Ecology Action's Internships 2024 and 2025:
Online and Onsite
Ecology Action offers 8-month online and 6-month and 8-month onsite internship programs where qualified participants who want to be key GROW BIOINTENSIVE resources for their region can get involved in hands-on demonstration, teaching and research in sustainable agriculture and closed-system food production.
Through these programs, participants learn to use the unique, closed-loop, soil-building, resource-conserving, sustainble organic approach to food production developed by Ecology Action and master farmer John Jeavons over 50 years of research and applied farming. In addition, they learn about positive social solutions and practical skills to address food security issues. The internship focuses exclusively on the GROW BIOINTENSIVE Sustainable Mini-Farming technique and the low-technology lifestyle appropriate to development work, and results in certification as a GROW BIOINTENSIVE teacher. The 8-month programs begin in April and run through November of each year.
These internships are intended for people who already have an established understanding of the GROW BIOINTENSIVE (GB) method and want to take their skills to the next level. Specifically, we have developed these internships for people who:
- Have already taken a workshop or other course in the GB method, or are involved in established projects and programs that use the GB method already;
- Are interested in an in-depth understanding and experience of why GROW BIOINTENSIVE works and how to modify it for other climates, soils and cultures; and
- Expect to be actively involved in public service in this kind of work (with selective preference given to those who have a strong interest in applied sustainable farming and/or demonstrate a significant ability to use the skills they gain through an internship to benefit their communities and the planet).
Our internship programs are an opportunity for you to assist Ecology Action in its mission to teach people to grow food and increase soil fertility while conserving resources, with both direct and indirect learning occurring in the process. During the internship, emphasis is placed on the ability of participants to learn to farm and develop GROW BIOINTENSIVE diet and sustainability designs and approaches, in the belief that the most creativity and strength come from people joining forces and working as a team after they have fully developed strength and independence. We have found that skill levels can be dramatically upgraded with this type of training.
Programs Available:
Online (Zoom-based) Internship
Ecology Action offers an 8-month Online (Zoom-based) GROW BIOINTENSIVE Internship Program to highly qualified individuals around the globe.Formerly, all interns spent 8 months onsite at Ecology Action, returning to their homes after completing the program. We are not currently offering an onsite internship at The Jeavons Center (see our onsite program at Victory Gardens for Peace, below). Instead, we are offering an online program for US and international interns which spans 8 months to provide web-based participants with an optimal learning experience, while causing as little disruption to their normal schedule as possible. The structure of the program is as follows:
Ecology Action’s Online 8-month Interns will learn practical skills as well as learning/teaching techniques through an web-based (Zoom) classroom and curriculum. All participants must complete a series of reading, practical and field assignments as a part of this program. By the end of the program, interns will have gained a comprehensive understanding of how to design, plan and manage a small-scale biologically intensive mini-farm as well how to teach the GROW BIOINTENSIVE(GB) method to others.
The 8-month online internship runs from April 2 to November 19, 2024. online classes will be held on Tuesdays from 8:30am-3:30 pm Pacific Standard Time. Each class includes a 1-hour break a ~11:30am for meals/rest. No classes will be held during the month of August.
Cost: Applicants should note that this is an unpaid, fee-based internship program with limited scholarship opportunities. Program fees include tuition, books and other reading materials, as well as administrative expenses. Program fees are non-refundable. The cost of the internship is $4,750 per person. Do not send payment until you have been notified of your acceptance to the program. Once you are accepted, you will receive further information on schedules, preparation and payments. Not included: any and all other costs associated with the time and activities performed in association with the program. For example, any costs related to housing, food, supplies, utilities, internet, living expenses, medical insurance or expenses, travel, incidental costs, etc., are entirely the responsibility of the participants.
If you are interested in this program and require assistance with the costs described above, we recommend that you seek sponsorship from an organization in your country that helps with rural, agricultural or community development. Ecology Action sometimes provides this program for a reduced tuition and administrative costs to highly qualified internation applicants who are able to provide partial funding from local sources.Program Location: Your home
Application Deadline: February 2, 2024
Participant Notification March 2, 2024
Program Begins: April 2, 2024
Program Ends: November 19, 2024Early Registration for the 2025 Online 8-Month Internship is now available: use the online application (below) and select "2025 Internship Season (Dates TBA)" from the options provided on the form. While we do not have the exact dates for the 2025 season selected, they will follow the same general April-November schedule as the 2024 season.
Click here to download a sample curriculum/syllabus for the online 8-Month Internship. Please remember that this is a sample and the actual curriculum, while it will cover these topics, may vary, depending on the instructor. You may also find it useful to look at the onsite 8-Month Internship description as a reference point.
This program is in development. If you are interested in applying for this internship, click here to fill out and submit an application.
8-Month Onsite Internships:
Victory Gardens for Peace Mini Farm, Mendocino, CA
IMPORTANT NOTE, READ FIRST: The hosting of onsite internship programs is contingent upon COVID-19 safety regulations. If safety considerations make it necessary to cancel an onsite internship program before it begins, registrants will be provided with a full refund of all fees. If a program is cancelled after it begins, participants will either receive a pro-rated refund based on the work completed, or be provided with online coursework and guidance necessary to complete the internship as a distance-learning program, or the opportunity to transfer to a future program, whichever makes the most sense for the progress of the participants, as determined by the program coordinators.
For all onsite internships the following applies: No scholarships available. Participants from USA only. Negative COVID test req’d. Arrive 10 days before classes start to quarantine.***
This internship, which runs from March 21 - December 2, 2024, is open to US and international applicants who meet the prerequisites listed above, and requires that participants live full-time at the program site in Mendocino, CA for the duration of the program; The program includes a combination activities: lecture and demonstrations, study, field work, teaching, and "living the method". This combination is designed is so that participants learn Ecology Action's processes both theoretically and practically, and can understand the processes that are involved in starting this type of work (GROW BIOINTENSIVE farming, low-tech living, teaching the method to others) as well as performing these activities over the long-term.
Cost: $8,850 (US residents) - US$20,950-$22,950 (international participants - scholarships sometimes available)
Program Location: Ecology Action's Victory Gardens for Peace Mini Farm, Mendocino CA.
Application Deadline: January 5, 2024 (Earlier applications preferred)
Participant Notification by: February 5, 2024
Arrive at VGFP No Later Than: March 20, 2024 (program begins March 21)
Depart No Earlier Than: December 3, 2024 (program ends December 2)Applicants should note that this is an unpaid, fee-based internship program. Program interns will be placed at the Victory Gardens for Peace Mini-Farm near the town of Mendocino, California. Internship fees are non-refundable. A $2,250 deposit is due within one week of acceptance. Partial Scholarships available to those who qualify.
Click here to see a sample course description, including schedule, curriculum, reading list, a breakdown of program expenses. Any updates will be released by the end of January 2024.
This program is in development. If you are interested in applying for any of these internships, click here to fill out and submit an application.
6-Month Onsite Internships:
Victory Gardens for Peace Mini Farm, Mendocino, CA
Ecology Action offers this 6-month Onsite Internship for individuals to live onsite at one of Ecology Action's Biointensive Mini-Farm sites and learn both the essential components that make sustainable agriculture and a highly productive, closed-loop food production system possible in your back yard, using the GROW BIOINTENSIVE Sustainable Mini-Farming technique and a low-technology lifestyle AND learn more about designing a complete diet and planning a sustainable vegetable garden or mini-farm using biointensive techniques. During the course you will learn the eight principles of biointensive gardening that will increase your yields, grow your soil and conserve resources for the whole planet, as well as personal diet design and sustainable garden planning.
The 6-Month internship runs from April 8 - October 7, 2024 and is of particular benefit to those who have already participated in an Ecology Action Workshop. The internship covers the basics, and goes into depth of understanding and experiential learning. The internship follows the same coursework as the Garden Corps Program and 4-month Internship (not offered in 2024), but includes additional instruction accompanying the 8-month interns in the spring, as well as onsite accomodations and a combination of:• Lecture and demonstrations,
• Study,
• Field work, and
• Living the method.This combination is designed is so that participants learn Ecology Action's processes both theoretically and practically, and can understand the processes that are involved in starting this type of work (GROW BIOINTENSIVE farming, low-tech living, teaching the method to others) as well as performing these activities over the long-term. The internships are an opportunity to assist Ecology Action in accomplishing its mission to teach people to grow food and soil fertility while conserving resources, with both direct and indirect learning occurring in the process.
Applications for this internship are now being accepted (US and International participants).
Cost: US$6,470 (US participants)/ US$16,890 (international participants) per person, including room, board, and all course materials. Not included: personal travel to and from the site (which will vary per participant), medical insurance, or money for incidental expenses or entertainment. All participants are responsible for travel, medical, and incidental/entertainment expenses associated with their participation in this program.
Application Deadline: January 5, 2024 (earlier applications preferred)
Participant Notification by Feb 5, 2024
Arrive Onsite No Later Than: April 7, 2024 (program begins April 8)
Depart No Earlier Than: October 8, 2024 (program ends October 7)Applicants should note that this is an unpaid, fee-based internship program. Program interns will be placed at the Victory Gardens for Peace Mini-Farm in Mendocino, California. Internship fees are non-refundable. A $2,250 deposit is due within one week of acceptance. Partial Scholarships available to those who qualify. Proof of medical insurance must be supplied by US participants; international participants must work with Ecology Action to arrange appropriate medical insurance for their time in the United States.
Click here to download a sample course description, including curriculum and program expenses (description from 2021; 2023 course description in development, check here soon for updates).
Click here to apply
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