Kittitas Environmental Education Network (KEEN), Culturally Responsive Curriculum Internship, Summer 2023
Every summer, The Bill Lane Center for the American West offers many opportunities for Stanford undergraduates (including graduating seniors and co-terms) to work with organizations throughout the West. Through these internships, students can explore careers in natural history, conservation, land use, museum curation, resource management, energy and more.
All internships are full-time and last ten weeks during the summer. They are fully funded by the Lane Center.
The Lane Center has placed over 200 interns in positions across the West since 2005. As such, we have developed strong relationships with host organizations and work hard to ensure interns have successful and enriching experiences.
For more information about our internship program, please visit our FAQs page, or email Education Manager Corinne Thomas.
Read more about past interns' experiences here.
Stipend Information:
The Bill Lane Center will provide a base stipend of $7,500 with additional funding for student financial aid and cost of living adjustments for the internship location, if applicable.
Description of the Organization and the Internship:
The Kittitas Environmental Education Network's mission is to cultivate an active awareness and understanding of the endangered shrub-steppe, provide nature-based education for all ages, and strengthen commitment to environmental stewardship.
The Kittitas Environmental Education Network (KEEN) is an operating 501(c)3 non-profit in Ellensburg, Washington. The Nature School programs include a plethora of school-year and summer camp options for kids grades K-12 throughout Kittitas County. The curriculum focuses on being place-based and learner-led, encouraging kids to foster a fascination with the natural world and nurturing a life-long responsibility for their local community and greater natural spaces.
Culturally responsive and inclusive education is at the heart of environmental education and KEEN is eager to build curricula that acknowledges the caretakers of the land, the peoples of the Yakama Nation, and that reflects the cultural diversity of the county.
KEEN is seeking an intern who is well-versed in K-12 curriculum design and passionate about integrating culturally relevant, inclusive and diverse curricula into informal environmental educational programming. This internship would focus on incorporating local Indigenous and immigrant histories and environmental stewardship strategies into fun and educational outdoor activities for kids ages 5-17.
The intern will also gain an opportunity to create, teach, and facilitate a sample of this curriculum during a themed week-long summer camp session.
Internship Work Environment:
This is an in-person internship and candidates who can commit to in-person will receive preference although virtual/remote may be possible. The ratio of outdoor/field work to indoor/office work per week is approximately 30% to 70%, respectively.
The intern will work directly with the Environmental Education Director, Carlyn Saunders and KEEN’s President, Jill Scheffer. They will also work with summer camp supervisor, Jen Smith, and alongside summer camp staff.
While personal transportation would not be required for this internship and ride sharing would be available, it would be helpful to have a reliable vehicle as the location for the outdoor facility is several miles outside of town.
Location: Ellensburg, Washington
- Research and compile resources regarding culturally responsive education and equitable and inclusive environmental education strategies and curriculum
- Create sample curriculum to be facilitated during themed summer camp programming
- Help create programming outline that adheres to place-based, culturally relevant educational topics of central Washington state
- Integrate Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty of Washington State and work with local Indigenous leaders to create place-based curricula for KEEN programming.
Bill Lane Center internships are part of Cardinal Quarter opportunities and students from all disciplines are encouraged to apply. The opportunities are full-time (35-40 hours a week) for 10 consecutive weeks during the summer. Specific start and end dates can be coordinated directly with the supervisor.
Please note:
- Students are not permitted to engage in another full-time internship, job, or volunteer opportunity (whether funded by Stanford or otherwise) during this full-time, summer internship.
- Student athletes should confirm the impact of any awarded stipend on their athletic eligibility by contacting the Compliance Services Office prior to committing to a research project or internship.
All undergraduates, including graduating seniors, are eligible. Coterms are eligible only if they hold undergraduate status.
For more helpful application advice, please visit the BLC’s FAQs page.
Application Guidelines for this Internship:
This internship would require more advanced knowledge of curriculum design and environmental intersectionality equity and justice work on par with upper-level coursework.
Juniors or seniors preferred but not required.
Required skills:
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Pursuing coursework in K-12 education and have experience in curriculum design
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Have confident research and presentation skills
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Have experience or coursework in informal education and environmental education, such as summer camps or outdoor schools
Desired skills:
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Diversity, equity, and justice studies
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Child development and psychology
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Trauma-informed education strategies
Selection of applicants:
Complete applications are screened and finalists are contacted for an interview with staff from The Bill Lane Center for the American West. The top candidates for the position are forwarded to the organization for direct interviews with their potential supervisors and other staff.
Host organizations will then notify the Lane Center of their preferred candidate and that applicant will receive an internship offer from the Bill Lane Center by email.
The applicant is expected to respond promptly (within 48 hours) via email to the offer or the offer will be rescinded.
Once an applicant accepts an offer, they should promptly notify all other Stanford and non-Stanford programs to which they have applied that they have accepted another offer and withdraw their candidacy from those other opportunities.
