(Chelsea Update would like to thank Trinh Pifer for the information in this story.)
The Chelsea Senior Center’s Intergenerational Garden and the 5 Healthy Towns Farmers Markets are looking for someone to manage the garden and coordinate children’s activities related to the garden and at the Farmers Markets.
Overview:
The Intergenerational Garden was established in 2012 as a collaborative effort of the Chelsea Senior Center and the Chelsea School District. Its mission is to:
1) teach children the joys and benefits of gardening,
2) afford a manageable gardening experience for seniors, and
3) help bridge the intergenerational gap between the two age groups.
The garden is an 85’ x 85’ fenced parcel that includes a hoop house (24’ x 36’) with several raised beds and a seasonal water supply on site. The garden is located on School District property, immediately adjacent to the Senior Center and the local preschools’ building, which also houses Camp Gabika (day camp) during the summer months.
The Chelsea Farmers Market is held on Saturdays in downtown Chelsea from May-Oct and the Manchester Farmers Market plans to offer children’s activities on Thursdays from June-August. Both markets offer an Activity Booth once a week over the course of the market season.
Job Description:
A summer intern is sought to help maintain the garden (planting, harvesting, watering and weeding). The intern will also be in charge of planning a different children’s activity for each week to be offered at Camp Gabika and during the Chelsea and Manchester Farmers Markets. Activities will feature gardening education, eating healthy and exercise.
The intern will work directly with Senior Center and Farmers Market staff and volunteers to establish clear goals and expectations for the season. At the start of the season, the project team and key volunteers will meet to kick off the season. This meeting will provide historical context for the intern and also help generate some new ideas for programming. In May, meetings with community partners will establish a schedule for summer programs and gardening work days.
The Intern may choose to partner with other organizations to host the children’s activities, such as Manchester Wellness Center, Dance Arts, Manchester Community Schools, Manchester Early Education Center, Manchester Co-op Preschool, Ballet Chelsea, MOPS, Chelsea Area Garden Club, or others. It will be up to the Intern whether to run the activity themselves or partner with a host group, or a combination of the two.
Examples of activities include cooking demos, building food art with vegetables, zumba for kids, planting seedlings, mini greenhouses, etc.
Hours and compensation:
Compensation is $9-10 per hour for approximately 25-30 hours per week. Hours may be flexible, but a proposed schedule would be:
Intergenerational Garden: Tue, Wed, Fri from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. (May 6-Aug. 31, this would include weekly cooking demo with Camp Gabika)
Chelsea Farmers Market: Saturdays 9 a.m. – noon with 1 hour prep time (May 6 – Oct. 28, 26 markets)
Manchester Farmers Market: Thursdays 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. with 1 hour prep time (June 15 – Aug. 31, 10 markets)
Note: from August-October, hours would be tapered off to only support the Chelsea Farmers Market and the Intergenerational Garden.
An overarching goal is to share community resources and provide opportunities that encourage people of all ages to move more, eat better, and connect with others. The intern will be a temporary employee of the Chelsea Senior Center. Desired qualifications include interest or experience with gardening, community engagement, and programming.
Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter by Friday, March 3, Attn: Trinh Pifer, Chelsea Senior Center, 512 Washington Street, Chelsea, MI 48118 or email [email protected].
