2025 Delaware River Watershed Fellowship: Summer River Program Assistant at Bartram's Garden
John Bartram Association
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2025 Delaware River Watershed Fellowship:
Summer River Program Assistant at Bartram’s Garden
Start date: June 2-10, 2025; End date: August 15-22, 2025
The Delaware River Watershed Fellowship is a 12-week paid summer job opportunity designed to introduce young people from local communities to careers in environmental education. Fellows are hired at one of 23 environmental education centers across the Delaware River Watershed. Fellows participate in training sessions to help prepare them for a summer of helping people connect with nature and informing their local communities about issues affecting the Delaware River, the source of drinking water for 15 million people living in the region.
Bartram’s Garden, a member of the Alliance for Watershed Education (AWE), is a 50+ acre public park in Southwest Philadelphia, along the banks of the Schuylkill River. Bartram’s Garden is seeking to hire a Fellow from Southwest Philadelphia to assist with our boating, fishing and water quality monitoring programs this summer, and help connect with local community members around protecting the Delaware River and its waterways.
Position Location: Bartram’s Garden, 5400 Lindbergh Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19143
Schedule and Compensation for the Bartram’s Garden Fellow:
- Fellows are paid $16.50 per hour for 35-40 hours a week over 10-12 weeks, June-August.
- Availability Wednesdays 4pm - 9pm is a must for the duration of the Fellowship. On Saturdays the Fellow must be available 9am - 3pm in June and 2pm-8pm in July and August. Days off are Sunday and Monday.
- Duties:
- Fellows will participate in a 3 day watershed education training, at the Pocono Environmental Education Center (overnight, June 11-13.) http://www.peec.org/
- Fellows will help their host Center lead programs and activities for community members and visitors to their site.
- Fellows will attend in-person meetings with Fellows from other AWE Centers.
- With guidance from their supervisor and mentors, Fellows will focus their efforts on a specific Capstone Project and present their work at the end-of-program Summit event (August 15).
- Fellows will document their progress by completing a short log report every week.
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The Bartram’s Garden Fellow will specifically:
- Pursue a Capstone Project related to the theme: Oral History of the Delaware River Watershed
- Assist with free, public boating and fishing programs as part of a team, including
- Setup and breakdown
- Greet, orient and give instruction to program participants of all ages
- Ensure safety and operating protocols are followed
- Conduct weekly water quality monitoring with other staff
- Regularly maintain equipment used in programs
- Process paperwork such as waivers and perform data entry
- Attend weekly staff meetings
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Essential dates:
- June 10, 2023: Fellow start date at Bartram’s Garden
- June 11-13: Fellowship Orientation (overnight) at Pocono Environmental Education Center (Meals, transportation and accommodations provided)
- July 7-9: Regional Meetings
- July 30: All-Region Meeting
- August 15: Watershed Fellowship Summit (location to be announced).
- August 19-22: Last day of Fellowship
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Qualifications and Experience:
- Age 18+ by June 10, 2025 start date
- A background in environmental education is not required
- Commitment towards Capstone Research; interest in oral history, collective histories, and community storytelling
- A positive attitude and enthusiasm for the mission: connecting with local community members around protecting the Delaware River Watershed
- Ability to work well independently as well as part of a team
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to effectively communicate with the general public
- Prior boating and fishing experience is not required, however an enthusiasm to learn these skills and share them with others is key
- Openness to getting dirty, engaging with thousands of visitors, working outdoors in the heat, learning new skills and having new experiences
- Ability to adopt and master computer technology for communication and recording data
- Personal or professional familiarity with Southwest Philadelphia is preferred
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Physical Demands:
The River Program Assistant is a physically demanding position that is conducted outdoors, often in difficult weather conditions, on the water, and in an office setting. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will regularly be required to move and operate boating and fishing equipment; stand and/or walk for extended periods of time; work in immediate proximity to the general public in a safe and friendly manner. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. The administrative components of this position require the ability to sit/stand at a desk, work on a computer, and use a monitor for extended periods of time.
Required Certifications and Licenses (may be obtained upon employment)
- Certification in First Aid/CPR/AED
- Pennsylvania fishing license
- Kayak safety and rescue training
- Clearance Requirements
- Because the position involves routine contact with minors, prior to beginning this position, the River Program Assistant will be required to provide the following:
- Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Check through the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
- Pennsylvania Criminal History Check through the Pennsylvania State Police (PATCH)
- FBI Criminal History Check
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How to apply:
To apply, please send your resume along with a brief note describing your interest in the position and your experience with swimming, fishing, and/ or boating (if any) to jobs@bartramsgarden.org. Applicants are invited to reflect in their cover letter or other written statement on how their professional and lived experiences position them for their requested role. Include “River Program Assistant” in the email subject line. Only those whose applications are being considered will be contacted. No phone calls, please.
Bartram’s Garden recognizes the value of promoting a diverse workforce. All individuals, including those from historically under-represented groups, are strongly encouraged to apply. In addition, any form of personal or professional connections to Southwest Philadelphia will be considered a plus for all applicants.
Application Deadline: We will review applications on a rolling basis until April 11, 2025.
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