If your school or program requires an internship or offers credit for one, WWOOF can help!
WWOOFing is an ideal way to earn internship credit because there are 1,500 hosts listed with endless learning opportunities, hours can be completed intensively or over the course of a semester, and WWOOFing is a lot of fun.
Typical WWOOFing arrangements involve about half a day’s participation on the farm while receiving free room, board and education from your host. Depending on your program’s internship requirements, many hosts are willing to structure their WWOOFing program so that you can gain practical experience and earn credit.
🌱 Steps for completing an internship with a WWOOF-USA host:
- Use the WWOOF directory to search for hosts that offer opportunities that meet your program’s requirements and agree to internship supervision. You can also search using keywords like “internship” to see all hosts who have this mentioned in their profile. If a farm isn’t listed as offering an internship, we recommend still reaching out to ask if they would be willing to host you!
- Join as a member of WWOOF-USA so you can contact hosts! Contact us for a special student membership discount. WWOOF-USA is a 100% membership-run non profit. The membership fee is the only cost involved in WWOOF, and room and board is provided by hosts.
- Contact hosts directly about dates and availability, and complete any requisite applications or interviews.
- Sign and date an internship agreement (either provided by your school or use the sample agreement provided by WWOOF) to define the terms of the internship.
- Notify the WWOOF-USA office about your internship prior to the start state.
- When the internship is complete, submit a review for your host showing the dates of your visit.
- WWOOF-USA will provide an Internship Completion Certificate for your school and any other paperwork required outside of the Host – WWOOFer internship agreement.
🌱 Establishing an Internship with a WWOOF host
Every host in our network offers a different learning opportunity, so it will be important to establish the expected schedule, activities, and internship focus with a host prior to entering an internship arrangement. Creating an internship agreement is recommended for both you and the host to be clear about objectives and expectations.
Click here for a sample agreement, which can be duplicated and edited to include a host farm’s specific offerings or your school’s requirements.
🌱 Educational Curriculums for Teaching Organic Farming and Gardening
Your host may or may not be able to develop their own curriculum for your internship. Depending on the skills and topics you are hoping to learn, one of the following online resources could complement your hands-on learning experience and demonstrate the topics your internship will cover to your educational institution.
- UC Santa Cruz: Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems: One great resource for in-depth learning about organic farming is “Teaching Organic Farming & Gardening,” published by UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. This is a free downloadable manual that covers practical aspects of organic farming and gardening.
- Multinational Exchange for Sustainable Agriculture (MESA): Whereas the UCSC manual is meant to be used in the field, MESA’s differs in that it is an online curriculum that students can use at their own pace. WWOOFers qualify for a discount on the agroecology certificate. Please contact us or visit MESA’s learning program to find out more.
🌱 We’re here to help!
Contact us at any time with questions or for more information setting up an internship or receiving class credit through the WWOOF program.
Once you find an internship, let us know so we can register your internship and share internship agreements or provide documentation for your school’s program if required.
