The UT Gardens offers a variety of opportunities throughout the year for students to gain
experience in public horticulture, gardening/environmental education or therapeutic
horticulture. During this internship, students will learn how to plan and implement
programming for the University of Tennessee Gardens summer camps. This is a paid 9-week
term position. Students will work 40 hours per week. The position will start May 27th and end
on August 11th. The pay rate is $13 per hour.
Position Purpose:
The Summer Camp Counselor is responsible for assisting with planning, teaching, coordinating,
and carrying out a variety of educational programming for the UT Gardens’ summer camp and
other educational programs that may occur throughout the summer.
Experience and Skills:
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Knowledge of gardening preferred but not necessary
First Aid/CPR/AED Certification required by date position begins
Planning, organizing, and project coordination skills
Independent and able to work with limited supervision
Experience working with children
Able to follow directions and policies at all times
Enthusiastic about gardening and environmental education
Responsibilities may include the following tasks:
Assist with program set up and tear down
Lead various sessions on a variety of gardening and environmental topics
Plan and implement educational programing
Facilitate and participate in camp games
Work with elementary-school and middle-school-aged children
Assist in supervision of campers
Maintain high standards of safety and health of campers and staff
Be a role model to campers and staff
Assist with other gardens programming as needed
Work Environment:
Indoors & Outdoors
May be exposed to inclement weather: rain, heat, wind, etc.
Sitting and standing for varied lengths of time
Must be able to lift gardening materials including bags of soil, pots, etc.
Hours may include evenings and some weekends
How to Apply for this Opportunity:
Contact Whitney Hale, Education Coordinator, at the UT Gardens, Knoxville for an application.
All applications are due by March 14, 2025.
Additional Information:
The University of Tennessee Gardens has received funding from the U.S. Department
of Agriculture to implement a project called Getting Rooted in Gardening. Getting Rooted
in Gardening is a research project supported by the National Institute of Food and
Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Award Number 2023-70026-40845.
This project is aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of interactive garden education in
increasing students’ knowledge of gardening, plant science, nutrition, and food systems,
and improving students’ ability to meet Tennessee state standards for math and
science. It has a three-pronged reach that includes educators, young adults/teenagers,
and youth.
By creating opportunities for growth and understanding for each participant
group, we hope to increase numbers of youth receiving gardening and nutrition
education instruction, improve community health, improve access to gardens and
gardening materials, increase diversity in agriculture, and have a greater number of
children impacted by UT Gardens outreach.
We have funding to hire (AmeriCorps members, Counselors in Training, and Interns) as
(AmeriCorps members – a year-round staff member, or Counselors in Training/Interns as
summer camp staff). All program staff will participate in weekly check-ins, complete a
project and present the results of the project to UT Gardens staff, and write a social
media post on a career related to agriculture. You will be asked to complete horticultural
tasks in the Kitchen Garden along with your other position duties.