Education Intern

Gowanus Canal Conservancy is seeking two (2) interns to assist with our Community Science Water Quality and Urban Ecology field trips for K-12 students. Each intern will have opportunities to lead small groups of students in hands-on education activities relating to water quality or urban ecology in and around the Gowanus Canal, help with set-up and clean-up for outdoor field trips, and work toward leading large group activities and facilitating trips on their own. During field trips, participating K-12 students investigate the many aspects of water quality or ecology in a 90 minute field trip, with an understanding of the issues the Canal faces and how that affects the topics we investigate and learn about. Field trips are welcoming to students of all abilities, languages, and learning levels.

Intern Role

• Receive training in programmatic topics, Gowanus history, Canal ecology, water quality, and teaching best practices
• Work with the GCC education team (Senior Manager and Education Assistant) as a teaching assistant (informal teaching and hands-on activities)
• Participate in team planning, training, program delivery, and reflection
• Setup/Breakdown of trips, facilitation of trip activities, and maintenance of materials.

Experience / Qualifications 

• Background or demonstrated interest in environmental science, informal STEM education, or related field
• Some experience teaching students in informal, outdoor settings preferred but not required (desire, enthusiasm to learn is more important)
• Enjoy working outside and with kids, sometimes in variable weather conditions (may include cold, heat, rain, wind)
• Must be reliable, committed, responsible, and a clear and consistent communicator
• Multilingual is a plus but not required

Physical Requirements

• Work is mostly performed in the field. Intern will potentially experience weather conditions including heat, cold, rain, and snow
• Requires moderate physical exertion – lifting, pushing, and carrying, etc.
• Requires communicating information orally and in writing
• Ability to enter and work at the Lowlands Nursery, an industrial site with some uneven terrain (mulch, gravel)

Compensation
This is a seasonal, part-time position paying $20 per hour for an average of 6 to 9 hours of work per week. This position starts September 8 and ends November 20, 2025. 

Schedule
Monday, September 8, Tuesday, September 9, Thursday, September 11, and Friday, September 12, 2025 between 9:30am – 3:00pm (paid training)  
September 15 – November 20, 2026. 9-12 hours/week, must be available Monday-Thursday from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
This internship will total between 85-98 hours.

Due to the outdoor nature of our field trips, we do not host field trips December through March. Interns in good standing are welcome to return & teach with us in the Spring, April through mid June.

Location
GCC Lowlands Nursery, 25 9th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215