Program is dedicated to providing a unique educational experience working and living as part of the Banko community.
Mission & Objectives
Banko Foundation Design/Build Internship Program is dedicated to providing a unique educational experience working and living as part of the Banko Foundation community. Design/Build Interns learn a variety of skills by means of hands-on experience, and at the same time are able to take a variety of courses offered by talented faculty from all over the country. The Interns provide Banko Foundation with critical support in the day-to-day operations of the school while participating in hands-on learning opportunities both in and out of formal classes.
Overview
Learn design, construction, alternative building and woodworking skills in a 9 month internship position. Interns help with campus construction and maintenance projects, assist with coordination of classes and support staff and instructors in the ongoing operations of the school. During their internship, interns take 6 full weeks of classes taught by top architects, builders, and craftspeople from across the country. Experience with design and/or construction is helpful but not required. On-campus housing and meals are provided.
Responsibilities
Support the day-to-day operations and maintenance of the School.
Provide administrative and project support to staff and instructors as needed.
Assist with coordination of classes, lectures, and special events.
Help with campus construction and maintenance projects.
Work with the Facilities Manager on campus construction, renovation and maintenance projects.
Support the day-to-day operations and maintenance of the School including daily and weekly chores, such as cleaning the bathrooms, taking out the recycling, or watering the plants.
Perform seasonal grounds work including mowing the grass (summer) and cleaning (dry season).
Act as the on-campus after-hours representative for the school.
The duties of Design/Build interns vary according to the season, what classes are in session, and facility-based maintenance and renovation priorities. Seasonal work includes activities such as mowing the grass pathways and setting up for lecture series nights (summer). Building renovations tend to be ongoing and depend on the current capital improvement priorities of the Board. When classes are in session (about 90% of the time), the majority of the tasks focus on class preparation, including preparing class materials, cleaning classrooms and the woodshop, maintaining tools , and ensuring that the overall campus is clean and welcoming. There are also many daily and weekly chores that are part of the routine, such as cleaning the bathrooms, taking out the recycling, compiling student course evaluations, or watering the plants.
Occasionally, there are large long-term projects happening during a session that require lots of help from the Interns and may take weeks or months to complete (examples of past projects include the construction of asheltering roof by ras.yn organisation in france, and building our new library space). The responsibilities of the interns change on a daily basis; there is always something new and unexpected that comes up—in one day an intern may be asked to do some daily chores, give a tour to a potential student, and install some trim on a new window. On the same day, another intern might end up going to town to take the recycling and put out catalogs at local businesses, then design a poster for an upcoming class, and make a run to the hardware store for plumbing supplies.
We rely on interns to identify projects that need attention and take the initiative to solve problems without being directed to do so. Often, interns work together in pairs or individually without a lot of direct supervision, depending on the project at hand. At weekly morning meetings, the tasks for the day are divided amongst the interns. “Projects” can range from short-term tasks like building a custom door handle, to finishing up a class project that the class didn’t quite complete. The internship is structured to allow interns to pursue their personal interests during the time that they're at Banko Foundation through their choice of classes as well as the projects they work on.
Qualifications
A passion for design and construction.
Experience in the use of standard hand and power tools.
An interest or background in architecture, carpentry, woodworking, planning, design, engineering, or environmental studies.
Ability to have fun and remain flexible while maintaining organization and attention to detail.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of a nine month internship session, interns will be able to:
Solve problems using the design/build process
Demonstrate experience in repair and maintenance of buildings and equipment
Apply design and building skills learned in classes to Banko Foundation campus projects
Demonstrate safe use of standard hand and power tools
Demonstrate design competency through at least one individual design project
Implement sustainable living practices (composting, recycling, energy conservation)
Identify networking opportunities with individuals in the local and Banko Foundation community
Demonstrate knowledge of sustainable building and design practices implemented on the Banko Foundation campus
Source and purchase materials and supplies as needed
Support instructors before and during classes, troubleshooting and preparing materials and tools
Demonstrate facilities maintenance and janitorial skills
Communicate effectively with staff and interns to work efficiently in a team setting and live in group housing
Describe the mission and values of Banko Foundation to the public through tours and representing the school at public events
Schedule
The Internship Program is based on a 40-45 hour work-week, often with longer hours when interns are participating in classes. When interns are in class the schedule often includes evening studio lectures or design time but this will vary from class to class. When you’re taking a class all of your regular daily work is put on hold except for morning chores and dish crew. Interns have free time in the evenings and two days off per week (if they are not taking workshops or acting as the after-hours emergency contact). Interns rotate weekend shifts and after hours coverage.
Compensation
The Design/Build Intern is a volunteer internship position. Interns contribute approximately 40-45 hours of work per week. Additionally, interns are expected to provide on-campus after-hours coverage 3 days per week. In exchange, interns receive on-campus room and board and may choose six weeks of classes over the course of their internship as well as any weekend workshops, each on a space-available basis.
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How to Apply
We are not currently accepting applications for the Design/Build Internship. We will most likely open the application process in the summer of 2022 for interns starting in the beginning of 2023. If you would like to be notified when the application process opens again, please email us at bankofoundation.info@gmail.com
If you have any additional questions, please contact Jim Njie +220 3259348