EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
Pine Jog Environmental Education Center offers employment, assistantships and
housing opportunities for graduate students. These opportunities offer a
multi-dimensional immersion into the environmental field by integrating academic
coursework and theory with practical work experience at the Pine Jog
Environmental Education Center. The following options are available:
- Employment Opportunities for Graduate Students
- Graduate Assistantships
- Graduate Resident Program
About Pine Jog Pine Jog
Environmental
Education Center is a 135-acre nature preserve located in West Palm Beach,
Florida. Although surrounded by urban development, Pine Jog remains a tranquil
and unspoiled wilderness where osprey soar over towering slash pine trees, rare
and beautiful banana spiders weave glistening golden webs and resident gopher
tortoises bask in the South Florida sun.
Only minutes from the Atlantic Ocean and the Florida Everglades,
Florida Atlantic University and
Pine Jog Environmental Education Center offer endless opportunities for students
to explore a rich diversity of ecosystems such as estuaries, coral reefs and a
variety of wetland habitats. The beautiful Loxahatchee River offers canoeing,
kayaking and camping. The azure blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean lap onto
pristine beaches just eight miles from Pine Jog. The Everglades teems with
abundant wildlife to the west, while the comforts of the city are never more
than a few minutes out of reach. West Palm Beach is conveniently situated a
short drive from Orlando to the north, as well as Miami and the Florida Keys to
the south.
Pine Jog’s mission is to develop, provide and model environmental education
programs which foster an awareness and appreciation of the natural world,
promote an understanding of e environmental concepts and instill a sense of
stewardship toward the earth and all its inhabitants. Founded in 1960, Pine Jog
has a national reputation as a leader in the field of environmental education,
and its staff members have created and developed nationally recognized
environmental education programs.
Pine Jog works in partnership with the Palm Beach County Public School District
to offer
environmental education programs to over 20,000 students each year. The
school district has built an environmentally themed elementary school for 970
students on the Pine Jog property and Pine Jog administers the
after-school program at the school. By bringing students to the Pine Jog
site for field trips, visiting schools for outreach programs, educating teachers
about the environment, and working with the students, teachers and families
affiliated with the school on site, Pine Jog fulfills its mission by
continuously exposing learners to nature. Pine Jog also operates the
Everglades
Youth Conservation Camp page at the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area,
where children learn appreciation for nature in a residential setting. Pine Jog
also offers many
public programs and serves the public with an exhibit gallery, coffee shop
and gift shop.
In a typical day as a Pine Jog employee, graduate assistant or graduate
resident, you might canoe with sixth graders through a marsh or hike through a
flooded swamp. You could help plan a fundraiser or attend a board meeting. You
might lead fifth graders in an investigation of Cycle-Busters or dip-net with
second graders in the pond. You might attend an Education Team meeting and help
shape the future direction of Pine Jog’s programs. You might help maintain
trails or remove exotic species. As an employee or graduate student, you can
guarantee that a typical day will be anything but typical.
Why Should I Apply?
The opportunities provided at Pine Jog are unique in the country. At no
other location in that nation do you have a state university, a public
elementary school and an environmental education center located on the same site
and working collaboratively to improve education for all parties involved. Pine
Jog can offer an invaluable practical learning experience which enhances the
academic program provided by the university.
Graduate students employed at Pine Jog, graduate assistants and graduate
residents will have the opportunity to lead programs for students throughout
Palm Beach County and will have the opportunity to develop and implement
curricula of their own. Teaching responsibilities may include:
-
Field
based programs at Pine Jog
- Schoolyard outreach programs
- After-school programming
- Interpretive programs
- Classroom visits
- Summer day camp
- Summer residential camp
- Programs for families
Graduate assistants and graduate residents will be involved in teaching or may
be assisting a Pine Jog staff member in their area of expertise. Assistantships
allow students to experience various aspects of the field such as program
development, nature center administration, fundraising and grant writing. These
positions vary each year, but the options can include assisting the Director of
Education, the Facilities and Land Manager, or the Executive Director.
Opportunities exist to assist in public relations, publications and special
events.
Each year, students are presented with various opportunities to enhance their
education. These opportunities usually include:
- National and/or local conferences
- Professional workshops
- Lectures
- Networking
The Pine Jog experience develops leadership in the field of environmental
education and prepares participants for employment. Previous participants in the
Pine Jog program have been employed as:
- Educators at non-formal education and science centers
- Outreach educators for resource agencies
- Program directors for state or regional environmental education programs
- Educators and program directors for conservation groups
- Teachers at the elementary and middle school level
EMPLOYMENT FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
Part-time employment may be secured as instructors for field based school
programs, programs conducted at the school site, after-school programs,
residential summer camp, and day program summer camp. Security clearance will be
required but need not be secured prior to applying for a position. Please
contact Karen Aubry
kaubry@fau.edu to
inquire about availability and rates of pay.
GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS
Limited part-time assistantships are available. All awards require that the
graduate student provide twenty hours of instructional services in Pine Jog
programs each week and may include options to combine instructional duties with
special projects designed to the interest of the graduate student. Instructional
duties typically will require working hours from 8:30- 1:30.
Applications for graduate assistantships must be sent directly to the Pine Jog
Environmental Education Center. Qualified applicants must be committed to
completing all four courses in the environmental education concentration offered
on-site at the Pine Jog Environmental Education Center, including:
- SCE 6345 Perspectives of Environmental Education (fall semesters)
- SCE 6644 Trends and Issues in Environmental Education (spring semesters)
- SCE 6344 Advanced Methods of Environmental Education (spring semesters)
- SCE 6196 Design, Implementation and Evaluation of Environmental
Education Programs (as needed, final course)
Priority will be given to those students:
- Accepted into the
Masters Degree in Environmental Education offered
through the Department of Teaching and Learning in the College of Education at
Florida Atlantic University
- Accepted into other graduate programs at the Masters, Specialist and
Doctoral levels, including the environmental education concentration (SCE 6345,
SCE 6644, SCE 6344, SCE 6196) offered through the College of Education at
Florida Atlantic University
- Accepted into other graduate degree programs, including the environmental
education concentration (SCE 6345, SCE 6644, SCE 6344, SCE 6196) at Florida
Atlantic University, if opportunities are available Please contact Karen Aubry
kaubry@fau.edu to inquire about graduate assistantships.
GRADUATE RESIDENT PROGRAM
The graduate resident program is for full-time graduate students and includes
housing and a limited part time graduate assistantship. Graduate students who
choose this option take three classes per semester, work at Pine Jog
Environmental Education Center and live in residences located on-site. This 21
month commitment also includes employment during the first summer at Pine Jog’s
non-residential summer day camp. The graduate resident assumes the duties and
responsibilities of Pine Jog staff members.
Applications for the graduate resident program must be sent directly to the Pine
Jog Environmental Education Center. Qualified applicants must be committed to
completing all four courses in the environmental education concentration offered
on-site at the Pine Jog Environmental Education Center, including:
- SCE 6345 Perspectives of Environmental Education (fall semesters)
- SCE 6644 Trends and Issues in Environmental Education (spring semesters)
- SCE 6344 Advanced Methods of Environmental Education (spring semesters)
- SCE 6196 Design, Implementation and Evaluation of Environmental
Education Programs (as needed, final course)
Priority will be given to those students:
- Accepted into the
Masters Degree in Environmental Education offered through the Department of
Teaching and Learning in the College of Education at Florida Atlantic University
- Accepted into other graduate programs at the Masters, Specialist and
Doctoral levels, including the environmental education concentration (SCE 6345,
SCE 6644, SCE 6344, SCE 6196) offered through the College of Education at
Florida Atlantic University
- Accepted into other graduate degree programs, including the environmental
education concentration (SCE 6345, SCE 6644, SCE 6344, SCE 6196) at Florida
Atlantic University, if opportunities are available The application requires a
non-refundable application fee of $50.00.
The early application deadline is March 31 for residency beginning in August.
Applicants will be contacted upon receipt of their applications. Qualified
applicants will be notified as soon as their application packages are reviewed.
In addition, an interview is required. If accepted into the program, a
non-refundable deposit of $200.00 is due two months before the program start
date in order to reserve a place in the program. A one time program fee of
$2,000 is due August 1st.
tudents receiving assistantships qualify for financial aid through Florida
Atlantic University and tuition waivers. Security clearance will be required but
need not be secured prior to applying for the graduate resident program.
Please contact Karen Aubry kaubry@fau.edu to
inquire about the graduate resident program.