Internship Crew Leader
Full-time Position: Starting As Soon as Feasible in June 2026
Reflo is a Milwaukee-area nonprofit organization focused on community-based water projects that enhance daily urban life. Often project partners rely on Reflo to be the catalyst to progress complex infrastructure projects that include robust community engagement and educational objectives supported by built projects. More information about our Summer Environmental Internship program is available at https://refloh2o.com/summer.
Position Summary:
The Internship Crew Leader will be a key member of Reflo’s Internship Team and will help support the day-to-day experience, safety, learning, transportation, and field work of Reflo’s high school-aged environmental interns. This position is designed for someone who enjoys working outside, is energized by working with young people, and can help create a supportive, inclusive, and fun work environment for youth ages 15–19.
Reflo’s summer internship provides youth with hands-on experience supporting land conservation, green infrastructure, environmental stewardship, and community-based projects at Milwaukee-area schools and green spaces. Interns are also exposed to blue/green career pathways while building teamwork, communication, leadership, problem-solving, and workplace skills.
The Internship Crew Leader will supervise a crew of approximately 11 interns and may at times be the primary adult responsible for youth during field work, travel, activities, transitions, and breaks. Because of this responsibility, the successful candidate must demonstrate strong judgment, reliability, appropriate professional boundaries, and the ability to keep youth safe, engaged, and supported throughout the workday.
The Internship Crew Leader will be part of a larger Reflo Internship Team of approximately six adults who collectively support planning, supervision, transportation, field work, enrichment activities, and day-to-day problem solving. While the Crew Leader may at times be the primary adult responsible for youth, they will also be supported by a collaborative team that checks in regularly, adjusts plans as needed, and works together to create a safe and meaningful internship experience.
A central goal of the internship is to help youth see themselves as capable leaders, environmental stewards, creative problem-solvers, and valued contributors to their communities. The Crew Leader will support youth leadership by helping interns practice decision-making, peer collaboration, reflection, public communication, and shared ownership of their work.
The Internship Crew Leader does not need to enter the position as an expert in green infrastructure, land stewardship, or environmental maintenance. Reflo can provide training and support to build technical field skills. The most important qualifications are a genuine commitment to youth development, comfort supervising young people, strong communication skills, comfort working outdoors, and the ability to support, encourage, and redirect youth in a respectful and consistent way.
This position is seasonal with opportunity for growth. Reflo is especially interested in candidates available through the month of August, with potential to expand the role based on the selected candidate’s fit, interests, organizational needs, and funding.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Youth Crew Leadership and Supervision
The Internship Crew Leader will:
Supervise, guide, and support approximately 11 high school-aged interns during outdoor field work, environmental learning activities, transportation, breaks, and daily transitions.
Serve as a responsible adult leader for youth, including times when the Crew Leader may be alone with interns at a worksite, in transit, or during program activities.
Build positive, respectful relationships with youth and help create a welcoming environment where interns feel safe, supported, challenged, and valued.
Respond to youth needs, questions, interests, conflicts, and concerns with patience, care, consistency, and appropriate professional boundaries.
Help interns develop workplace expectations and skills, including punctuality, communication, teamwork, problem-solving, accountability, tool safety, and professionalism.
Support interns in building confidence, leadership skills, and a deeper relationship with nature and their communities.
Help facilitate small group discussions, daily check-ins, reflection activities, and team-building moments.
Model a positive attitude, flexibility, curiosity, cultural humility, and care for people and place.
Support intern wellness by paying attention to group dynamics, weather conditions, physical needs, emotional needs, and youth safety throughout the day.
Communicate with Reflo staff when youth need additional support, follow-up, accommodations, or intervention.
Follow Reflo policies and procedures related to youth supervision, transportation, safety, mandated reporting, emergency response, and professional conduct.
Transportation and Daily Logistics
The Internship Crew Leader will:
Report each workday to Reflo’s office and support daily preparation before leaving for field sites or program activities.
Drive interns in a Reflo-provided vehicle, such as a Reflo van, to and from worksites, activities, and other approved program locations.
Follow all Reflo vehicle, transportation, and youth safety policies.
Help ensure interns are accounted for during departures, arrivals, site transitions, breaks, and return to Reflo’s office.
Support daily logistics, including loading and unloading tools, supplies, water, snacks, personal gear, and program materials.
Communicate proactively with Reflo staff about transportation needs, timing, safety concerns, or schedule changes.
Field Work, Stewardship, and Outdoor Project Support
The Internship Crew Leader will support interns in hands-on environmental work that may include:
Green infrastructure maintenance at Milwaukee-area schools and community sites.
Native planting, watering, weeding, mulching, pruning, invasive species removal, and general site care.
Trash cleanup, trail or access improvements, outdoor classroom support, and stewardship of public or school-based green spaces.
Tool setup, tool safety, equipment care, material preparation, and end-of-day cleanup.
Supporting work that improves urban biodiversity, reduces flooding, maintains publicly accessible green space, and helps communities better understand and care for sustainable water systems.
Working in a variety of outdoor conditions, including heat, humidity, rain, uneven terrain, and active school/community sites.
Reflo will train the selected candidate in site-specific maintenance practices, safety procedures, and project goals. The Crew Leader should be willing to learn, ask questions, follow direction from technical staff, and help interns do the same.
Internship Team Coordination
The Internship Crew Leader will be part of a larger Internship Team of approximately six adults that supports the overall internship experience. Responsibilities may include:
Participating in Monday morning staff planning and management time to check in with the Reflo team, review youth needs, confirm weekly logistics, and adjust plans as needed.
Helping prepare weekly schedules, work plans, materials, supplies, tools, snacks, water, and transportation logistics.
Supporting Monday afternoon intern planning, team-building, skill-building, and reflection activities.
Helping coordinate and support Tuesday/Thursday Field Ops days focused on land conservation, green infrastructure maintenance, and community-based project support.
Helping coordinate and support Wednesday/Friday field trip days focused on career exploration, nature exploration, networking, and partner-led learning experiences.
Supporting attendance tracking, intern check-ins, program documentation, photos, surveys, and reflection activities.
Communicating proactively with the Executive Director and Internship Team about daily progress, youth needs, safety issues, equipment needs, and schedule adjustments.
Helping maintain a healthy balance between maintenance work, environmental learning, youth development, career exploration, rest, reflection, and fun.
Assisting with other internship program needs as assigned or agreed upon.
Family communication will generally be managed by another Reflo team member, though the Crew Leader may be asked to share observations or information with the Internship Team to support appropriate follow-up.
Weekly Program Rhythm and Team Support
The Internship Crew Leader will help support the general weekly rhythm of the summer internship program, while remaining flexible as weather, partner schedules, youth needs, and project needs shift. A typical week may include:
Monday mornings: Staff planning and management time with the larger Reflo Internship Team. The Crew Leader will check in with Reflo staff, review youth needs, confirm site plans and logistics, adjust the week as needed, and help coordinate roles and responsibilities across the team.
Monday afternoons: A half-day with interns focused on planning for the week together, setting expectations, building relationships, and introducing team-building, youth leadership, skill-building, reflection, and occasional arts-integrated activities.
Tuesdays and Thursdays: “Field Ops” days focused on supporting land conservation, green infrastructure maintenance, and stewardship needs at community-based project sites. These days will include measured breaks, hydration, reflection, and refreshing activities to help keep youth safe, engaged, and supported while doing outdoor work.
Wednesdays and Fridays: Field trip, career exploration, nature exploration, and networking days. Interns may visit partner organizations, explore natural areas, meet professionals in blue/green career fields, participate in hands-on learning experiences, and build connections with people and organizations doing environmental and community-based work in Milwaukee.
Arts-integrated activities may be woven into the week as appropriate, especially when they help youth reflect, document their experiences, tell stories about community and place, or contribute to project-based learning.
Throughout the week, the Internship Crew Leader will be supported by the larger Reflo Internship Team of approximately six adults. Team members will plan together, pair up, fill in, support youth, adjust logistics, and help ensure that interns have a safe, meaningful, well-supported, and fun summer experience.
Environmental Education and Career Exploration Support
The Internship Crew Leader may assist Reflo staff with:
Supporting youth learning connected to stormwater green infrastructure, land conservation, environmental stewardship, climate resilience, urban biodiversity, and community engagement.
Helping interns explore blue/green career pathways such as land conservation, urban forestry, landscape architecture, engineering, construction administration, environmental education, water quality, and community engagement.
Leading or co-leading short activities, demonstrations, reflections, or discussions in the field.
Supporting guest speakers, site visits, community partner activities, and youth enrichment experiences.
Helping interns connect daily field tasks to larger environmental and community goals.
Qualifications:
Required
At least 3 years of experience working with young people, preferably high school-aged youth.
Demonstrated enjoyment of and commitment to working with youth ages 15–19.
Ability to responsibly supervise youth, including situations where the Crew Leader may be the primary adult present.
Ability to pass a background check and meet Reflo’s youth safety requirements.
Valid driver’s license and ability to safely drive interns in a Reflo-provided vehicle.
Comfort supervising, guiding, encouraging, and redirecting young people in an outdoor work environment.
Willingness and ability to work outdoors for much of the day in a variety of weather conditions.
Strong communication, reliability, patience, and follow-through.
Ability to work as part of a team and take direction from the Executive Director and other Reflo staff.
Ability to model professionalism, flexibility, curiosity, and a positive attitude.
Ability to lift and carry up to 40–50 pounds occasionally and participate in physical outdoor work.
Preferred, but Not Required
CPR/First Aid certification, or willingness to complete training provided by Reflo.
Experience working in youth employment, summer camp, outdoor education, environmental education, school programs, after-school programs, mentoring, coaching, or youth development.
Experience with environmental stewardship, gardening, landscaping, green infrastructure, conservation, urban agriculture, or outdoor maintenance.
Experience supporting youth from diverse racial, cultural, socioeconomic, and neighborhood backgrounds.
Cultural competency and cultural humility, especially in Milwaukee youth-serving or community-based settings.
Experience driving youth, vans, or work vehicles.
Experience or interest in supporting youth leadership development, peer mentorship, creative expression, storytelling, public art, design, or arts-integrated learning.
Experience with restorative practices, trauma-informed youth work, conflict resolution, or social-emotional learning.
The Successful Candidate has:
A genuine passion for supporting young people.
An interest in helping youth build leadership skills through shared decision-making, reflection, peer support, and opportunities to take ownership of their work.
Enthusiasm for Reflo’s mission and community-based environmental work.
Strong judgment and a clear understanding of the responsibility involved in supervising youth.
Comfort with organized chaos, changing weather, shifting schedules, and the natural unpredictability of youth programs.
Strong instincts for safety, group management, and relationship-building.
The ability to be warm and approachable while still holding clear expectations.
A willingness to learn technical field skills and help interns learn alongside them.
A belief that outdoor work can be meaningful, confidence-building, and fun.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with youth, staff, families, school partners, and community members.
Openness to supporting creative or arts-integrated activities that help interns process, document, and share their experiences.
A desire to help interns see themselves as capable workers, leaders, environmental stewards, and valued members of their communities.
Job Type:
Full-time seasonal position with opportunity for growth.
40 hours/week.
Reports daily to Reflo’s office before traveling to worksites or program activities in a Reflo-provided vehicle.
Start date as soon as feasible, ideally ahead of the June 17 internship program kickoff.
Reflo is especially interested in candidates available through the month of August.
Potential to expand the role based on candidate fit, interests, organizational needs, and funding.
Compensation:
Starting compensation is $23+/hour, paid bi-weekly. Because this role may look a little different depending on the selected candidate’s experience, interests, and availability, Reflo will discuss compensation with candidates during the interview process and negotiate a final hourly rate based on the candidate’s background and the final scope of responsibilities. We especially value experience supporting and supervising youth, and we will take relevant youth leadership, outdoor education, environmental stewardship, transportation, and program coordination experience into account.
Paid bi-weekly
Potential for extended or expanded employment based on candidate fit, interests, organizational needs, and funding.
Does not currently provide insurance or other benefits not listed
Reflo, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Personnel are chosen on the basis of ability without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, marital status or sexual orientation in accordance with state and federal law.
Please send a resume and brief cover letter to admin@refloh2o.com with the subject line “Internship Crew Leader Application.” Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Reflo may close the application process early or extend the period as necessary until a successful candidate has been identified.