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Internship - Healthcare - winter

About this Job

Project Horseshoe Farm is a 501(c)3 community non-profit organization based in Greensboro, Alabama, with a more recent satellite extension in Marion, Alabama. Since our founding in 2007, Horseshoe Farm has been dedicated to strengthening communities, improving the quality of life of our vulnerable neighbors, and preparing citizen service leaders for tomorrow's communities.

By mobilizing some of the most promising future service leaders in the nation and teaching them to work effectively with the strengths of communities, Horseshoe Farm is forging a new path in community health. We have developed an integrated network of housing, transportation, support, health, wellness, social, and activities programs for vulnerable adults.  

In addition, Horseshoe Farm has worked with local schools to expand opportunities for children including partnering with Greensboro Schools to develop a 21st Century award-winning K-12 tutoring, mentoring, and enrichment program.

Project Horseshoe Farm's programs are tied together by a pioneering paid gap year Fellowship for top recent college graduates from across the country. With the Fellows as a backbone, Horseshoe Farm also offers internships for undergraduate, graduate, and health professions students interested in community health leadership. 

Since our founding in 2007, we have been dedicated to pursuing our mission of building on the strengths of our community, supporting better lives for our vulnerable neighbors, and preparing tomorrow's citizen service leaders.


Interns are involved with every aspect of Project Horseshoe Farm. Interns take the lead in planning and executing Community Center Programs and Youth Programs. 

Interns also facilitate and manage the Housing Programs and Health Partners Program, while also taking on different self-guided projects that allow the organization to be successful. Interns work hard, but they also find time for fun and socialize with community members and other young adults working with other organizations in the community. Interns should expect to be challenged and learn a lot. 

Based on experience from past years, Interns spend approximately 20% of their time (usually 1-2 day per week) serving in the housing program, approximately 30% of their time serving in and managing Community Center Programs and outreach programs, approximately 30% of their time on Youth Programs, approximately 15% of their time working on projects that they develop throughout the duration of internship, and approximately 5% of their time on shadowing activities, community outreach and engagement activities, activities related to health systems, and activities tailored to interns’ specific interests. 

Transportation: Interns participate in daily team meetings with Horseshoe Farm staff members. Afterwards, interns drive their own personal vehicles to pick up Day Program participants. Transporting our program participants is an important part of our program, as it allows interns to learn further about the community, develop relationships with and address a major barrier for the participants. Community Center Program: In the “Old Hotel,” (now a Community Space), interns take the lead in planning, organizing, and running programs for seniors, adults living with mental illness. Programming involves cooking, exercise, socializing, crafts, and other talents interns could share with participants. 
Administrative Time: Interns have the opportunity to hone their leadership and management skills and to learn about the operations of a small community based non-profit organization. Interns support volunteers, work on continuous program improvement, collaborate with nursing and social work students, and address organizational or program problems when they arise. Interns also participate in business and strategy meetings, and participate in quarterly Board meetings. Occasionally, interns will also volunteer on Saturday with construction and other community related events. Health Partners 

Program: Interns have opportunities to provide outreach support to vulnerable community members who could benefit from home visits, transportation, a delivered home-cooked meal, help navigating healthcare systems, or other support as needed. Interns also provide outreach support to vulnerable community members to help improve their quality of life and to help them live successfully in the community. Depending on the length of their internship, inters will either receive their own health partners or partner with fellows and their existing health partners to work towards achieving existing health goals. 

Youth Programs: In the Youth Programs, inters assist in planning, organizing, and running programs for at-risk youth in grades K-12. They work with school administrators and teachers, help to coordinate volunteers in the programs, and work directly with children. Typically, interns work with a fellow to manage a table of 7-8 students and set specific math and reading goals for improvement. Additionally, interns emphasize employability skills and habits of success with students. 

Discussion: Interns and fellows meet with Dr. Dorsey for weekly discussion seminars and movies covering assigned readings that help interns reflect on and gain a broader understanding of their work at Horseshoe Farm. To further help prepare interns for leadership roles amid the complex systems they will likely face, interns are introduced through the discussions to topics including community involvement and engagement, management and leadership of non-profit organizations, an introduction to systems of care, healthcare law and ethics, healthcare economics, the structure and financing of the healthcare system, the history of American medicine, and health policy. 

Community Engagement: Interns get involved with the local community by volunteering their time with local individuals and organizations. Past interns have spent time with local pastors, farmers, judges, and business, civic leaders, and other health professionals. In this way, interns can get involved in the community in ways related to their own unique interests beyond Horseshoe Farm and its service programs. 

Excursions: Interns are encouraged to spend time getting to know the many wonderful people in the community, exploring the fascinating and complex region. Interns take trips with the fellows around the local region and the state. Past excursions have included tours of Selma and Demopolis, visits to Priester’s Pecans in Fort Deposit, Perry Lakes Park in Marion, Corn Dog Factory in Demopolis, the “Tire Chapel,” the Safe House Museum in Greensboro, a Montgomery Biscuits Game, Jim Bird’s hay bail art, the McWane Science Center in Birmingham, and weekend trips to Mobile and Huntsville. 

Housing Programs: Interns are scheduled one to two days per week to be at the Housing Program, providing companionship to the residents and assisting with daily activities such as cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping. Interns also have opportunities to organize and enjoy day trips with residents, support residents in volunteer work and other community activities, provide transportation, and help residents to navigate the healthcare and social services systems. 

Shadowing: In order to help interns have more direct contact with healthcare and health systems, interns have opportunities to shadow local physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, and others who have welcomed interns to join them in experiences in local clinics, community hospitals, and other health settings. 

Weekends: Interns have most weekends off of work. Many interns have used the weekends to take advantage of various volunteering opportunities, attend church, or explore Greensboro and the surrounding areas. Interns will occasionally participate in work days which might include construction work or other organization related business. 

Class Work: Interns are able to take a limited number of credits of online coursework while working at Project Horseshoe Farm. If interns choose to take classes during their internship there is an opportunity for them spend several hours each week during the workday to devote to schoolwork.

Who should consider applying for an internship? 
We invite applicants from the full spectrum of majors and backgrounds who have an interest in and the potential for community-based service leadership, including applicants considering community-based service careers or social entrepreneurial activities in healthcare, public health, education, social work, public policy, law, business, and community leadership. Individuals with a track record of or with an interest in developing new, innovative, or independent community-based initiatives (domestically or abroad) are strongly encouraged to consider applying. Though academic credentials will be taken into consideration, we also seek individuals who have positive personal characteristics such as maturity, empathy, integrity, and strong work ethic. Interns will be accepted from a national pool of applicants. We encourage individuals from all across the United States to consider applying. 

What are the start and end dates of the internships?
Once applicants are selected for an internship position, a specific start and end date will be selected based on the schedule of both the interns and Project Horseshoe Farm. The general ranges for internships are : “Winter Internship” > December– January, “Spring Internship” > January – May , “Summer Internship” > July – August, “Fall Internship” > September – November

Do interns get paid? 
We are very sensitive to the issue of student debt burden and its effect on limiting students’ future ability to take risks and pursue unconventional paths. Unfortunately, as a small non-profit organization we are unable to pay interns. 

How many interns will be accepted each term? 
One to four interns will be accepted for each internship term. 

Where do interns live? 
Interns will live with approximately half of the Fellows during their time in Greensboro. There are two sites where inters may live throughout the duration of their internship. The first is in “cabins” located on a portion of the 70- acre Horseshoe Farm campus that is located approximately 3 miles south of Greensboro, Alabama. In this location, the houses have been designed with simple living in mind— therefore, there is no central heat/air conditioning, television, or internet (though internet is available at multiple sites including the public technology center, the Hotel, the other fellow’s house in town, the local coffee shop, and the public library in Greensboro). The other potential housing site is in the historically restored Fellows’ home in town. This house is equipped with central heat/air conditioning and Wi-Fi. 

Do I need to have a driver’s license and a car? 
Because transportation is central to many components of the internship, interns do need to have an active driver’s license prior to arriving at Horseshoe Farm. Because Hale County is a rural area without access to public transportation, each intern will need to bring their own car or rent a car for their personal use and to regularly transport program participants and Health Partners, whom otherwise would not have access to programs and services. 

About Project Horseshoe Farm

Our mission is to work together to build a stronger community, to support better lives for our vulnerable members, and to prepare leaders for tomorrow’s communities.
Project Horseshoe Farm (HSF) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded on the idea that we must come together as communities around our strengths to meet the needs of our children, seniors, and adults with mental illness. Based in the rural community of Greensboro, Alabama, we believe that grassroots organizations led by community based service leaders are important to providing leadership, structure, and support to help communities more effectively come together to support our vulnerable members. We believe that by working together and sharing responsibility for helping the vulnerable among us, we can create stronger communities and places to live. Project Horseshoe Farm is grateful to have been a part of a community wide effort to put these ideas into action here in Greensboro, Alabama.

Since its founding in 2007, Horseshoe Farm has grown to become a multifaceted service and leadership development organization. We aim to build on the strengths of our wonderful community, improve the quality of life of our vulnerable neighbors, and prepare citizen service leaders for tomorrow’s communities. Our innovative programs help support and improve the health, and quality of life, of adults in our community. We also serve children in our community through a comprehensive K-12 after school program. Finally, we offer a unique one-year Fellowship for top recent college graduates interested in the intersection of leadership, service, and community. Shorter internship opportunities for undergraduates, medical students, and allied health students are also available.