Fellowship Description
The Charleston Parks Conservancy Community Horticulture Fellowship Program is a year-long robust professional development program designed to advance & increase opportunities for Black, African-American, LatinX, Asian American and Pacific Islander individuals in horticultural leadership.
In the inaugural year of the fellowship, The Charleston Parks Conservancy hopes to
- Directly address institutional barriers and issues of representation.
- Create a path to executive and leadership management in horticulture.
- Increase diversity and inclusion in horticulture.
The Community Horticulture Fellowship Program’s collaboration with community partners offers a range of learning opportunities in areas designed for those who have a passion to lead in a public horticulture environment.
- Participants engage in skills training, leadership, and professional development courses in the parks and with partners of the program.
- Additionally, fellows develop and complete a capstone project aimed at refining their horticultural knowledge and skills.
- At the completion of the program, the Conservancy will work with our partners and others to assist in securing a leadership position in the field of Horticulture.
Fellowship Curriculum
This fellowship consists of:
- In depth experiential learning at a variety of host sites
- In-field practicums
- Professional development and leadership training
- Mentorship and community networking
- Capstone project
- Job placement and access to a growing alumni network of fellows upon graduation
Eligibility/Desired Skills
Candidates should be interested in advancing their career in the field of horticulture in a management and leadership capacity; coupled with a passion for personal and professional advancement, hounding down people for their extra plants, and a sense of humor. Fellows must respect and maintain the confidentiality of rare species location and sensitive data/ information.
- Recent associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree graduates or
- Those currently enrolled and will have graduated by fellowship program start date, students of horticulture or closely related degree program or
- Individuals currently working in the landscaping, gardening, and horticulture industries in South Carolina with at least two years of field experience, with a desire to develop their skills in a horticulture capacity but without a traditional degree
Details
- Starting Date: October 2023
- Location: During the year, fellows’ time will be split at 3 partner sites throughout South Carolina for 16 weeks at a time. For this cohort, partners are in Charleston, Lake City, and Murrells Inlet. Although the majority of time will be spent in the Lowcountry/Greater Charleston area, please expect frequent travel & relocation. Fellows will also have additional opportunities to participate in horticulture based field trips, in-field practicums, and other activities throughout the state of South Carolina.
- Time and Compensation: 12 months, average 40 hours/ week, some nights and weekends will be expected. Annual salary of $40,000 plus benefits.
To Apply
- Google Form
- Resume
- Using a short paragraph 250-500 words, choosing either of the topics below:
- Making a case for being of a background traditionally underrepresented, within the horticulture industry, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, or geographic region; in addition to what unique perspective or life experiences you bring to the industry, and what lasting impact you aim to have.
- Your experiences, research, and/or interest in championing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the horticulture industry; and what lasting impact you aim to have in the horticulture industry
- Optional: Introductory video stating any additional information you’d like us to know about you that doesn’t appear on your resume. Submissions should be no longer than 5 minutes in duration.
- Copy of transcript (unofficial or official), only if currently pursuing a degree program
- Three professional references
- Optional: A letter of recommendation from professional or academic source
Application Process & Timeline
Application Timeline for October 2023 Fellows:
- Mar 20 – May 31, 2023: Applications open
- June 1- June 30, 2023: Phone interviews
- July 1 – July 31,2023: Zoom interviews
- August 1-11, 2023: In person interviews at CPC
- October 2023 : Fellows Begin!
Process:
- 1st round: Phone Interview
- 2nd round: Zoom Interview
- 3rd and final round: In person interview
- Each candidate will be asked the same series of questions throughout each round.
- We encourage you to check out these resources when writing your application and preparing for your interview