Internships
The Van Cortlandt Park Alliance offers two paid internship programs for High School Students: Garden 2 Market Internship and Urban Eco-Teens. In addition, we offer individual unpaid internships to high school and college students to assist with our ongoing Research Projects.
Garden 2 Market Internship
When we understand where our food comes from, and where it goes, we can make better decisions about what we buy and eat! This internship is for anyone interested in our food system and covers topics from growing to selling and eating. During their time in the program interns work in our garden learning about horticulture, composting, and the social and community aspects of a garden. They spend time exploring food justice issues and learning about the business of running a weekly farm stand: learning everything from ordering and pricing to stocking the table and completing a sale. They gain communication skills and become advocates for healthy eating in their community. The internship includes many chances to taste and cook new foods and recipes- because no internship about food is complete without eating!
Eligible summer participants attend a tuition free, accredited, rigorous college course called Sustainable Cities at Manhattan College.
For the first time, a Crew Leader position will be added for 2023. This college-aged individual will assist in all aspects of the internship: providing direct instruction to interns, maintaining records and metrics, and helping with general prep and planning for each week.
Applications for 2023 Garden 2 Market Interns and Crew Leader will be available in March.
Acknowledgments for Garden 2 Market
2023 Leadership support provided by:
Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Justice Small Grant Program
2023 Additional vital support provided by:
Manhattan College
Valentine Perry Snyder Fund
Special Thanks To:
GrowNYC
Amalgamated Housing Corporation
With deep thanks to NYC Parks for their partnership.
Urban Ecology Teen Internship
Celebrating over 10 years of hard work, friendships and environmental education!
How has Urban Eco-Teens impacted your life?
It greatly impacted my life! I met so many great people and had experiences that honed important skills. I did not pursue a nature-based career but I would definitely do it over again. UET taught me how to cultivate and appreciate this earth. That is something every human being can benefit from. -Kaleem ’14
Fell in love with VCP, made great friends, and became more aware of my impact on the environment – Karen ’14, ’15, ’17
I learned that it’s important to socialize and make connections with people with similar interest. That by building up a little bit of courage and talking to others, we can create a great community.- Andrew ’21
About
Founded in 2012, Urban Ecology Teen Internship (Urban Eco-Teens) is a year-round paid internship for high school students that prepares a new generation of students for college, stewardship, and careers in the environmental fields. Currently, the school year portion of our internship is on pause but we will hold a Summer 2023 internship.
All interns work, in the park, alongside horticulturists and natural areas restoration staff from Van Cortlandt Park. They also complete labs, go on nature-focused field trips, and explore green career opportunities with natural resource professionals.
Eligible summer participants attend a tuition free, accredited, rigorous college course called Sustainable Cities at Manhattan College; returning interns develop and present a special project; and, each year, two college-aged students develop leadership skills by working as program supervisors (Crew Leaders).
In the fall, motivated interns become part of the Leaders In Training Program series where they develop their own leadership skills, through hands-on activities, co-lead volunteer groups in the park and pair up with UET Mentors, who are alumni of the program.
Applications for the 2023 internship will be available in late February.
Returning Intern Projects
2020: Returning Urban Eco-Teens helped to create a new Teens Teaching Teens Video Series for VCPA’s Invasive Species Project: Video & Field Lab.
2021: Urban Eco-Teen returning interns worked to track, monitor and map Japanese Knotweed, a non-indigenous plant species that grows in dense stands around the Park. Pictured to the right is one of the maps they created.
2022: Urban Eco-Teen returning interns assisted VCPA Staff in collecting data on 30 sites spread across the Northwest Forest of Van Cortlandt Park, focusing their efforts on the Asian jumping worm. Check out this video of their final presentation on their research project.
To learn more about Urban Eco Teens, check out these videos:
Summer 2022 Bronx Net Interview
Summer 2021 Urban Eco-Teens
Urban Eco Teens 2018
Urban Eco Teens 2020
Con Edison’s Green Jobs for Youth
Acknowledgements for Urban Eco-Teens
Leadership support provided by:
Con Edison
Additional vital support provided by:
The City Gardens Club of New York City
Horace Mann School
The Edward F. & Sheri G. Leonard Fund
Laura J. Niles Foundation
Manhattan College
The New Yankee Stadium Community Benefits Fund
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Shandler Family Fund
SMPS Family Fund
TD Charitable Foundation
Valentine Perry Snyder Fund
Van Cortlandt Track Club
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council.
Special thanks to:
Groundwork Hudson Valley
Kingsbridge Heights Community Center
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
The New York Botanical Garden
With deepest thanks to NYC Parks for their partnership.