Participate/Training Program
Internship (Ages 16 to 18)
Program Description
This course will give you hands-on, practical skills related to composting, animal care, farming, resource recovery, and conservation. Earth Matter interns will build leadership, environmental stewardship skills, and peer relationships. The internship will take place at the Earth Matter Compost Learning Center located on Governors Island (GI), and at various sites on Governors Island, guided by Earth Matter staff and adult volunteers. There will be off Island opportunities to visit partner organizations with youth programs.
Now accepting applications for 2026 until May 1!
Program Objectives
- Composting and compost-related work including animal husbandry
- Help with Resource Recovery on the Island including “triking” to pick up organics from stations, vendors, events as well as decontaminating organics.
- Staff Compost Learning Center and/or Soil Start Farm, welcoming and engaging with visitors
- Farm related work including lasagna composting garden technique
- Assist with public workshops
- Assist on variety of carpentry and construction projects
Program Benefits
- Advance your environmental knowledge
- Camaraderie with other like-minded young adult interns
- Build your resume with real life work experiences and college preparedness
- Spend time in Governors Island’s beautiful park and help us achieve our motto: “No Waste Wasted on Governors Island”
Target Audience
Young adults (ages 16-18) that are interested in acquiring practical and theoretical knowledge with respect to soil health, how to make and apply compost, farm, all aspects of resources recovery and conservation, recycling and animal husbandry. Leadership and environmental stewardship skill building are imbedded in this internship.
Time Commitment
The internship will consist of 80 hours between May until the end of October. Schedule will be agreed upon between Earth Matter staff and the intern. Each shift is a 5-8 hour day, including some weekend shifts. The Compost Learning Center is open on the weekends for visitor open hours from May 1 until end of October.
2025
Farheen Alam
2025 Youth Intern
Sachi Anderson
2025 Youth Intern
Kennedy Chung
2025 Youth Intern
Paige Drcelik
2025 Youth Intern
Noelia Gerardo
2025 Youth Intern
Gideon Mizner
2025 Youth Intern
Murray McCormack Gray
2025 Youth Intern
Rabia Pirani-Mellstrom
2025 Youth Intern
Sile Zhao
2025 Youth Intern
Kaitlyn Zheng
2025 Youth Intern
2024
Andre Han
2024 Youth Intern
Cielo Vasquez
2024 Youth Intern
Emma Alvarado
2024 Youth Intern
Emma DeGraw
2024 Youth Intern
Ixchel Herrera
2024 Youth Intern
Karla Acosta
2024 Youth Intern
Kelly Liu
2024 Youth Intern
Lina Baede
2024 Youth Intern
Marcus Musso
2024 Youth Intern
Rabia Pirani-Mellstrom
2024 Youth Intern
Sam Lane
2024 Youth Intern
Simon Huang
2024 Youth Intern
Taisei Smyth
2024 Youth Intern
2023
Emily Chen
2023 Youth Intern
Lucy Ware
2023 Youth Intern
Danny Huang
2023 Youth Intern
Kelly Liu
2023 Youth Intern
Stevie Maisonet
2023 Youth Intern
Aubrey Piton
2023 Youth Intern
Kyra Shimbo
2023 Youth Intern
Gabby Casey
2023 Youth Intern
Helena Clare
2023 Youth Intern
Simon Huang
2023 Youth Intern
Steven Allen
2023 Youth Intern
Emmy Chen
2023 Youth Intern
Denisse Perez Romero
2023 Youth Intern
Mia Velez
2023 Youth Intern
Ishan Mukherjee
2023 Youth Intern
2022
Amalia Hartray
2022 Youth Intern
Amaya Herrera
2022 Youth Intern
Amy Li
2022 Youth Intern
Anthony Rashton
2022 Youth Intern
Elani Ortiz
2022 Youth Intern
Essence Owens
2022 Youth Intern
Ingrid Ibarra
2022 Youth Intern
Marcel Kernizan
2022 Youth Intern
Mia Velez
2022 Youth Intern
Nora Septimus
2022 Youth Intern
Oluwakorede Dabiri
2022 Youth Intern
Phineas Fawer
2022 Youth Intern
Tasnim Chowdhury
2022 Youth Intern
2021
Miles Danielski
Bard High School Early College
2021 Farm/ZWI Youth Intern
Mimmy Mei
Millennium High School
2021 Farm/ZWI Youth Intern
Edgar Ehrsam
Bard High School Early College
2021 Farm/ZWI Youth Intern
Sonia Zinkin-Meyers
Hunter College High School
2021 Farm/ZWI Youth Intern
Emma Kagan
Beacon High School
2021 Farm Youth Intern
Joseph Lin
Bard High School Early College
2021 Farm/ZWI Youth Intern
Larz Nielsen
El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice
2021 Farm/ZWI Youth Intern
Demetrios Vasilopoulos
Beacon High School
2021 Farm/ZWI Youth Intern
Marcel Kernizan
New York Harbor School
2021 Farm/ ZWI/ NYHS Compost/ CTE Intern
Michael Sito
New York Harbor School
2021 CTE Intern
Benjamin Falzano
New York Harbor School
2021 CTE Intern
Kiara Garcia
New York Harbor School
2021 NYHS Compost Intern
Jayden Haynes
New York Harbor School
2021 NYHS Compost Intern
Gabriella McCalpin
New York Harbor School
2021 NYHS Compost Intern
2020
Jake Durando
2020 Soil Start Farm Intern
Emma Kagan
Beacon High School
2020 Soil Start Farm Intern
Miles Danielski
Bard High School Early College
2020 Soil Start Farm Intern
2019
Maia Crichlow
2019 Soil Start Farm Intern
Anju Meyer
2019 Soil Start Farm Intern
Mubasshira Ahmed
2019 Soil Start Farm Intern
Soma Jackson
2019 Soil Start Farm Intern
2018
Lauren Salitan
2018 NY Harbor School Intern
Malik Taylor
2018 NY Harbor School Intern
Binh Bentsen
2018 NY Harbor School Intern
Aaniyla Allen
2018 Intern
Andrew Stanton
2018 Soil Start Farm Intern
Ariel Kuhl
2018 Soil Start Farm Intern
2017
Abril Orzuna
2017 NY Harbor School Intern
Stephanie Arango
2017 NY Harbor School Intern
Kaila Scott
2017 NY Harbor School Intern
Alexus Brown
2017 NY Harbor School Intern
Brianna Siem
2017 NY Harbor School Intern
Chloe Kellner
2017 Intern
2016
Ileana Aguilar
2016 NY Harbor School Intern
Cezanne Bies
2016 NY Harbor School Intern
Nicholas Cumberbatch
2016 NY Harbor School Intern
Malik Taylor
2016 NY Harbor School Intern
Boone Campbell
2016 Intern
2015
Theo Bolton
2015 Intern
Oliver Gutierrez
2015 NY Harbor School Intern
Cindy Isidoro
2015 NY Harbor School Intern
Maya Juman
2015 Intern
Salma Mendez
2015 NY Harbor School Intern
Christian Mondragon
2015 NY Harbor School Intern
Nell Pearson
2015 Intern
Henry Nye
2015 Intern
Greta Smith
2015 Intern
Maia Smith
2015 Intern
2014
Emmie Campbell
2014 Intern
Kim Choi
2014 Intern
Mia Luna
2014 NY Harbor School Intern
Sofia Pierson
2014 Intern
Eric Weimer
2014 NY Harbor School Intern
Ulysses Wilson
2014 NY Harbor School Intern
2013
Selene Castrucci
2013 Intern
Zoe Holland
2013 Intern
Shaalini Ganesalingam
2013 Intern
Sam Pirani
2013 Intern
Darian Roberto
2013 Intern
Athira Sivan
2013 Intern
2012
Theresa Rivera
2012 NY Harbor School Intern
Marino Vargas
2012 NY Harbor School Intern
2011
Misha Bailey
2011 NY Harbor School Intern
Hector Perez
2011 Intern
Cecilio Ben
2011 NY Harbor School Intern
