INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Irvine offers internships for both high school and college-age students looking to gain experience, earn credit hours, and contribute to a mission-based organization focused on education and the environment. Irvine interns can work in a variety of capacities across our organization including early childhood education, animal care, grounds and maintenance, Summer Nature Camp, and special events.
Join a dedicated team of professionals who are passionate about nature, animals, and education. Now accepting applications for FALL and YEAR-ROUND positions. Fill out an ONLINE APPLICATION and the Manager of Volunteer Services will contact you for an interview.
August 26 2024- May 30 2025
Description: Assist the two class teachers in leading classes of 14 students, ages 3-5 years old. Set up and clean up class materials, participate in and supervise nature play and investigations, provide group management with the assistance of teachers, and assist individuals or small groups of children with self-help skills, activities, and social interaction. Gain leadership experience in a teaching environment that values hands-on learning, risky play, and getting muddy.
Responsibilities:
- Help facilitate & prepare nature-based play and learning
- Model appropriate enthusiasm for the outdoors, conflict resolution, and desired pro-social skills
- Engage with small groups of children in activities
- Provide additional hands-on support during eating and cleaning up times
- Assist with set up and clean up
Desired Qualifications:
- At least 16 years old
- Experience and/or strong desire to work with children ages 3-5
- Trust in children’s abilities and willingness to step back and let them take the lead
- Enthusiasm and curiosity about the natural world
- Ability to work as part of a team
- Strong communication skills
- Positive attitude and professional demeanor
- Physically capable of hiking up to 2 miles a day in all forms of weather
- Your own transportation
- Complete and pass fingerprinting, background check, and physical per MSDE requirements
- Current First Aid and CPR helpful but not required
September 2024- May 2025
Description:
- Forest Explorers: Exclusively outdoor Forest Kindergarten for children ages 4.5-7.
- Nature Lab & Studios: STEM meets art integration class for homeschoolers ages 8-12.
- Irvine Days: Full day class combining outdoor education, nature awareness, and ancestral skill, nurturing and supporting child-centered connection to the land and one another for homeschoolers ages 6-11. Assist the two class teachers with a class of 8-18 students (age dependent on class). Set up materials for class, participate in and supervise nature play and investigations, provide group management assistance, facilitate social interaction, provide 1:1 or small group assistance to students needing help with an activity or in need of a break, clean up materials after class.
Responsibilities:
- Help facilitate & prepare nature-based play and learning
- Model appropriate enthusiasm for the outdoors, conflict resolution, and desired pro-social skills
- Engage with small groups of children in activities
- Provide additional hands-on support during eating and cleaning up times
- Assist with set up and clean up
- Help plan and implement enrichment activities and recreational activities
- Assist with classroom management and lesson implementation
- Help prepare materials for each lesson
Desired Qualifications:
- At least 18 years old
- Physically capable of hiking up to 2 miles a day in all forms of weather
- Experience working with children ages 4-12
- Trust in children’s abilities and willingness to step back and let them take the lead
- Enthusiasm and curiosity about the natural world
- Ability to work as part of a team
- Strong communication skills
- Positive attitude and professional demeanor
- Complete and pass fingerprinting, background check, and physical per MSDE requirements
- Current First Aid and CPR helpful but not required
September 2024-June 2025
Description: Assist with hands-on, outdoor environmental education programs for school-aged children at local elementary schools. All programs take place within 25 miles of Irvine Nature Center.
Responsibilities:
- Help plan ad implement enrichment activities and recreational activities
- Assist with classroom management and lesson implementation
- Help prepare materials for each lesson
Desired Qualifications:
- Strong interest in natural sciences, environmental and scientific education, outdoor recreation, or related fields
- Work experience with children
- Enthusiasm for and curiosity about the natural world
- Experience or strong interest in working with school-aged children
- Excellent communication skills
- Positive attitude and professional demeanor
- Reliable transportation
- Ability to pass a background check (if over 18)
September 2024-May 2025
Description: Assist with hands-on, outdoor environmental education programs for school-aged children. Under the direction of program instructors, the intern will fulfill a variety of duties.
Responsibilities:
- Set up materials for programs
- assist with the care and coordination of school groups
- Clean up after programs
- Organize educational materials
Desired Qualifications:
- At least 16 years old
- Strong interest in the environment and Natural History, Environmental/ Science Education, Outdoor Recreation, or related fields
- Strong organizational skills and punctuality
- Work experience with children preferred
- Excellent communication skills
- Familiarity with or enthusiasm to learn a variety of environmental education activities
- Reliable transportation
September- December 2024
Description: Assist the Animal Care Manager and Coordinator with the daily care and maintenance of the animals and the exhibits they inhabit. Schedule: Flexible Hours
Responsibilities:
- Feed animals and assess their wellbeing daily
- Check exhibits and maintain lighting, heat lamps, and aquarium filters
- Assist staff with live animal handling and occasional medical care
- Keep exhibit hall clean and presentable to visitors
- Educate visitors in the exhibit hall
Qualifications:
- At least 18 years old (18+)
- Reliable Transportation
- Prior animal handling experience
- Willingness to get dirty
- Not afraid to handle reptiles, amphibians, insects, and small mammals
- Raptor handling experience us a plus
- Work well with others
- Maintain a friendly, professional manner
- Take initiative
- Work independently
- Communicate consistently
September- December 2024 OR September 2024-May 2025
Description: Be a part of the team that produces all communications for Irvine – from social media to written publications to promotional flyers. An interest in nature and wildlife is important.
Responsibilities:
- Create content for social media, using all available resources and techniques.
- Design vibrant and purposeful brochures, flyers, and other marketing collateral.
- Organize and update Irvine’s searchable photo catalog.
- Collaborate with environmental educators to create original nature-related content.
Qualifications:
- At least 18 years or older (18+)
- Ability to work reliably, efficiently and independently
- Experience with marketing copy, media relations, and social media preferred
- Photography and video skills desired
- Demonstrate production with Adobe Creative Suite, including InDesign and Photoshop, Canva
- Impeccable writing, speaking and other communication skills
ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW
Irvine Nature Center is a non-profit educational organization that offers hundreds of programs of environmental studies and natural science to children and adults of the greater Baltimore area. As the largest independent non-profit nature center in the region and a leader in environmental education our mission is to educate and inspire current and future generations to explore, respect and protect nature. Located on 211-acres in Owings Mills, Maryland, Irvine is the home to over 50 animal ambassadors and serves families in The Nature Preschool, Earth Friends Outdoors Homeschool, and hundreds of school groups with fieldtrips and in-school events. In addition to its educational programming, Irvine has an interactive exhibit hall and hiking trails and is available for special event rentals.
Irvine is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability status, or any other applicable characteristics protected by federal state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
