ILC

Student Info

Name: Zoe DeWitt
Term: Summer 2023
Credits: 16
Title of ILC or Group Project: Gardening with Gratitude: A Summer on John’s Island

Internship Info

Internship hours/wk: 30 hrs/week
Internship credits: 12
Academic credits: 4

Field Supervisor

Field supervisor: Jill Steigerwald
Title: Operations Director
Organization: Camp Nor’wester

Program of Project Description

Gardening with Gratitude: A Summer on Johns Island will follow the student through their job as Camp Nor’wester’s summer Garden Instructor. The student will plan and carry out daily garden activities for groups of children ages 9 to 16, incorporating garden chores, art, gratitude, and connection into the camper experience. The student will also be responsible for all garden care and upkeep and will maintain healthy plants for a fruitful harvest as the summer progresses. To create a deeper connection with the natural world surrounding the garden, the student will maintain a sit-spot practice to observe the environment on Johns Island. This practice will be accompanied by reading the text, The Forest Unseen by David Haskell, to create deeper engagement with the student’s personal sit-spot. Reflections on garden leadership and maintenance and observations from sit-spot and the reading will all be documented in a journal that will be submitted weekly for review. 

Learning objective	Activity	Deliverable
To learn about leadership and mentorship of children in a summer camp and garden setting	Through my job as Garden Instructor at Camp Nor’wester, I will create daily activity plans for groups of children ages 9 to 16. These activities will include the campers in completing daily garden chores, while also incorporating art, conversation, gratitude, and connection to plants and self. I will facilitate these activities and adapt them to the needs of the garden and the campers as the summer progresses.	Weekly journal entries reflecting on how activities went, what worked well, what could be changed, future activity ideas, feedback from other staff if possible
To learn about and take leadership in the care and maintenance of a garden	As Garden Instructor at Camp Nor’wester, I will tend to the camp garden daily and make sure all chores are completed with or without support from campers. I will do research when needed to better support plant growth and will include campers in harvesting so that all can enjoy the summer’s bounty.	Weekly journal entries and drawings reflecting on plant growth, any research done, issues if they arise, and harvests
To create deeper connection with a meaningful landscape	I will create a sit-spot practice during my downtime on Johns Island to create a deeper connection with that environment. I will observe plant, animal, and tree species around my sit-spot and around the island as a whole to better understand the non-human creatures that inhabit that place with me. To accompany my sit spot practice, I will read the text, The Forest Unseen by David Haskell, to create and inspire deeper engagement with my own sit spot.	Weekly journal entries and drawings highlighting sit spot observations, animal, plant, and tree species lists, and overall observations of the natural world on Johns Island

Evaluation of Work

• WordPress ePortfolio
• Final week ten presentation
• Narrative evaluations from field supervisor and/or subcontractor
• Narrative mid-quarter and final self-evaluations