2008 Youth Education Internship at Olbrich Botanical Gardens

 

 

 

Butterfly Education Intern

Education Department

Olbrich Botanical Gardens

3330 Atwood Avenue

Madison, Wisconsin 53704

Apply by:  February 22, 2008
Position Duration:  8 weeks; 35-40 hours per week; beginning in mid-June and ending in mid-August, 2008

Number Available:  1
PayRate:  $9 per hour

Contact:  Eve J. Komosa, Director of Education
                ekomosa@cityofmadison.com; No phone calls please.                  

Olbrich Botanical Gardens is a 16-acre public display garden located in Madison, Wisconsin. The Garden received AABGA and Horticulture Magazine’s Award for Garden Excellence in 2005.  Olbrich Botanical Gardens serves volunteers and visitors of all ages and abilities.

The Butterfly Education Intern provides educational programming during Olbrich’s “Blooming Butterflies” event.   Open to the general public, the event provides visitors with the opportunity to see butterflies free-flying in our tropical Conservatory.   This intern works under the supervision of the Director of Education and the Youth and Family Program Coordinator at the Gardens.  Sublet rentals are usually available due to the close proximity of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Position Responsibilities:

1.   Curriculum & Communications Development:  Develop all teaching curriculum for scheduled youth butterfly classes.  Work with the Butterfly Curator to create training materials for Butterfly Docent volunteers.

2.      Instruction: Teach youth butterfly education classes and Butterfly Docent training.

3.      Scheduling & Volunteer Supervision:  Schedule and supervise Butterfly Docent Volunteers.

4.      Butterfly Maintenance:  Provide occasional back-up coverage to Butterfly Curator on daily butterfly maintenance tasks.

5.      Passport Program Maintenance:  Prepare and set-up passport program in outdoor gardens.  Provide daily maintenance to butterfly passport stamping stations.

6.      Capps Cases Set-Up & Maintenance:  Work with other education staff to set up Capps exhibit cases.  Develop cases-related talking points for volunteers.  Perform daily cases maintenance duties.

7.      Program Wrap-Up: Prepare final report reflecting experience as Butterfly Education Intern. Store all teaching materials.

 

Qualifications:

1.      Major or degree in education, horticulture, environmental studies, biology, zoology, or related scholastic program.

2.      Project management experience.

3.      Minimum of one year of experience working with children in a group setting. 

4.      Ability to display confident, flexible, fair, energetic, and positive attitude while working with visitors and volunteers.

5.      Ability to work as a team player and effectively collaborate with coworkers on a daily basis.

6.      Ability to take a great degree of initiative and make independent decisions on a daily basis.

7.      Comfort seeking assistance from superiors when needed, and comfort accepting constructive feedback on a frequent basis. 

8.      Ability to organize work time very effectively, particularly in relation to set deadlines, shared daily computer time, recurrent daily tasks, and strictly defined prep time versus teaching time.

9.      Ability and willingness to work in hot, humid conditions in direct sun for up to two hours at a time on a daily basis.

10.  Willingness to submit personal information for a criminal background check, as well as ability to successfully pass a criminal background check.

11.   Entomology and/or botany experience is preferred but not required.

 

Skills Acquired  - The Butterfly Education Intern will gain, or further develop, the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:

1.  Knowledge of butterfly ecology and natural history.

2.      Ability to develop curricula designed to teach children about botany and butterfly life history, as well as curricula designed to teach adults how to interpret butterfly biology for the general public.

3.      Ability to instruct adults and young children.

4.      Further development of project management abilities.

5.      Knowledge and understanding of attitudes and ethics underlying operation of a public botanical garden.

To Apply:  Please send a cover letter, resume, college transcripts (unofficial is fine), Olbrich’s Application form  (requires Adobe Reader) and list of three professional or academic references.  In addition, please answer the following questions in 750 words or less:

1.      Describe any project management experience you have.  What skills have you gained from this/these experience(s)?

2.      Describe your past experience working with children in a group setting.  What skills have you gained from this/these experience(s)?

Describe your understanding of the role of staff in relation to visitors and program participants in a public garden setting.  (There is no right or wrong answer to this question; we are simply interested in your opinions and perceptions.)

Application form.* requires Adobe Reader