Thimbleberry Collaborative Farm (TCF) is a nonprofit, educational farm located about 45 min outside of Portland, Oregon. Our mission is to advance individual, community, and environmental health in East Multnomah County by providing access to healthy, local produce; access to land; educational programs; and community-led events. In 2023, we distributed over 10,000 lbs of produce to those experiencing food insecurity, both through donations to local food pantries and through a farm-to-table partnership with Wallace and Milk Crate Kitchen. Our educational programs include field trips with local schools and workshops, which are offered on a sliding scale fee system and are open to everyone in the community. All educational programs focus on growing and cooking with seasonal produce, and on the social, environmental, and health impacts of our food system, and what we can do to improve it.

The Education Intern will assist the Education Programs Manager in planning, preparing for, and hosting workshops, field trips and our educational booth at the weekly farmers market. The Education Intern will learn about developing curricula and lesson plans, planning for accessibility, tailoring educational content to people of all ages, making learning fun and experiential, and program/ impact evaluation. They will, of course, learn more about growing and cooking with seasonal produce and food systems issues, too. Through working in the learning garden, the Education Intern will also learn about organic and regenerative growing methods including low/ no-till farming, drip irrigation, composting, and attracting beneficial organisms. As a small, young organization, everyone helps each other whenever possible. Therefore, the Education Intern may have opportunities to assist the Farm Operations Manager with harvesting produce and/or other managers with their respective projects.

Job Function: Agriculture, Outdoor Education, Sustainability/ Social Responsibility

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist Education Programs Manager with:
  • Planning, preparing for, and hosting educational activities (workshops, field trips, classroom visits, and our educational booth at the weekly farmers market)
    • Planning and prep will involve testing lesson plans, acquiring materials, preparing to address potential safety concerns, etc.
    • Hosting will involve running planned activities related to growing, cooking, and food systems education; entertaining people of all ages when there is “down time” with games and conversation; helping to keep groups of up to 40 people safe on the farm
  • Evaluating educational activities and improving them on an ongoing basis
  • Planting, building, maintaining, and harvesting from the learning garden
  • Meeting with potential workshop partners and teachers interested in field trips, as needed
• Communicate regularly with Education Programs Manager regarding upcoming education programs and projects that you are working on individually
• Complete independent projects such as creating an accessibility audit and designing educational signage for the farm
• Assist other TCF managers with their projects, as needed

 
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