Community and School Programs Internship
The Merrowvista Community and School Programs (CSP) Team is made up of young professionals seeking a youth-focused experience in outdoor education.
Our days as youth development professionals are inspiring and full! We challenge ourselves and the young people we work with to grow and discover our own best. The outdoors is our home. We work together to create a community where individuals are respected and where our values guide our actions. We gain confidence, explore, and have fun.
Set in the pristine Ossipee Mountains of New Hampshire, alongside the crystal clear waters of Dan Hole Pond, Merrowvista exists as a place apart. Step away from the fast-paced world and join a community that provides the perfect setting for discovering your very best, building positive community, and nurturing young leaders.
During the CSP season, facilitators can expect to lead groups of 8-14 school aged participants from schools and communities around the Northeast. Our participants will discover and develop themselves throughout 3-5 day overnight programs. Interested applicants can check out our full job description linked here, scroll down for Frequently Asked Questions, and photos.
CSP Interns
Interns have experience and passion for working with young people, are enthusiastic about growing and creating positive communities, and see themselves as professionals and role models for the youth of Merrowvista.
Philosophy of the Internship
In exchange for their hard work, the AYF is committed to the advancement of our interns. The philosophy behind the internship is to provide a rich learning experience to new members of the field. By giving interns the opportunity to serve, the internship provides experience and learning about what it takes to be an effective educator in a dynamic and intentional outdoor setting. We seek to inspire our interns to discover and develop their personal best, and create an environment where they can explore their own gifts and learn skills to apply as competent leaders in whatever field they choose to pursue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Interns will begin staff training at Merrowvista for the fall season on August 19th and work through November 23rd. The winter and spring season begin the second week of January and ends the first week of June.
From August 19th-September 2nd, interns will learn all about the mission, philosophy, and values of the American Youth Foundation. They will learn how to work with participants, how to facilitate curriculum, and will work to build our positive community. By the end of staff training, interns will be prepared to lead a school group through leadership development, team building exercises, high ropes adventures, and more!
Yes, housing is provided for the entirety of your contract with Merrowvista and food is provided during all programs.
Facilitators will be provided with shared housing on our site. Housing includes furniture and amenities including bedrooms, a full kitchen, bathrooms, television, wifi, etc.
It is not uncommon for facilitators to be experiencing camp and Merrwovista for the very first time. Interns should be open to new experiences and ways of operating when they come to Merrowvista, especially if this is their first time at Merrowvista or at a summer camp in general.
Merrowvista interns will spend their days in program or working on projects around the site. Each program is unique, as it is designed to meet the needs of a specific school or community group. Interns will be briefed before each program so they know more about the participants and outcomes of the program. During the program, facilitators will spend their day with their small group, facilitating blocks like wetland ecology, team building, high ropes course, and canoeing. Meals, night time activities, and a few other activities will be enjoyed with the community as a whole. In the evenings, the Merrowvista staff will meet and debrief their day before heading off to their own housing for bed.
Merrowvista is able to work with a variety of dietary needs and allergies. At each meal, Merrowvista will provide a dairy free, gluten free, vegetarian and vegan option. Merrowvista is peanut and tree nut aware and will not serve anything with those products in it. Some snacks and desserts may be created in a facility that uses peanuts or tree nuts, and safe alternatives will be offered when those are the general option.
A day as a facilitator looks like:
