Horace Mann Elementary School, a DC public school, has a progressive garden program that includes an outdoor farm, native gardens, and a rooftop aeroponic farm. Throughout the school year and during the summer months we continue to grow produce both indoors and outdoors, and in traditional as well as 21st Century fashion. We teach children about both wellness and environmental stewardship through our farm-to-table program and help children learn about living sustainably in a healthy environment.
Our School Garden internship program strives to expose students, through hands on activities, to all facets of a thriving farm-to-school program. This includes managing our traditional and aeroponic farms, assisting with nutrition education classes and vegetable tastings, helping to put on a weekly farmers market of locally-sourced produce, working side-by-side with teachers and students in gardening lessons, assisting with care of traditional composting and vermicomposting ventures, and caring and maintaining outdoor garden classrooms and sustainable landscapes. Interns are part of a team of participants that include educational professionals, Master Gardeners, college students, school parents, and volunteers, and routinely interact with students grades PreK-5.
We are looking for candidates who have completed some higher level education, who are looking to acquire additional skills and experience in an environment that promotes environmental and nutrition education. Come as a volunteer or for accredited college credits.
It is our hope that our interns will gain a clearer understanding of what it takes to maintain a multifaceted garden education program and that they might be inspired to further engage in this work after the internship.
Contact: Amy Jagodnik, School Garden Coordinator, ajarts3702@gmail.com