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MA‘O College Internship

Youth Leadership Training (YLT) College Internship

This 2 year internship offers Wai‘anae youth (17-24) a unique opportunity to start their college career by obtaining an Associate of Arts degree from Leeward Community College while gaining work and leadership experience as a part of our non-profit organization - MA‘O.  The YLT interns are provided many services and support aimed at developing grounded, respectful, vibrant, and engaged youth who have a strong understanding of the health and environmental issues in our community as well as how to succeed in the work and college environment to better pursue their career goals.  The services and support we provide to our interns include:

• $500-$600 monthly stipends
• Work experience co-managing an organic farm ~ interns learn organic methods for preparing fields for planting and for weed and bug control.  They plant, harvest, wash and package vegetables for delivery to premier restaurants and health food stores, run Farmer’s Markets, and handle business transactions with top chefs and produce buyers.
• Full tuition scholarship at Leeward Community College ~ interns earn a General Associate of Arts degree with a Subject Certificate in Community Food Systems which includes “Introduction to Organic Agriculture”, “Hawaiian Studies”, “Entrepreurship” and “Native Nutrition and Lifestyle” courses.  Interns can use their degree to transfer to a 4-year university or Career and Vocational School to pursue any career of their interest. 
• Communication workshops ~ Interns learn how to communicate more effectively with their families and peers using “I” messages, assertiveness instead of aggression or passiveness, and non-verbal communication.  They learn how to be better listeners and how to recognize their natural leadership styles. 
• Cultural Protocol workshops ~ Interns learn about Lualualei Valley - its history and how agriculture was once an important aspect of life for the Hawaiians.  They also learn and regularly practice chants that ready their minds for work (E Ho Mai) and that enable them to greet and acknowledge the many groups of people they meet at the farm and in their travels to outer islands, the Mainland and Abroad (Oli Kahea, Oli Komo and Oli Mahalo). 
• Financial education classes ~ Interns prepare for high paying careers by learning to manage their money.  Interns learn about checking and savings accounts, credit, loans, credit cards and debt management.
• Asset building savings accounts (IDA) ~ Interns choose a savings goal that will help them with college (i.e. car, lap top, tuition) and create a savings plan for their Individual Development Accounts.  For every $1 an intern saves, MA‘O will match it with $2!  So if an intern saves $100, he/she gets a $200 match giving him/her a total of $300 in savings!  (Open to 2nd year interns only)
• Opportunities to travel Interns are leaders in the community and State because of their ability to promote and spread messages of the importance of sustainability and agriculture.  Thus, they are invited to attend conferences abroad (New Zealand, Italy, Canada), on the Mainland (NYC, California, Arizona, etc.) and on neighboring islands.