Naturalist Internship 2022 (possibly into 2023)

The Stanislaus County Office of Education operates Foothill Horizons Outdoor School for the 6th grade students of Stanislaus County. In a normal school year, classes of students accompanied by their classroom teachers, spend between three and five days in residence at our facility. This season is a bit different. Because we are trying to serve as many students as we can who couldn’t come up sooner, we are running two back-to-back 2-night programs each week from late January through the end of May.  We will have one group Monday-Wednesday and another Wednesday-Friday. 

 

During their stay, the students participate in a variety of activities designed to increase their knowledge of, and sensitivity to, the natural world. The students take part in outdoor science classes and evening activities that include a campfire program, a night hike, and a dance.

 

Our interns create rich and rewarding experiences for our visiting sixth grade students, teachers, and counselors. Interns will lead groups of students as they hike the trails, explore, and gain a greater to the natural world. Interns teach hands-on science curriculum in a fun, engaging way. Certain weeks, instead of teaching on the trail, interns serve as the recreation leader. During these weeks, they lead campfire programs, teach dance, and supervise free play time.

 

Naturalist Interns are integral members of our community of dedicated and passionate naturalists and are valued as innovative, knowledgeable staff members. Interns who complete our program are self-reflective teachers, effective environmental educators, and more knowledgeable about natural history. Interns receive training at the beginning of the internship that will continue throughout their stay.

 

Naturalist Interns, once comfortable, also play a large role in our high school counselor program; by providing suggestions and advice to our counselors on how our counselors can best assist Naturalists while out on the trail, and by providing guidance for how the counselors can best handle student behavior in the dorms. Interns will write formal evaluations for their counselors at the end of each week. Through this process, interns gain valuable experience in learning how to assess the performance of others and put observations in writing – a helpful skill to have, should your career path lead you in the direction of coaching others.

 

Foothill Horizons is nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains surrounded by 143 acres of oak woodlands. The site offers varied terrain through beautiful forests of large ponderosa pines and oaks. With our students, we enjoy exploring the meadows, granite outcroppings, and our year-round creek. The outdoor education center is located five miles east of the historic town of Sonora, California, at an elevation of 2,500 feet. The Stanislaus National Forest - with its wilderness areas, granite peaks, mountain lakes, rivers, and ski areas is just a short drive up the hill. Year-round climbing is available at nearby Table Mountain, and Yosemite National Park is about two hours away.

Foothill Horizons has a staff culture that is built upon support, kindness, and growth. Our six permanent naturalists have over 70 years of accumulated experience teaching and working as professional environmental educators and share the responsibilities of formally and informally mentoring the interns. To complete and enhance our teaching staff, we hire 6 interns each year. Interns must live on site in shared housing.