Appalachian Headwaters’ 2024 Summer Opportunities for High School Students are available to rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders. This 10-week program is designed to give students real-world experience with a variety of outdoors-focused career paths. They will work with our resident ecologist, habitat restoration specialists, and experiential educators, as well as our summer college interns. After three weeks of intensive training to learn scientific research skills, practice ecological restoration, and develop leadership skills, they will support the operations and inspire younger students at a new, innovative nature-based day camp onsite.

This program will provide “hands-on” and more traditional learning opportunities to promote intellectual curiosity, and to support motivated students to take the next educational steps to succeed in college and future careers.

Dates, Schedules, Compensation

10 Week Job + Skills Intensive – $5000 stipend

June 10-August 16, 40 hours/week

The 10-week opportunity includes two weeks of training and skill building, one week of Waldo Day Camp preparation activities and seven weeks of serving on the advanced camp support team, with ongoing opportunities for field-based learning and skill development all summer. Upon successful completion of 10 weeks, workers will receive an additional $600 bonus.

8 Week Job – $3200 stipend

June 24-Aug 16, 40 hours/week

This 8-week opportunity includes one week of Waldo Day Camp preparation activities and seven weeks of serving on the camp support team. Upon successful completion of 8 weeks, workers will receive an additional $500 bonus.

Program Goals

• gain hands-on experience in field-based science and habitat restoration work focused on native plants and pollinators, led by experts in their fields
• inspire younger students to learn and explore at the new Waldo Day Camp
• contribute to understanding of biodiversity at a one-of-a-kind regional environmental education and research facility
• develop knowledge, skills and perspectives from working with a diverse team

Activities

• All activities are field-based, weather-dependent, and involve regular physical activity outdoors
• Each student will have a field-based project supervisor. Interns will do goal-setting with their project supervisor and will conduct weekly check-ins and a final evaluation.
• Students may have the opportunity to define an independent project within their supervisor’s workplan to complete during the internship period.
• Students are responsible for their own transportation outside of internship activities.

Location

Jobsite is located at 334 Richland Ln, Lewisburg, WV (6 miles west of downtown).