Assistant Wilderness Instructor Internship (Unpaid)
Primitive Pursuits. Friction Fire. Epic Games. Awareness. Laughter. Natural History. Stories and Songs. Building Community. Gratitude. Strengthening connection to Nature. Tree ID. Tracking. Sound like the place to be? It is! Primitive Pursuits is looking for Summer Interns for our innovative summer day camp program in central New York’s Finger Lakes Region. Our radical approach to education fosters a meaningful connection to nature through nature awareness, primitive skills, curiosity, community and the mystery of the natural world. Youth aged 6-14 spend their entire days immersed in the fields, forests and waterways of undeveloped nature – gathering resources, crafting tools, navigating the landscape, mastering fire skills and surviving limitless challenges together.
As a program of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, Primitive Pursuits is a leader in both the national wilderness awareness movement, as well as a regional effort to develop financially sustainable social enterprises; developing social change within the market place rather than relying on philanthropy and other traditional revenue streams.
Working with Primitive Pursuits will provide invaluable experience on multiple levels; from cutting edge wilderness education and mentorship to small business development and project management.
Best of all you’ll get the chance to be the person that every employer is looking for: a mission driven, systems thinking, independently motivated community visionary.
All internships are provided through Cornell Cooperative Extension and are unpaid unless interns have a summer FWS award.
The Many Perks of Interning with Primitive Pursuits:
- Free rustic accomodations onsite!
- If onsite, access to a share of fresh, local and organic fruits and vegetables every week with our CSA share
- $50 weekly travel allowance
- Training and mentorship with our experienced staff
- Americorps positions also available
To apply, visit our website www.primitivepursuits.com.
FIELD INTERNSHIPS
Our Field Interns combine wilderness survival skills and bioregional knowledge with the most effective tools of mentoring and professional development. As part of a committed group that challenges, creates and leads together you will have many opportunities for personal growth and valuable workforce training. Interns act as assistant instructors for our summer camps and receive training in our unique approach to mentoring youth in nature, which focuses on curiosity, play and asking questions as much or more than delivery of facts.
What You Will Experience:
- Trailblazing through epic forests in the Finger Lakes Region
- Advanced Primitive Skills including wild edibles, friction fire and natural shelter
- First-hand experience in experiential wilderness education
- With experienced lead instructors, guide groups of youth into natural areas, away from facilities and without modern gear, engaging them in a self-directed inquiry into basic, personal and group survival needs.
- Spending every day in the forest having the time of your life!
Interested applicants must be passionate about outdoor education and discovering the mysteries of nature. Applicants must be excited about spending everyday outdoors in the woods, no matter the weather. Curiosity is required, experience is not.
Details: Field Internships are 40 hours per week, with one week of skills training and a minimum of three weeks of direct teaching experience. Summer Dates: June 22nd – September 4th.
“Working with Primitive Pursuits has taught me invaluable life skills. It combines learning, mentoring, exploration, daring, creativity, intuition, and practicality for an enriching experience, with the natural world as the classroom” – ER
To apply, visit our website www.primitivepursuits.com.
Degree: Bachelor's // Student Status: Fifth Year, First Year, Fourth Year, Junior, Senior, Sophomore // Work Authorization: Include all candidates