Wisdom Workforce Development Internships
Paid internship opportunities for Native American adults and BIPOC in the Portland area. Online ApplicationThe leadership of Native American communities and other BIPOC professionals in the environmental sector is dynamic and growing!
Wisdom of the Elders is proud to offer paid internship opportunities that give environmental education and job skills to people who want to work in the environmental sector.
We focus on environmental restoration and the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) of Native peoples. The program is 11 weeks long, happens twice a year, and
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday we will meet online and in person each week from April, 4th to June 18th, 2022.
Every Tuesday & Thursday, the cohort will gain hands-on experience in the field with partner organizations.
Each Wednesday will be a class day in NE Portland, where WOTE TEK Instructor, Dawn Lowe (Hawaiian, Apache, Mohawk), will hold space for us all to learn together about:
- Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Native peoples (also known as TEK
- Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) -related concepts
- Native American cultural arts and plant medicine
Out of concern for Covid-19, we ask everyone to use public transportation, secure a ride, or have a driver’s license and vehicle to get to the natural area work sites. We ask all participants to respect social distancing protocols, mask up and keep each other safe when meeting in person
More WWD Details
- Get paid $18/hr, up to 200hrs
- For help with Transportation or technology (TriMet passes/borrowed tablets, etc), please send questions to adrienne@wisdomoftheelders.org
- In the past, some of the knowledge or practices we share in these spaces were forcibly withheld from our communities. 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 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
This program is made possible thanks to the support of our community, partners, guest educators, and would not be possible without generous funds from Oregon Metro, Meyer Memorial Trust and 99 Girlfriends.
Online Application
Apply today with this online survey
