Summer Internships

Residency Period: May 16 – August 15, 2026

UPDATE! The Summer 2026 Cohort
On August 1 & 2, Tenderfoot is hosting our inaugural Love Grows Festival. This event will feature food, music, art, and education in two themes: Love for People and Love for Planet. 

This is shaping up to be a major undertaking. We have decided to modify our internship program this summer to support planning and implementation of the festival. The internship will now run from May 16 to August 15, a full three months rather than our customary one-month intensive.

The following student positions are available for the Summer 2026 cohort:

Artist-in-Residence
Biologist-in-Residence
Educator-in-Residence
Graphic Designer-in-Residence
Event Manager-in-Residence
Web Designer-in-Residence

The cohort will be no larger than 5 residential students, and limited commuter positions may be offered.  The final composition of the group may not include every position listed above; it will depend on interest and quality of applications. If you’re in college, studying a field that’s not listed here but believe you could build skills while contributing to our sustainability mission, you’re encouraged to apply.

Skills, strengths, and qualifications needed: All undergraduate and graduate college students are eligible.  Tenderfoot is a place to experiment, fail, try again, and diversify your skill sets.  Genuinely, prior experience is not necessary.  Students who get the most from working with us will be generally curious and interested in developing skills relevant to both personal and professional life. Students who contribute the most will have a spirit of experimentation and be willing to help as they’re most needed.

Accommodations: Living at Tenderfoot is a lot like going to camp as an adult, complete with warm beds in the main lodge, lots of time outside, hot showers, and group meals. Interns-in-Residence share living space with fellow student staff, Work Awayers, and Tenderfoot’s Directors.  Three ground-level bedrooms (a quad & two doubles) and a bathroom are available for summer staff. Meal prep and clean-up responsibilities are shared amongst all residents.  Tenderfoot sits on 16 acres with ample outdoor recreation opportunities, including a pond for swimming, kayaking, and fishing, plus campfire rings, hammocking, and hiking trails. We also encourage screen-free indoor entertainment with a collection of board games, card games, puzzles, craft supplies, and musical instruments.  Given our rural location, cell phone service is spotty, but we have strong wifi.  

Compensation: Housing, utilities, and groceries are provided for the duration of the internship. Students will have a budget for project implementation & prototyping of designs. 

Students seeking academic credit for this experience will need to register for summer coursework at their home college or university. Tenderfoot can provide documentation of the experience as needed.

Tenderfoot seeks student representatives on our Board of Directors.  Student employees whose work is exemplary and whose values are aligned with Tenderfoot’s may be invited to join the Board.  

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the residency start date or until all positions are filled.

Artist-in-Residence Position
Similar to commissioned work, we seek an artist who will work within our space and mission to contribute something original. The ultimate project(s) will depend on the artist’s skills and interests. Options include but are not limited to a sculpture to honor donors, an outdoor mural that conveys our values, artwork about sustainability issues such as climate or water, and functional art such as walkways or furniture. We welcome other ideas that focus on social or environmental justice.

Biologist-in-Residence Position
Our summer biologist will establish and carry out survey protocols to identify the flora and fauna present on our 16-acre property, including aquataic specimen in our pond. The biologist collaborates with other intern positions (ex: graphic designer) to interpret Tenderfoot’s ecosystem for future guests, helping them understand what’s native, what’s invasive, what may be harmful to humans, what is helpful to humans, and the role of each in the ecosystem. Biologists are encouraged to “adopt” a species for the summer, focusing their research and interpretation efforts on a specific resident species.

Educator-in-Residence Position
Current and future teachers are invited to spend the summer with us, writing lesson plans for our sustainable living workshops and researching new pedagogical tools in the field of sustainability/environmental education. Educators-in-residence will share responsibility for weekly sustainability workshops for fellow interns and will facilitate a workshop at the inaugural Love Grows Festival.

Graphic Designer-in-Residence Position
We seek a graphic designer to create digital and print artwork to advertise our 2026 event calendar with heavy emphasis on the Love Grows Festival. This position also collaborates with other intern positions to create art that supports their project needs, for example educational guides for the Educator-in-Residence. Additional potential projects include t-shirt art, designs for donor thank-you cards, and other needs/ideas the designer identifies.

Event Manager-in-Residence Position
We seek interns interested in careers in festival or other major event planning. These interns will support a wide spectrum of festival planning including but not limited to marketing, permit applications, registrations, sponsorships, program development, and vendor relations. This position collaborates with other interns to build out the festival’s educational tracks and entertainment activities.

Web Designer-in-Residence Position
Working within WordPress, the web designer will modernize Tenderfoot’s website, make recommendations for new content and plug-ins, and improve user-friendliness for students and donors.