ECHO INC. Intern - April 2026 (Nationwide)

Job Description

Job DescriptionApplications will Close December 1, 2025

Decisions will be communicated in January 2026

PROGRAM OVERVIEW:
The ECHO Internship is designed to equip future development workers with basic skills in smallholder tropical agriculture and wholistic community development. This program is best suited for those who love Jesus and are seeking to advance his kingdom through international agriculture development. Through hands-on training and participatory learning, the internship emphasizes a learn-while-doing approach as interns serve in ECHO’s ministry. Interns attend weekly seminars, regular training events, and occasional field trips which combine theory and practice and provide exposure to a broad range of relevant topics important to smallholder farmers.

Upon successful completion of the ECHO Internship, a graduate should be able to:

• Articulate the Biblical principles which provide a basis for agriculture and community development that brings glory to God.
• Integrate into agricultural communities around the globe with deep cultural awareness, sensitivity, and appreciation for local initiatives, local knowledge, and appropriate solutions.
• Work alongside under-resourced communities to help identify, utilize, and maximize locally available resources to address quality of life issues within communities.
• Train smallholder farmers in appropriate agricultural systems & techniques as well as the selection and utilization of crops that increase quality and/or quantity of local food production.
• Creatively problem-solve as they help the undernourished navigate the challenges of sustainable food production.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
ECHO has a Global Farm exemplifying sustainable agricultural principles and techniques that are important to smallholder farmers and gardeners in developing countries. The Internship provides instruction in tropical agriculture, guiding participants through courses in Conservation Agriculture, Community Development, Underutilized Crops, Community Health, Creation Care, Appropriate Technology, Tropical Nursery Management, Seed Saving and Seed Banking. While there are integral trainings, learning primarily occurs through hands-on experience.

The ECHO Internship Program is a full-time commitment (40 hours a week). In addition to the main intern priorities, ECHO interns assist with missional aspects of ECHO, such as farm maintenance, animal care, seed bank operation and nursery production, as well as ECHO events.

Intern activities include:

• Engaging with in-person instruction
• Participating in the production of tropical foods, underutilized plants, fruit, and multipurpose trees
• Creating formal and informal trainings in agriculture or community development
• Harvesting, cleaning, and processing seeds
• Propagate tropical and sub-tropical plants
• Learning to care for and integrate livestock into agricultural systems
• Utilizing appropriate technologies related to food, water, shelter, and energy
• Managing a demonstration area

Interns gain experience with the various demonstration areas on the farm. Each of these areas highlights plants, techniques, and technologies which can be useful under challenging conditions. Interns work together with staff to plan what will be demonstrated in each of these areas. Once the plan is determined, the interns are responsible to establish and maintain area demonstrations.

Each intern will work alongside staff who run ECHO’s seed bank or nursery. In so doing, they will gain vital skills in propagation and seed saving. Interns in the seed bank are involved in the operation of ECHO’s global seed bank, which supplies trial packets of hard-to-find seeds to our network of missionaries and development workers. Interns in the nursery work with the propagation and maintenance of tropical and subtropical plants for ECHO’s farm, campus, and retail nursery.

Interns are provided with on-campus housing, health insurance, and a $700 monthly stipend. They also enjoy access to our full range of company benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage; 401(k) participation; paid time off; and wellness days.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS:
The ECHO Internship Program is 12 months and 3 weeks long. Interns must have a Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent life experience, US citizenship or appropriate visa, and be able to fulfill the duties required.

We do not require applicants to have a degree in a specific major nor to have a previous agricultural or cross-cultural experience. However, the purpose of the internship program is to prepare Christian development workers for agricultural ministry, so we look for candidates who are most likely to pursue this type of career: relevant classes, agricultural skills, international experience, work history, good grades, and so on.
Interns will be expected to actively communicate with ECHO Faculty/Staff via in-person and email.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Interns work outside with gardens, animals, and appropriate technologies, as well as inside with computers and in the classroom and library. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this internship. Work involves outdoor activities under varying conditions as well as indoors with research, writing, and training activities. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate unless notified that loud equipment is being utilized nearby.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to do sustained, moderate physical activity and occasional vigorous physical activity under both high humidity and temperature conditions.

The employee must regularly work outdoors and may, at times, assist with entering data and other tasks that involve writing or work on the computer. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand (for at least two consecutive hours), walk, use hands, talk, and hear. Fine motor skills such as typing, the use of a computer mouse and telephone handset are required. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms and perform tree trimming from ladders. The employee is required to walk, bend, sit, stoop, kneel, and crouch. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move to 30-50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

The Internship Application Form is web-based. Applicants will need internet access to complete and submit the form. Interns are provided with a small monthly stipend, basic health and life insurance, and communal housing.

We encourage you to browse the ECHO website (www.echonet.org) to learn more about our organization and our resources and to access our Intern Application Form (Internship Program - ECHO). An in-depth overview of the internship can be downloaded from Internship-Overview-2024.pdf.

ECHO's Global Farm Address: 17391 Durrance Road, North Fort Myers, FL 33917; 239-567-3330

Please upload a copy of your resume and include the following information:

1. Education
2. Work History
3. Ministry, Service, and cross-cultural experience (mission trips, volunteer work, etc.)

AAP/EEO STATEMENT:
ECHO is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe it is our moral and legal obligation to meet the responsibility of ensuring that all management practices regarding employees are conducted in a nondiscriminatory manner.

In compliance with Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and other applicable federal and state statutes, all recruiting, hiring, training, and promoting for all job classifications will be administered without regard to race, color, ancestry, age, sex, national origin, pregnancy or childbirth, disability, military veteran status or other applicable status protected by law, including state of employment protected classes. It is, therefore, our policy and intention to evaluate all employees and prospective employees strictly according to the requirements of the job.

ECHO is a Christian religious-affiliated organization; and as such, is not subject to religious discrimination requirements. ECHO’s hiring practices and EEO discrimination practices are in full compliance with both federal and state law. Federal law creates an exception to the “religion” component of the employment discrimination laws for religious organizations and permits them to give employment practice preference to members of their own religious beliefs.

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