Education Internships

One education internship will be offered in 2013. Application deadline: April 1, 2013

Crow Canyon Education

The Crow Canyon education department uses experiential education methods to engage learners of all ages in an inclusive and dynamic study of the human past. The staff works toward this goal by teaching about past and present cultures of the Southwest, investigating student learning, and communicating the Center's educational methods and theories to others. The work of the department is guided by a respect for, and is conducted in collaboration with, American Indians. Archaeology, education, and applied anthropology provide the academic foundation for Crow Canyon programs.

Crow Canyon's innovative education programs not only provide instruction in archaeology, but also involve the lay public in the actual research process. This firsthand approach increases awareness of, and appreciation for, our rich cultural heritage, while providing broad-based support for archaeological research and preservation. Through Crow Canyon's programs, students of all ages gain an understanding of culture, American Indian history, archaeological research, human interaction with the environment, and the importance of cultural resource preservation.

Full-time educators at Crow Canyon have academic and professional backgrounds in education, archaeology, anthropology, and museum studies. The staff collaborates with archaeologists and American Indians to develop educational programs that engage both children and adults. Curricula and lesson plans emphasize an experiential approach to learning and draw upon the results of Crow Canyon's archaeological research into the ancestral Pueblo (Anasazi) Indians of the Mesa Verde region. In such an environment, education interns have the opportunity to gain valuable experience in working with, and learning from, a wide variety of people.

Principles that Guide Our Work

• Everybody's history matters.
• Archaeological research and indigenous perspectives are essential to building a more inclusive story of the human past.
• Archaeological sites hold the stories of the past and must be preserved for the future.
• Experience and reflection form the foundation for meaningful learning.
• Archaeology is a multidisciplinary field.
• The learning environment should engage students in the learning process and promote respect for culture, the environment, and other people.

What Do Education Interns Do?

Education interns will gain experience in some or all of the following areas:

• helping participants learn the chronology of the American Southwest, especially that of the ancestral Pueblo people
• teaching traditional skills (pottery making and fire starting)
• instructing participants in archaeological concepts and methods
• in 2013, the intern will work primarily with elementary, middle, and high school students—education background and interest preferred
• assisting with the supervision of lay participants in archaeological excavations
• conducting tours of Crow Canyon's archaeological excavations and leading trips to other ancestral Pueblo sites in the Mesa Verde region
• developing curricula related to Crow Canyon's education and research
• assisting educators in the classroom (indoors and outdoors) and in preparing class materials

Course Work and Skills Required

Applicants should meet the following requirements:

• advanced undergraduate or graduate course work in education, museum studies, archaeology, anthropology, American Indian studies, or a related field
• ability to work as part of a team (interns attend education staff meetings and participate in discussions about education strategies and organization and scheduling of work)
• ability to work well with students ranging from fourth graders to senior citizens, many of whom have no previous archaeological experience
• ability to adapt in a dynamic work environment
• ability to work and live in outdoor settings and perform rigorous physical duties

Campus

Crow Canyon's 170-acre campus is located in southwestern Colorado, near Mesa Verde National Park and the town of Cortez. Wooded hillsides overlook a grassy meadow, complete with a running stream and small pond. From the porch of the lodge, you can enjoy a spectacular view of both Mesa Verde and the La Plata Mountains.

The following on-campus facilities are available to interns:

• kitchen and dining room (see "Benefits," below, for weekly rate)

• shared housing in primitive cabins (see photo at right) with no electricity, water, heat, or air-conditioning; a composting toilet is available adjacent to the cabins, and a modern shower and restroom building is located a short distance away; accommodations may be shared with one other intern (see "Benefits," below, for weekly rate)
• a 15,000-square-foot building that contains research labs, specimen-processing area, temporary curation space, archives, teaching labs, gift shop, offices, seminar room, and reception area; a 5,000-volume research library focused on Southwestern archaeology and anthropology
• networked PCs, integrated research database, and Internet connection

Benefits

Interns are paid $8.00 per hour. A travel allowance (up to $350) is available to help defray travel expenses. You may choose to live on campus (see description of accommodations, above) at a weekly rate of $45 for lodging and meals (when available) in our dining room.

Interns work a five-day week, Monday through Friday. Interns are not eligible for the Crow Canyon benefits package. Crow Canyon does not provide vehicles for personal use.

Course Credit

The Center does not offer course credit for internships, but will gladly certify work/study performed and provide evaluations if students wish to arrange for credit through another institution.

To Apply

Download the application and recommendation forms, fill them out, and return them to Crow Canyon. We regret that we cannot accept applications from anyone who is not a United States citizen. See top of page for application deadline.