current health and safety conditions, as determined by the College or the employer
INTERNSHIP DESCRIPTION:
This internship provides funding for an unpaid internship that the student develops or already exists with an organization in their home landscape (home landscape can be defined broadly as not their current address, but places that they can express are part of their home and heritage). The internship must provide an opportunity for the student to engage in learning about and caring for their home landscape and can take many forms, including as just some examples environmental justice, habitat restoration, environmental art, and can be approached from a wide range of disciplines. The intern must have a mentor/supervisor who has agreed to advise and guide the intern during the internship at the organization where they are working. This internship is open to any major.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Students apply through Workday. Please click here for application instructions. The Workday application cannot be saved so must be completed in one sitting.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 1, 2023 by 5:00 pm EST
REQUIRED FOR APPLICATION(S):
All required documents must be uploaded in PDF and named in this format: Name_DocumentType (e.g., TrinHan_CoverLetter; SallyBaez_Transcript).
Paulson Place Off-Campus Internship:
- Resume: include any relevant work, volunteer, course or research experience
- Statement of Interest: Note: Students do not need to have an internship confirmed before applying for an off-campus award, but they do need to have applied for a position(s) and have a clear vision of their proposed summer experience so they can describe, in a compelling manner, how this experience will benefit them professionally, personally, and academically. (Note: Awardees have until May 1, 2023 to secure an internship and confirm their opportunity.)
- Describe the internship opportunity, what is the mission of the organization, what would be your duties, who is your supervisor/mentor.
- Describe how this internship will provide an opportunity to contribute to the care of your home region, why you want to participate in this internship and what you hope to gain from the experience.
- Describe how your past work, course, research, or volunteer experience and/or unique perspectives and interests prepare you for this internship and how you might contribute to the internship experience.
3. Reference: Name and contact information of a Wellesley faculty or staff member or another mentor/supervisor who has agreed to serve as a reference and who can support your application *This information will be entered directly into the application so does not need to be in PDF.
QUESTIONS?
Please contact: Suzanne Langridge, slangrid@wellesley.edu
RECENT PROGRAM INTERNS:
Recent Paulson summer interns:
2022: Off- campus: Marglucy Omwega ‘22, Annie Zhang ‘25; On campus: Lucy Gonzalez ’24, Ayana Hampton ’25, Anna Hedinger ’23, Eva Knaggs ’23, Carolyn Bacaj ’23, Katie Knight ’25, Mona Shokrani ’23
2021: Ashley Bisram ‘22, Ryan Rowe ‘23, Diana Salinas ‘24, Mateo Gariepy ‘22, Rachel Carethers ‘24, Katherine Muniz ‘22
2020: Mika Taga-Anderson ‘22, Phoebe Shea Perez ‘23, Kayli Hattley ‘22, Liz Borecki ‘21, Lily Herold ‘22, Ruvimbo “Miracle” Taanarwo '23
2019: Junita Sirait '22, Kristine Meader '21, Anya Sheldon '20, Annabel Brazaitis '22, Nicole Zhao '20
2018: Rahwa Michael '21, Maggie O'Connor '20, Jessica Ostfeld '20, Han Qiao '19
