Early Childhood Education Intern/Volunteer

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Organization Description:

Irvine Nature Center is a non-profit educational organization that offers programs of environmental studies and natural science to children and adults of the greater Baltimore area. Our mission is to educate and inspire current and future generations to explore, respect and protect nature.

Internship Description:

This internship is UNPAID, but eligible for academic or course credit if approved by your educational institution. Volunteers and interns in the Early Childhood Education Department at Irvine work with one or more of the following programs:

• Little Birds, our caregiver and child class for infants and toddlers,
• The Nature Preschool, a mainly outdoor licensed preschool for children 3-5 yrs old,
• Forest Explorers, our exclusively outdoor Forest Kindergarten for children 5-7 yrs old,
• Earth Friends Outdoors, our exclusively outdoor nature classes for homeschoolers, 6-12 yrs old.

Volunteers and interns serve as teaching aides to help facilitate nature-based play and investigation in an environment that values hands-on learning, risky play, and getting muddy. Duties include assisting children with self-help skills, facilitating social interaction and cooperation, engaging in play with children, recording anecdotal records, reading to children, assisting with outdoor exploration, and helping with set-up and clean-up. Volunteers/Interns must be physically capable of hiking up to two miles per day. Interns also collaborate with the ECE staff and the Director in completing a project to benefit the program and its students or families. All interns/volunteers must complete a background check and attend an orientation. Preschool volunteers and interns must also comply with other state requirements.

Qualifications:

• Experience and/or a strong desire to work with children of all ages
• Trust in children’s abilities and a willingness to step back and let them take the lead
• Enthusiasm and curiosity about the natural world
• Ability to work as part of a team
  * Strong communications skills
  * Positive attitude and professional demeanor
• Your own transportation

*Current First Aid/CPR helpful, but not required.

Hours:
Variable depending on Program needs. Minimum time commitment is 4 hours/week. Maximum is 30 hours. Must commit to a full semester (Sept. - Dec. or Jan.-May) or for a full school year (Sept.-May).