Mandatory Qualifications
Interns must be 16 years old by June 10th, 2024. River City High School students must have completed at least one course in one of WUSD’s Career Technical Education Pathways. View qualifying courses here. Yolo High School and Washington Middle College students must have a recommendation form filled out by a teacher or counselor. All participants must have also viewed an online informational session about the internships offered by the Home Run team. If you were unable to attend a scheduled session, you may listen to the full recording here (audio starts at 2:25).
Responsibilities
Learn what it takes to grow food (from seeding, all the way to harvesting and distribution).
Understand how food systems can promote inequity and structural racism and how the nature-based solutions can impact the built environment.
Connect to community members through direct service in our Community Giving program.
Work on a team of people with a similar background to you in an empowering environment.
Take climate action by building a community green space and a resilient local food system.
About the Business
At Three Sisters Gardens, we believe the key to a thriving community is to work together as one, with all components - youth, adults, and elders - collaborating in harmony. We draw inspiration from the Three Sisters' legend of companionship planting, which exemplifies the importance of mutual support and coexistence in nature. Our mission is grounded in traditional Native American values that prioritize respect for Mother Earth and all living things. We use urban agriculture as a tool to engage community members and create a food system that is sustainable, nourishing, and good for the environment.
Preferred Abilities
Curiosity and willingness to learn, desire to get their hands dirty and be in nature daily, interest in agriculture, food systems, and environmental science, and self-motivation.
Learning outcomes
Interns will gain practical farming skills and food systems education. Interns will learn how to grow food and that's a valuable skill they can take with them after this internship! Our food systems focus allows them to gain understanding of the systems that impact them and the communities they live in with a push to shift towards more sustainable ways of living
Interns will become environmental stewards. Interns may learn about the importance of environmental stewardship and sustainable agriculture practices. They may gain an appreciation for the natural world, learn about ecosystems and biodiversity, and understand the role of agriculture in mitigating climate change and protecting natural resources.
Interns will learn teamwork and communication, essential skills for their future! Interns may develop teamwork and communication skills through collaborative work on the farm. They may learn how to effectively communicate with peers, supervisors, and community members, as well as how to work cooperatively to achieve common goals.
Interns will learn leadership skills. Interns may have opportunities to take on leadership roles and responsibilities, such as leading farm tasks or organizing community events. They may develop confidence, resilience, and problem-solving skills through their experiences on the farm, as well as a sense of pride and accomplishment in their contributions to the community.
Special Project
Interns will participate in our Youth Leadership Development Program. This is a 6-week curriculum program that not only teaches essential farm skills but also empowers participants to take leadership and work effectively on a team. Interns will work on daily farm tasks such as weeding, watering, transplanting, and harvesting as well as learning new skills. Our program is focused on sustainable farming practices so we will teach interns why we use the techniques that they're learning before they get to try it themselves. We will have guest speakers come to the farm to teach interns about different opportunities the agricultural sector has to offer. Examples of past speakers include local sustainable farming leaders, students from UC Davis' Student Farm, and a soil science and agroecology professor from Sac State. All the produce grown by interns will be directly distributed to food-insecure community members and help folks access healthy food.
Additional Information
Our program is tailored for youth under the age of 24. We've had youth as young as 13 work with us and have a great time. You don't have to come in knowing anything about food systems and agriculture, we will show you that it's important and that there is a place for you! We're dedicated to fostering a safe and inclusive environment and welcome all folks.
Interns are expected to be outdoors for the duration of the program. Our farms are all outdoor but we do offer shade structures and cooling protocols for hot days. On extreme heat days, we will cancel our youth program for their safety. This internship is physical and while we can accommodate some needs, most interns will be expected to be able to bend and kneel comfortably and may need to carry items weighing up to 25 lbs. We expect interns to dress comfortably for the elements and for being outside for up to 4 hours (i.e. hats, sunglasses, boots/work shoes).