Community Horticulture Fellowship- January 2023 Cohort

Fellowship Description

The Charleston Parks Conservancy Community Horticulture Fellowship Program is a year-long robust professional development program designed to advance/increase opportunities for individuals from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in horticultural leadership.

In the inaugural year of the fellowship, The Charleston Parks Conservancy hopes to

• Directly address institutional barriers and issues of representation.
• Create a path to executive and leadership management in horticulture.
• Increase diversity and inclusion in horticulture.

The Community Horticulture Fellowship Program’s collaboration with community partners offers a range of learning opportunities in areas designed for those who have a passion to lead in a public horticulture environment.

• Participants engage in skills training, leadership, and professional development courses in the parks and with partners of the program.
• Additionally, fellows develop and complete a capstone project aimed at refining their horticultural knowledge and skills.
• At the completion of the program, the Conservancy will work with our partners and others to assist in securing a leadership position in the field of Horticulture.

Fellowship Curriculum

This fellowship consists of:

1. In depth experiential learning at a variety of host sites
2. In-field practicums
3. Professional development and leadership training
4. Mentorship and community networking
5. Capstone project
6. Job placement and access to a growing alumni network of fellows upon graduation

Eligibility/Desired Skills

Candidates should be interested in advancing their career in the field of horticulture in a management and leadership capacity; coupled with a passion for personal and professional advancement, hounding down people for their extra plants, and a sense of humor. Fellows must respect and maintain the confidentiality of rare species location and sensitive data/ information.

1. Recent associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree graduates or
2. Those currently enrolled and will have graduated by fellowship program start date, students of horticulture or closely related degree program or
3. Individuals currently working in the landscaping, gardening, and horticulture industries in South Carolina with at least two years of field experience, with a desire to develop their skills in a horticulture capacity but without a traditional degree

Details

• Starting Date: January 9, 2023
• Location: Majority of time will be spent in the Lowcountry/ Greater Charleston area. Fellows will also have the opportunity to participate in horticulture based field trips, experiential learning, in-field practicums and other activities throughout the state of South Carolina.
• Time and Compensation: 12 months, average 40 hours/ week, some nights and weekends will be expected. Annual salary of $40,000 plus benefits.

To Apply

• Google Form
• Resume
• Using a short paragraph 250-500 words, choosing either of the topics below:
• Making a case for being of a background traditionally underrepresented, within the horticulture industry, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, or geographic region; in addition to what unique perspective or life experiences you bring to the industry, and what lasting impact you aim to have.
• Your experiences, research, and/or interest in championing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the horticulture industry; and what lasting impact you aim to have in the horticulture industry
• Optional: Introductory video stating any additional information you’d like us to know about you that doesn’t appear on your resume. Submissions should be no longer than 5 minutes in duration.
• Copy of transcript (unofficial or official), only if currently pursuing a degree program
• Three professional references
• Optional A letter of recommendation from professional or academic source

• Application Process & Timeline

  Application Timeline for January 2023 Fellows:

• Aug 1 - Oct 31, 2022: Applications open, rolling application style, encouraged to apply early; phone interviews and zoom interviews taking place during this time
• Nov 1- Nov 20,2022: In person final interviews at CPC and final decisions made
• Dec 1, 2022: Press Announcement of fellows
• Jan 9, 2023 : Fellows First day!

• Process:

• 1st round: Phone Interview
• 2nd round: Zoom Interview
• 3rd and final round: In person interview
• Each candidate will be asked the same series of questions throughout each round.
• We encourage you to check out these resources when writing your application and preparing for your interview
  • Creating your resume
  • Choosing your references
  • Answering short questions in an application
  • Preparing for a phone interview
  • Horticulture based questions to expect during an interview
  • Questions to ask your interviewer