• Lost Valley's Internships

    Lost Valley's Internships

  • This is NOT the residency application and is NOT a guarantee of future residency,
    however, you will find many of the same questions on both applications.
    Please click HERE to learn about and find the Residency Application.

    Transparency is an essential element of our chosen dynamic governance method. When you are invited into our Internship program, your answers to the essay questions on this application are shared with those living here and all are encouraged to read them. This helps us to get to know the people we will be living with for 3 months (this is the same for our residency process).

    Minimum age to participate: 21

  • Click the arrows below to view the program details

    You will be asked to initial at the end of each section.
    • Navigating this application 

    • There are seven sections in this application.
      We recommend that you type your answers
      in a separate document and copy and paste
      them into this form as you complete it.

       

      • Section One:
        • Navigating this application
        • Determine if this program is for you
        • Review Application Fee
        • Time Commitment
        • Your Rights and Responsibilities in Community
        • Other Noteworthy Points
        • Available Internship Roles
          Note that your choices at this step will customize which position questions you answer in section five. You must select all positions you plan to apply for here. 

       

      • Section Two: About You and Your Intentions for Applying

        This is where we gather any info we need to be able to host you and where you get to share resumes, referral letters, your intentions for applying and how you learned about us.


      • Section Three: Assessment of Fit for our Internship Program

        We want to empower you to explore your passions as well as give you the opportunity to learn from the land and all of its stewards. We are looking for self-organized & self-motivated folks who will meet deadlines without reminders and will set up and consistently maintain their schedules.


      • Section Four: Assessment of Fit for Living and Learning with the Community

        Here we ask you to go deeper into reflections on living in community, your personal philosophies & unique skills and understandings for creating a more sustainable and regenerative world. These questions are divided into the categories according to GAIA Education's Sustainability Wheel: World View, Social, Economic and Ecological.


      • Section Five: Selected Position Questions From Introduction and Program Details Section

        You will see the specific questions as per the selection you made earlier. If you do not see these questions, please use the back button provided (NOT your browswers back button) to go back to the introduction page to make your selection. Each position you selected will have it's own about page and questions.

      • Section Six: Payment & Application Submission

        Safety and security are important to our community and we ask everyone joining us to complete a background check. The fee to complete it is $57. A $300 refundable security deposit is required for any potential property damages. If none occur that amount will be refunded at the end of your stay. 

       

       

    • Who this program is & is not for 

    • This internship is designed primarily for physically active, emotionally mature individuals who are looking for an immersive learning experience revolving around permaculture, sociocracy-inspired governance systems, and would like to experience living in an intentional community. Ideal applicants are dedicated and reliable individuals. Minimum age requirement is 21.

      Important traits we look for in applicants include:

      • Curious
      • Self-Motivated
      • Service-oriented
      • Conscientious
      • Enthusiastic about living in community and sharing

       

    • Application Requirements 

    • Age: 21 or over

      Application & Background Check Cost

      There is a $54.99 total cost to completing this application

      • Application Fee = $27 paid at the end of this application
      • Background Check = $27.99 paid through Saferent. (You will recieve a link in your email inbox to complete the background check after this application has been submitted.)
      • Payment must be made prior to submitting your application.

      Application Requirements

      • Security Deposit: Interns who are accepted into the program will be required to pay a $300 security deposit. This deposit will be returned within 30 days of completion of the program, with consideration of any deductions for damages or fees. If an accepted intern does not appear or leaves within 14 days, parties agree that deposit is forfeited as liquidated damages.
      • If accepted into the program, interns must provide proof of a valid Food Handlers Card issued in the State of Oregon for only $10 that will allow access to kitchens. This will not be reimbursed.
      • Interns may be required to provide evidence of a negative COVID test within 48 hours of arrival into the community. This will not be reimbursed.
    • Time Commitment 

    •  

      18-20 hours/week with a 3-month commitment in exchange for a camp site or single use dormitory-style accommodations. 

       Example of dorm accommodation:

       

       

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    • Your rights and responsibilities in the community 
      • Long-term guests
        Interns are considered students, not residents or employees. Interns are required to attend a number of community meetings to learn about our governance and decision-making processes and encouraged to be involved with community activities that interest them. However, they do not have a "voice" in the community decision making process and cannot hold leadership roles. If an intern needs clarification on anything that intersects with their community experience, they are encouraged to seek out guidance from the Internship Coordinator.

       

      • The Principle of Observing before Interacting
        Moving to a new community will always have a variety of new challenges. The first principle in Permaculture can be a guide for the transition into a new community: observe and interact. As an intern you are a guest of the community. It is important to use the first three months of the internship program as a time to observe the functionality of the community, before interjecting areas in which it could improve. In order to fix issues if we need to have a complete understanding of how systems function first. 

       

      • Abide by the Community Living Agreements
        The agreements are a pillar of the community, lessons learned over 33 years of experience. Everyone who comes as a resident, student, intern or visitor agrees to abide by them. You will be asked to sign off on them, so it’s good to check beforehand to see if anything covered in them is an issue for you. You can read them here.
    • Other Noteworthy Points 

    • Living in Community

      • Lost Valley is...
        a thriving intergenerational community of people who are constantly seeking to improve the way in which we live together. We acknowledge the land we reside on was once the Winefelly band of the Kalapuya nation. We seek to model cooperation between people, connection to the Earth, and health within ourselves. We work towards increasing literacy around consent, boundaries, privilege, and diversity.


      • Living in community is a lot of fun.
        You will have access to an 87 acre campus with a wood fired sauna, a creek, edible food forest, fresh produce, 5 gardens, basketball court, outdoor kitchen and shower, and so much more!


      • Communication Tactics
        Living in community can sometimes be very challenging. Having strong interpersonal skills such as conflict resolution, non-violent communication, and an understanding of sociocratic governance can be extremely valuable.


      • Financial Support
        The Internship Program is not an employment agreement with Lost Valley Educational Center. Interns are considered students and should plan to arrive on campus with sufficient savings to provide for their material needs, including food. Dexter is a rural area with limited work opportunities.

      • What happens when your internship ends
      • Option 1: Intern can apply for an extension of their agreement for another 3 month term. They must successfully complete all requirements of their first term to be considered. In order to extend the agreement, the intern would have to pass a Check-in with our Resident Application Process (RAP) Committee.
      • Option 2: Leave campus at the end of the three month agreement.
      • Option 3: Apply for Residency
        • Residency application is requested to be turned in a month before the end of the agreement. This allows for RAP to schedule the community interview in a timely manner.
        • If an intern submits their residency application less than 1 month before the term ends, they may be able to extend their internship for the duration of their application process.
        • Intern must successfully complete the program in order for their residency application to be prioritized amongst new residency applications.

        • Denial of the application
          • In case the application is denied, the intern must vacate the campus within 5 days.
      • This is an alcohol, tobacco, and drug restricted educational facility.
        Public drinking is not tolerated and tobacco and marijuana use are limited to authorized areas only. Under no circumstances are interns permitted to smoke in their rooms or in the dorms. If you are a heavy drinker, smoker, or drug user, please explore options other than this program. 
    • For which internship are you applying? 

    • Available Internship Roles

      Note: Not all internships are available year-round

    • Land Circle Permaculture Internship
      Superviors: Brian "Thai" Byers, Land Steward & PDC Lead Instructor and Khyla Allis, Garden Manager & PDC Instructor

      • Agroforestry Projects
      • Biochar
      • Fire Mitigation
      • Brush clearing / trail maintenance
      • Milling
      • Weeding
      • Feeding
      • Harvesting
      • Sowing seeds
      • Food preservation
      • Food processing
      • Bed prep for the next season.
      • Watering 

      Education Administrative Internship
      Supervisor: Nathaniel Nordin-Tuininga, Education Director

      • Taking detailed meeting minutes
      •  Handling admin requests from Education Director
      • Online Research 
      • Maintain and update spreadsheets
      • Maintain google drive filing system for the Education Department
      • Update database as needed
      • Send documents for e-signature via DocuSignDownload files & save in Google Drive
      • Support with Newsletter mailings
      • Social media posting

       

      Education: Food Preparation Internship
      Supervisor: Kitchen Coordinator

      • Food prep (washing, chopping, shredding, dicing of food)
      • Measuring and mixing of ingredients under Lead Cook's direction.
      • Maintain clean kitchen and storage areas including washing dishes and mopping floors.
      • Help to set up serving tables, label preparations, serve out food to guests, replenish items as needed and keep serving tables clean and presentable.
      • Prepare, package and label lunches for transport on field trip days, in a timely manner, as directed by Lead Cook.
      • Proper food storage.
      • Assist with the monitoring of kitchen inventory and record needed items.
      • Properly dispose of non-recyclable, non-compostable or non-reusable refuse.
      • Cleaning trash cans on a regular basis.
      • Compost kitchen produce, food waste and egg shells 

       

      Marketing: Social Media/Marketing Intern
      Supervisor: Education Director

      • Experience managing business social media accounts
      • Awareness of current trends in social media and algorithm function.
      • Create video and photo content while attending work parties, events, celebrations, daily activities.
      • Interacting with other relevant business/organization/people's social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok.
      • Thorough understanding of Lost Valley's mission and vision and ability to clearly communicate them through text and image.
      • Graphic Design skills
      • Familiarity with squarespace, google adwords, canva, and Illustrator.

       

      Understanding Our Active Sociocratic Circles - Updated 1/7/22


      The graphics below represent Lost Valley's Current Socioicracy-inspired Circles. This will help you visualize the flow of communication and informaiton throughout Lost Valley and better understand where your internship position(s) sit(s) within our governance structure.

       

       

       

    • To apply, select from the following open internships.

      Role specific questions will appear after the community questions in Section 5
  • Section Two: Who are you?

    Section Two: Who are you?

    About You & Your Intentions for Applying

  • This is where

    we gather any info we need to host you and where you get to share resumes, referral letters, your intentions for applying and how you learned about us. When applicable, please answer in essay form (see the provided examples).
    • Tell us about you 
    •  -
    •  / /
      Pick a Date
    • Browse Files
      Cancelof
    • Browse Files
      Cancelof

    • Tell us of your intentions for applying 
    • Browse Files
      Cancelof
  • Section Three: Assessment of Fit For the Internship Program

    Section Three: Assessment of Fit For the Internship Program

  • The internship program is

    an educational experience designed to benefit both the intern as well as Lost Valley Educational Center. We want to empower the intern to explore the their passions as well as provide them with the opportunity to learn from the land and all of its stewards. We are looking for self-organized & self-motivated folks who will meet deadlines without reminders and will set up and consistently maintain their schedules. Please answer in essay form (see provided examples)
    • Answer section three's essay questions 
  • Section Four: Assessment of Fit for Living & Learning in the MSEVC Community

    Section Four: Assessment of Fit for Living & Learning in the MSEVC Community

  • Here we ask you to go deeper into reflections

    on living in community, your personal philosophies & unique skills for creating a more sustainable and regenerative world. These questions are divided into the categories according to GAIA Education's Sustainability Wheel: World View, Social, Economic and Ecological. Please answer in essay form (see provided examples)
    • Gaia Education's sustainability wheel 
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    • Hidden for form functionality - DO NOT REMOVE 

    • To answer Section 4's essay questions,

      click on each arrow to answer questions pertaining to the corresponding dimensions
    • Answer world view (5) questions 
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    • Answer social (5) questions 
    • Answer economic (2) questions 
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    • To answer "Question #3: Legal & Financial Issues" below, you will need to reflect on the following:

      There are two different entities that simultaneously exist on this campus. The first is the business operations of Lost Valley Educational Center. These operations hold the financial and legal requirements for the business, residential operations, and the nonprofit to continue. The second is Meadowsong Ecovillage, which is composed of the community of people that reside on the land. These two entities have both separate responsibilities and overlapping components. The economic resources available to Lost Valley are used to help both the business and community function on a daily basis, and tasks that need to get done are often the same whether for the business or community.

      The bathrooms, for example, are used by everyone. They need to be cleaned regardless of whether we have an event or an educational program running on campus. Who cleans them, under what entity they are working, and what their compensation is depends on individual circumstances. One challenge we have observed with interns in the past is frustration or confusion regarding how the community and the business differentiate. Some circumstantial factors include the differences in compensation available to folks who do the work, and the need to balance competing business and community priorities given the limited and shared economic resources

       

       

       

    • Answer ecological (2) questions 
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  • Administrative Internship Position

    Administrative Internship Position

  • Lost Valley Education Center is looking for

    a motivated, self-directed individual with experience in administrative tasks & office management. Individuals with bookkeeping experience or the desire to learn more are highly desired. Training may be available.

  • Duties / skills include, but are not limited to:

    • Assisting the visitor coordinator with filing paperwork, collecting and entering transaction information and creating invoices.

    • Interns will assist multiple staff members with updating or creating policies and procedures manuals.

    • Interns will assist the maintenance department with administrative tasks on an as-needed basis, as outlined by the Bookkeeper.

    • The Site department needs help sorting and filing paperwork, digital and hard copy, assistance creating a residency user manual, and updating and organizing documents.

    • The intern will be required to participate in an ongoing office renovation project. Tasks may vary and will include scanning hard copy files into Google Drive, cleaning out desk cabinets and rearranging furniture, and painting. Applicants should be willing and able to bend, lift, and carry a minimum of 25 lbs, and should be able to be on their feet for several hours at a stretch.

    • Interns are required to have a strong knowledge of and comfort with Google Suite of programs, including Gmail, Google Drive, Google Sheets, and Google Calendar. Other software used in this position includes Quickbooks and scanning software.

    • Interns should be comfortable making phone calls to vendors and organizations, scheduling appointments, and tracking project status.

    • Interns must demonstrate strong written and verbal communication skills. Interns must have the ability to stay organized, to prioritize tasks, and to work without direct supervision once trained. Interns will work on many different projects not listed here during their time in this program. Flexibility and the ability to juggle multiple projects at once are important skills for this role.

    • Interested applicants should plan to stay for three months, as the staff time required to provide training to the intern makes shorter stays cost prohibitive.

    Resume Required - please makes sure you uploaded yours.

  • Your Work Week With the Admin Team

    Your Work Week With the Admin Team

    The work week will be primarily directed by the needs of the Visitor Coordinator and the timing of meetings. The intern will be required to schedule appointments with other staff members who require their services. A mutually agreeable work schedule can be worked out between the Visitor Coordinator and the Intern upon arrival.

  • To complete the Admin Intern essay questions below,

    please type your answers in essay form
  • Permaculture Internship

    Permaculture Internship

  • Lost Valley Educational Center is looking for

    interns to join our Land Circle team for the upcoming season.

  • We are looking for

    • Dedicated, self-motivated and passionate applicants who want to live in community.
    • The permaculture role works with the Land Circle to accomplish our land conservation and restoration goals as well as gardening, milling, fire mitigation, agroforestry, and orcharding/food forest maintenance.
    • The role requires the ability to perform long hikes in the forest and some strenuous physical labor.
    • Passion to learn market gardening, community gardening, organic farming, or some form of community scale sustainable agriculture. 
    • Embrace physical activity. Frequent use of shovels, hoes, rakes, moving compost/soil, digging trenches/swales.

  • Your Work week on the Land

    Your Work week on the Land

    You attend several work parties per week plus other projects as directed by the Land Steward and Garden Manager. As skill and competence are demonstrated there will be opportunities for self-directed projects that align with your own interests and experience.

  • To complete the Land Intern essay questions below,

    please type your answers in essay form
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  • Garden Internship

    Garden Internship

  • Lost Valley Educational Center is looking for

    interns to join our Garden Circle crew for the upcoming season. If the following describes you, we would love you to apply!

  • The Garden Circle is looking for:

    • Passion to learn market gardening, community gardening, organic farming, or some form of community scale sustainable agriculture. Experience with irrigation, vermicomposting, composting, and/or perennial fruit care is a bonus.
    • Proficiency using garden tools, identifying pests, proper planting/harvesting techniques, identifying and removing weeds.
    • Embrace physical activity. Frequent use of shovels, hoes, rakes, moving compost/soil, digging trenches/swales.
    • Responsible for following food safety protocol from harvest to community store.
    • Responsible for garden cleanliness and safety for community interaction.
    • Comfortable taking initiative with daily tasks like watering and weeding.
      Self-motivated.
    • Comfortable taking directions and asking clarifying questions.
    • Have love for the earth, for growing food and for community.
    • Have a deep belief and understanding that the power of food and community are tenets to physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
  • Your Work Week in the Garden 

    Your Work Week in the Garden 

    Garden Circle has two (2) work parties a week.  Outside of those parties, normal task include weekly weeding, feeding, harvesting, sowing seeds, food preservation, food processing, and bed prep for the next season. Interns will be on the weekly watering schedule and be assigned weekly task by the garden coordinator.

  • To complete the Garden Intern essay questions below,

    please type your answers in essay form
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  • Education Admin Internship

    Education Admin Internship

  • Lost Valley Educational Center is looking for

    interns to join our Education Circle for the upcoming season. If the following describes you, we would love you to apply!

  • The Education Circle is looking for:

    • A detail-oriented, responsible, professional, and motivated Education Assistant Intern who is good humored, service oriented and interested in living in community. 
    • This is a great role for someone with professional experience and an interest in further cultivating administrative skills. Experience as an Administrative Assistant, Virtual Assistant, or Office Admin Assistant is a plus.
    • The intern supports the Education Director with administrative tasks for our educational course offerings. 
    • The role requires a high level of interpersonal skill, self-motivation, creative problem solving ability and a genuine desire to serve.
    • The ideal candidate will have familiarity with basic office software, familiarity with or the ability to quickly learn Google suite, SquareSpace, Docusign and Vertical Response. Social media savvy, customer service and sales experience are a plus.  

    Resume Required - please makes sure you uploaded yours.

  • Your Work Week With the Education Team

    Your Work Week With the Education Team

    The work week will be directed by the needs of the Education Director.

  • To complete the Education Intern essay questions below,

    please type your answers in essay form
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  • Kitchen Internship

    Kitchen Internship

    Summer Session Only

  • Lost Valley Educational Center is looking for

    interns to join our Kitchen Circle for the upcoming season. If the following describes you, we would love you to apply!

  • The Education Circle is looking for

    A responsible, professional, and motivated Kitchen Intern who is good humored, service oriented and interested in living in community.
    This is a great role for someone with professional experience and an interest in further cultivating food preparation skills. Interns are responsible for assisting with preparing, serving and proper storing of ingredients and meals. You should also help ensure that the kitchen and storage areas remain clean and sanitary at all times.

    To be successful as a Food Preparation Intern, you should demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to multitask without sacrificing the quality in your work. Top-notch candidates will be able to perform well within a fast-paced environment.

  • Your Work Week With the Kitchen Team

    Your Work Week With the Kitchen Team

    The work week will be directed by the needs of the Kitchen Coordinator.

  • To complete the Kitchen Intern essay questions below,

    please type your answers in essay form
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  • Maintenance Internship Role

    Maintenance Internship Role

  • Lost Valley Educational Center is looking for

    interns to join our Site Circle for the upcoming season. If the following describes you, we would love you to apply!

  • The Site Circle is looking for:

    • Electrical
    • Plumbing
    • Infrastructure Repair
  • Social Media / Marketing Internship

    Social Media / Marketing Internship

  • Lost Valley Educational Center is looking for

    interns to join our Marketing Circle for the upcoming season. If the following describes you, we would love you to apply!

  • The Marketing Circle is looking for:

    • A detail-oriented, responsible, professional, and motivated Marketing Intern who is good humored, service oriented and interested in living in community.
    • Experience managing business social media accounts
    • Awareness of current trends in social media and algorithm function.
    • Create video and photo content while attending work parties, events, celebrations, daily activities.
    • Interacting with other relevant business/organization/people's social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok.
    • Thorough understanding of Lost Valley's mission and vision and ability to clearly communicate them through text and image.
    • Graphic Design skills
    • Familiarity with squarespace, google adwords, canva, and Illustrator.A professional, experienced social media/marketing interns to join our team. 

     

    • To be successful as a Marketing Intern, you should demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills. Top-notch candidates will be able to perform well within a fast-paced environment.

  • To complete the Social Media/Marketing Intern essay questions below,

    please type your answers in essay form
  • Section Six: Payment

    Section Six: Payment

  • Thank you for taking your time to make it to the end of our Internship Application. We understand how valuable a step this experience may be on your path. 

     

    If you reached this page without answering questions specific to the position for which you want to apply, please click the back button below to navigate back to the "Program Details" ---> "For which position(s) are you applying?" to make your selections & answer those questions. Then pay & submit here.

     

    Please click the "Submit" button below to send your application to us.

     Please note: You will also recieve a link in your inbox to complete a background check through SafeRent for $27.99. Your application(s) will not be reviewed until payment is received both for the application fee and the background check.

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