Summer Program
To Fight Hunger and Climate Change
HandS-On program For High School Students motivated by Environment, food and social justice concerns
Select this if you want to volunteer around Port Washington, Manhasset, Roslyn, Great Neck and other Town of North Hempstead Locations
An informational webinar will be hosted on April 14, 2024 from 1-2 pm. Webinar details here.
Select this if you would like to volunteer on the South Fork of Long Island in the East Hampton area
“One thing I really love about [the Summer Program] is that we weren’t only helping ourselves by learning, we were also helping the hungry…that just gives you such a rush of joy”
- Hasana Sayeed, 2022 Intern
“It made me appreciate the process a lot more .”
- Kenneth Chang, 2022 Volunteer
“I met so many just amazing people , and I’ve…really expanded my knowledge of plants, sustainability, and gardening…[I]t’s just been a really amazing experience”
- Claire Labenne, 2022 Mentor
About the Program
The Summer Program is for high school students and adult volunteers motivated to further biodiversity, climate resilience, and food security in our community.
We believe in “learning while doing” involving hands-on projects through dirt, sweat, and toil, leaving participants with newfound knowledge and a sense of accomplishment.
The program is offered in two locations:
The Cow Neck Chapter of ReWild Long Island offers the program in the Town of North Hempstead with locations centered around Port Washington, NY. This program has been offered since summer 2020.
The South Fork Chapter of ReWild offers the program centered around East Hampton, NY. This program has been offered since summer 2023.
The Summer Programs at both locations emphasize sustainable landscaping through practical experience. Activities include:
Organic and regenerative food production: planting, watering, weeding, pruning, and caring for fruit and vegetable gardens to donate produce to food pantries for the hungry
Rewilding and sustainable landscaping: planting native perennials, weeding rewilded spaces, and documenting the surge of biodiversity brought by native ecosystems
Composting and Recycling: sustainably recycling kitchen scraps and yard waste into soil food that enriches vegetable beds
Connecting with nature and ecosystems: nature walks, bird banding, monarch butterflies release, oyster farming
Lectures: information-packed lectures from knowledgeable environmentalists (and check-ins) in weekly Saturday Zoom sessions
Sustainable Garden Design: designing and presenting a garden with a team
Training: in-person classes to learn rewilding and sustainable gardening concepts and techniques
Applications
Please add yourself to the ReWild email list (bottom of this page) to be notified when next year’s program goes live. Applications are typically open by April 1 of each year, and due by May 1 to be guaranteed an interview slot. Students of all abilities are encouraged to apply. We seek to ensure diversity and representation across all categories, including gender, race, socio-economic status, and ability. You can apply to be a student intern or a student volunteer, with differences between the categories as below.
Volunteer
Complete at least 30 hours of work (including training)
Certificates after successful completion
Recommended for those who cannot make the more rigorous time commitments that internships require
Internship
Complete at least 60 hours of work (including training)
Stipend of $300
Certificates after successful completion
Usually, there are a limited number of spots, so we are looking for students that meet the following requirements
Enjoy hands-on work in soil to grow food and help plants, birds, bees, butterflies, and other organisms
Seek to help fight hunger, climate change, loss of biodiversity, and other environmental issues
Able to travel to work sites on a regular basis
Self-motivated and responsible
Committed to outdoor safety
Incentives
Learning: You will learn a lot about rewilding, regenerative gardening, and furthering biodiversity through training sessions and hands-on activities.
Spending time outside: You will work in-person and outdoors in sites full of greenery and fresh air.
Making new friends: You will meet adult and youth mentors and other interns and volunteers that share similar values and are concerned about similar environmental issues.
Making a difference: You will contribute to initiatives fighting against hunger, climate change, and loss of biodiversity. At the end of the summer, you will see the difference you have made.
Stipend: Interns will receive a stipend on successful completion of the internship at the end-of-the-program commendation ceremony. Although volunteers do not receive a stipend, under the circumstance that we have more slots for students to receive one, volunteers who complete 60 hours of work will be considered for the stipend.
Recommendation letters: On request, we will write recommendation letters in support of motivated and responsible students, both volunteers and interns.
Leadership opportunity: We welcome you to become part of the leadership team the following year to plan and organize a better program.
The Organizing Team
The Summer Program is organized by a committee of adult and youth volunteers, who have worked hard to make the program possible. The organizing team consists of
Youth Organizers : Each year, we recruit highly motivated students from the previous year’s summer program to help organize the current program. These youth organizers are trained in leadership skills. They work from January through June creating the schedule, preparing publicity, interviewing incoming students and taking responsibility for mentoring at various locations.
Rewild Long Island Summer Program Committee Members: Adult organizers help to motivate and guide our youth organizers, while working side by side to make each year’s program successful.
Click on the students’ photos to get to know more about them!
Summer Program in the News
Newsday article featuring Summer Program testimonial from youth mentor Dora Fields
Port Washington News featuring the speech by President of ReWild Long Island Raju Rajan for the Commendation Ceremony of the 2022 Summer Program and the 2023 Summer Program’s goal, activities, and sites
special thanks to our Sponsors
Questions?
Check out the FAQ first. If you still need help, contact us at summerorganizers@rewildlongisland.org or via the form below.