ITEK Internships

Wisdom of the Elders is proud to offer paid internship opportunities that give environmental education, job skills and career pathway support to people who want to work in the environmental sector.

We focus on environmental restoration and Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK) specific to our staff and interns. The program is 12 weeks long, every Spring and Fall. 

Tuesday and Thursdays we will meet for field days to gain hands-on experience with partners organizations.  Sites we visit for learning and working are thought the Portland Metro area and include farms, parks, nature areas and community spaces.  Wednesdays we will meet for a day of classroom learning, around ITEK, western science and cultural arts.  Classroom days include a mix of lecture, discussion, and hands on projects.  

• Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Native  peoples (also known as ITEK)
• Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) -related concepts
• Native American cultural arts and medicinal/edible plants

More WWD Details

Get paid $19/hr, up to 200hrs 

For help with Transportation or  technology (TriMet passes/borrowed tablets, etc), please send questions to maz@wisdomoftheelders.org 

In the past, some of the knowledge or practices we share in these spaces were forcibly withheld from Native peoples. To protect Native peoples and cultures, Wisdom of the Elders will never share any sacred or secret knowledge, family harvest sites, or stories that are not ours or that are inappropriate to share with just anyone. We are not medical people and we do not train others in that way.

After graduation, WWD graduates can: 

• Receive assistance in future applications to work or school opportunities that will benefit your career pathway
• Apply for employment with our WWD, LLC Habitat Restoration contract firm in Portland as Field or Garden Technician
• Explore employment options with our partner organizations when they arise with assistance from Wisdom staff
• Apply for future job positions that open up at Wisdom of the Elders 501(c)3 non-profit