Mabelvale Magnet School Garden Intern

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Mabelvale Garden Update »Mabelvale Garden Update This past week, Karl Heinbockel and fellow Delta Garden Study interns have had the opportunity to escape the fluorescent lights of the office and work in the bright sunshine at the Mabelvale Magnet Middle School gardens and greenhouse. In spite of the oppressive heat, there is still much to do to prepare for the coming school year at Mabelvale Magnet Middle School. We are removing the residue from last year's crops (and weeds!) and replacing them with a buckwheat cover crop to revitalize the soil. The buckwheat cover crop suppresses weed growth and once tilled in will add important organic material back into the soil. This allows new plants the ample nutrients necessary to blossom with great vigor. Healthy soil has been our focus this summer. In the fall, we will concentrate our efforts at producing a variety of food crops with the help of our students at Mabelvale! In the coming weeks, we will be continuing to clean up and organize the garden and greenhouse spaces so that this school year will be a great one for Delta Garden Study's showcase garden - Mabelvale!

FrontPage Article »See the Progress on our New Gardens! Don't forget to visit our Garden Schools’ webpages for pictures and stories about the progress of our new gardens. Liana, Kevin, Ryan and Cale have been busy developing their sites, planting a late summer garden, and getting to know their communities. Many thanks to all of their community members who have donated materials, equipment and labor!

About The Delta Garden Study »About The Delta Garden Study The Delta Garden Study is a $2 million research study funded by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service designed to prevent childhood obesity and social risk behaviors, and improve academic achievement, in middle school children in the Delta and Central regions of Arkansas.

Mabelvale Magnet Middle School Garden Internship

Interested in doing an internship for Delta Garden Study? Fall internship positions are available and applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until August 15th.

Direct Supervisor: Garden Development Coordinator

Minimum number of hours required: 80

Job Description:

Overview: This position will work under the supervision of the Garden Development Coordinator during Summer 2011, and will maintain the organic gardens, greenhouse, rainwater harvesting systems and vermiculture operation at Mabelvale Magnet Middle School. This position will provide an enthusiastic young person with an amazing opportunity to work in a climate controlled greenhouse throughout the summer of 2011. The student selected for this internship will get valuable experience working with expert gardeners and awesome resources.

Responsibilities include: This position will maintain the existing gardens at Mabelvale Magnet School so that they are productive and beautiful. This position will work with the Garden Development Coordinator to develop a plan for succession planting, crop rotation, companion planting and inter-planting. In addition this person will be responsible for irrigation and on site supervision of volunteers. The student intern will be required to keep records and submit a weekly report on progress at Mabelvale Magnet Middle School.

Special circumstances: This position will involve travel to Mabelvale Magnet Middle School which is a short 15-20 minute commute from Midtown Little Rock.

Requirements: All majors are welcome; however students with an interest in horticulture, agriculture, community development or business are encouraged to apply.

Perks: Although this is an unpaid internship, it provides the opportunity to participate in the groundwork for a state-wide network of school gardens, network within related areas, and participate in a dynamic team.

How to Apply: To apply for one of our intern postings, please email Emily English at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it include the position you are interested in and why you would like to work with the Delta Garden Study, as well as, a coversheet and resume. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Emily English at 501-364-3390 OR This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Other unpaid internships: Farm to School Intern, Intervention Implementation Intern, Curriculum/Nutrition Intern,DGS Data Team Intern, Garden Development Intern, Website Developer Assistant.