Internship Guidelines

Many residential outdoor education programs in California offer internships. This document suggests guidelines for a successful and professional internship program.

Definition: An internship program trains people in the skills and knowledge necessary to be an outdoor school naturalist, using the "learning through doing" model. The intern is actively supervised and trained during the internship by regular program staff. The intern is immersed in all aspects of the program, treated as a professional educator by staff, utilized effectively in program operation, and never abused by routinely performing significant responsibilities of a regular paid staff member.

Selection

1. Interns will be selected through an application, screening, and interview process similar to that used for other staff.
2. Intern candidates will represent the diversity of the student population, not necessarily that of the existing staff. The program should proactively recruit applicants who are highly qualified and reflect the cultural, ethnic, and gender diversity of the service area.
3. Salary and benefits will be provided so that financial requirements will not eliminate otherwise qualified candidates.
4. Selection criteria should include creativity, a willingness to learn and change, an enthusiasm for the natural world, and a strong interest in working with children.
5. An internship program would usually host two or three interns at a time, in order to provide socialization and support while maintaining a high staff to intern ratio.

Supervision

1. The internship program will be supervised and coordinated by one experienced program staff member. This person will have at least some actual teaching responsibility and will have recently worked as a full time teacher or naturalist. As many staff as possible will be involved in supporting the program and working with the intern.
2. The supervisor will observe and evaluate the intern at least once a week, and will be provided some release time for coordinating the internship program.

Training Week

1. If the program provides a training week(s) for regular staff, the intern will be a full paid participant in this week, including both learning and teaching opportunities. The intern will be an active participant rather than passive observer in training week, including teaching from areas of expertise.
2. Training will include site familiarization, program resources, role playing, team work, group initiative, and fun.

Program Design

1. Progression: The internship program should offer a progression of responsibility which achieves competence at each level while encouraging challenge and growth. The progression would include observation, assistance, teaching lessons, teaching sessions, teaching days, and eventually teaching an entire week.
2. Variety: The intern will briefly shadow every outdoor school position to develop familiarity with the skills and responsibilities of each, including cabin leader, program aide, naturalist or teacher, classroom teacher, director, and camp facility staff. The intern would work with a variety of naturalists to observe different teaching styles.
3. Evaluation: Evaluation of the intern will be frequent and detailed in order to encourage growth and development. Every teaching activity would be evaluated at least informally. More formal evaluations consisting of evaluator notes and discussion would be given at least twice a week. Evaluations would identify positive aspects and areas of improvement. Self-evaluation would be required at least once per week.
4. Seminars: A series of seminars will be provided for the intern, covering topics such as: review of the week and improvements for next week, questioning strategies, positive discipline and group management techniques, lesson planning, environmental education resources, analysis of existing materials, careers, natural history, science framework, and ecological concepts. An average of at least two hours per week will be spent in seminars. The seminars may include “homework” such as readings in environmental education, natural history reports, and lesson plans.
5. Prep time: At least one prep time session will be provided per week for the intern to research concepts and activities and develop lesson plans, but additional prep time may be expected equivalent to what a first-year naturalist or teacher would reasonably expend.
6. Lesson plans: The intern will receive training in the development and use of lesson plans, starting with simple activity descriptions and progressing to standardized plans expected of classroom teachers. Weekly plans will be developed which include thematic presentation of science and ecological concepts from the Science Framework, active student involvement in constructing meaning and making connections, and appropriate socialization activities. Lesson plans which build on a foundation of previous learning will be emphasized. Focus will be on the skill and utility of lesson planning, not on having a lesson plan for every activity.
7. Journal: The intern will keep a journal of the internship experience, including both topics of self interest and directed assignments. The journal will be reviewed at least once a month by the intern supervisor, with an intern ability to “block out” some personal entries.
8. Cabin Leader: The intern will serve as a cabin leader for one week, including whatever cabin leader training the program provides, unless he or she has previous experience as a cabin leader. The intern will not be used as a cabin leader on a regular basis, but may provide emergency service for cabin leader sickness or removal.
9. Visit: The intern will receive paid release time to visit at least one other program site for a total of at least one week. This could be part of a formal intern exchange with another internship program so that intern training and responsibilities continue at the other site, rather than just being an observational visit.
   

Salary and Benefits

1. The intern should receive at least the equivalent of minimum wage in salary and other benefits. Benefits which could (but need not) reduce the salary actually paid might include room, board, medical services or insurance, college credit, off-site training, conference registration, memberships, and travel reimbursement. For programs which cannot provide weekend room and board, an additional stipend may be appropriate to cover these costs.
2. Basic medical insurance or services should be provided at the same level as other program staff, or if this is precluded by policy, a stipend would be paid at the value provided to other program staff so that the intern may independently obtain medical services or insurance. Worker compensation coverage would be provided.
3. The intern would receive the minimal level of training or qualification needed to apply for a regular naturalist position with the program. These might include first aid, CPR, and CBEST.
4. The intern will be provided information about careers in residential outdoor education, environmental education, and classrooms, including the prerequisites and requirements of teaching credentials.
5. The intern will not work more than either 40 hours per week, or the regular schedule of other staff members, on a continuing basis.
6. The program will consider setting up a college credit program so that the intern receives credit for completion of the internship.
7. The program will consider providing off-site training to the intern, such as natural history or education workshops offered by local agencies. The intern should be involved in selecting these opportunities.
8. The program will pay the conference registration fees for at least one environmental education conference during the internship.
9. On successful completion of the internship program, the intern will receive a letter of recommendation and certificate of completion which can be used to apply for jobs in the field.

Responsibilities

1. The intern will commit to the period of the internship, with a two week notice for resignation required as for any employee.
2. The intern will commit to and follow all the standards of professional conduct expected of all other staff members, and any requirements of the program site or housing provided.
3. The intern will maintain positive relationships with all program participants including students, cabin leaders, classroom teachers, program staff, and facility staff.

Duration

1. The internship program will last at least one semester or one season of the program, but may last up to one year.
2. The internship may be terminated at any time with two week notice, or immediately for unprofessional conduct affecting students or cabin leaders.
3. If at any time the intern begins performing the responsibilities of a regular naturalist or other program staff, such as unsupervised teaching for a full week, the internship will be considered to be complete and the person will be hired as a regular staff member with salary and benefits the same as a beginning naturalist. Emergency use of an intern as a program staff will not continue for more than one week.

Supplement 06Dec98

The federal minimum wage is $5.15/hour. The California minimum wage is $5.75/hour. A "Learner Wage" of 85% of the minimum wage can be paid for the first 160 hours of employment when the employee does not have any previous experience in the job. California standards for meal and lodging credits (deductions) can be found in the Department of Industrial Relations Wage Order MW-9. The California Labor Code section 1182.4 may apply to internships. I've not so far been able to determine under what state law internships are governed, but am continuing my research. - Dan

Steffani LaZier is currently a credentialed teacher at Sly Park Environmental Education Center. She was formerly a cabin leader, an intern, and an intern coordinator. You may reach her at . Dan Allison is an experienced naturalist and classroom teacher who has worked at or observed most of the residential outdoor school programs in northern California. You may reach him at