Chicago Botanic Garden

AT THE GARDEN — INTERNSHIPS

John H. Stroger, Jr. 2010 Internship Program – Filled

Download a PDF application form.

OVERVIEW
The President John H. Stroger, Jr. Internship Program offers eight-week internships for 18- to 21-year-old residents of Cook County. Six paid, and up to five unpaid internships are available in the summer of 2010. These internships are designed to introduce early career or college students to professional experiences in the not-for-profit sector. The size and complexity of the Chicago Botanic Garden affords opportunities in a wide variety of fields including education, visitor services and horticulture (view options here). All internships will take place from June 7 through July 30, 2010.

Eligibility
Internship candidates must meet the following criteria:

  • They must be between 18 and 21 years of age during the period of the internship (June 7 through July 30, 2010).
  • They must be residents of Cook County, IL, for at least one year prior to the start of the internship.
  • They must have received a high school diploma or GED prior to the start of the internship.
  • They must have a clean criminal record, absent of convictions for felonies or misdemeanors.
  • They must be legally eligible to work in the United States.
  • For some internship positions, a valid driver’s license is required.

All internships will take place, at least in part, at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Reliable transportation is therefore essential. The Garden is accessible from many areas by public transportation.

Application Process
All potential internship candidates must complete an application form and submit it to their Cook County Forest Preserve District Commissioner prior to the deadline of February 26. Contact your Commissioner to determine the deadline for submission. Applications may not be submitted to (and will not be accepted by) the Chicago Botanic Garden. Candidates may obtain their Commissioner's name and contact information at: http://www.co.cook.il.us/commissioners.htm. If you need help determining who your Commissioner is, click here for further resources.

Each Commissioner will nominate a single candidate from his or her respective district, and then send the nominated candidate's application to the Internship Coordinator at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Each nominated candidate is required to attend an interview in March with the selection committee consisting of independent and unbiased individuals/volunteers The selection committee will then make its final internship decisions and the selected candidates will be notified in April.

Download an interactive PDF application form.
(Print and submit to your local Forest Preserve District Commissioner.)

Selection Criteria
The selection committee, an unbiased and independent panel, will apply preset criteria to select candidates for each of the internship positions.

Salary and Benefits
Interns are committed to work 37.5 hrs/week for the full eight-week internship period. The hourly pay for the six paid internships will be $9/hr. Five internships will be unpaid. Any time off (except national holidays, e.g. Monday, July 5) must be offset during the internship period. All time off must be cleared by the Area Mentor and Internship Coordinator.

Interns will enjoy many of the privileges and responsibilities of Garden staff including access to conferences and lectures, discounts at the Garden Café and Garden Shop and reduced registration fees at the Joseph Regenstein Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden. Interns also will enjoy access to the Lenhardt Library, which is among the best horticultural libraries in the country.

Internship Experience
The largest component of this experience is full-time (37.5 hrs/week) eight-week hands-on service work during which each intern will participate in and support the activities of their assigned area (department or division) of the Chicago Botanic Garden. While interns are committed to spending their entire internship in the same area, the activities within these areas will likely vary. Each of the interns will be assigned an Area Mentor, who will provide guidance and leadership throughout the internship experience. The internship experience also will include weekly check-ins with the Internship Coordinator and periodic lectures and other enrichment experiences. For detailed descriptions of available internship opportunities see page three, Internship Areas of Placement.

Internship Orientation
Interns will receive the Garden's new staff orientation, which includes a tram tour circumnavigating the 385-acre site. This one-day orientation is an essential component of the internship program and all selected interns are required to participate during the first week of June, date TBA.

Program Timeline

  • February 26: All nominated candidates' applications are due to the Chicago Botanic Garden from Commissioners. Applications should be submitted to Commissioners prior to this date. Contact your Commissioner regarding the deadline for submission.
  • March 6 & 20: Interviews are conducted by an independent selection committee at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
  • April 5-9: Selected interns are notified of their acceptance into the program.
  • First week of June: One-day internship orientation at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
  • June 7 – July 30: Internship period

Contact

Jeannette Matuska
Coordinator for Secondary Education and Career Programs
Center for Teaching and Learning, Chicago Botanic Garden

(847) 835-6871