Disability Inclusion Intern

DISABILITY INCLUSION INTERNSHIPS

Clapping Hands Farm Camp

Summer 2026

Clapping Hands Farm Camp is seeking summer interns committed to disability inclusion who are eager to work with children who have autism, ADHD, PTSD, OCD, anxiety, family trauma and more.

We are looking for energetic team members who love children, enjoy being outside, and thrive in a collaborative and supportive community. Patience, empathy, positivity, and creativity are valued strengths in this work.

To support your one-on-one work with individual children, you will be matched with an experienced Clapping Hands Farm staff person who will serve as your mentor. Interns will attend a bi-weekly workshop that will focus on specific topics related to disability inclusion. Each intern will be matched with a professional in their particular field of interest for an interview or shadowing opportunity.

Skills you can expect to learn and practice include: positive discipline and non-violent communication; supporting emotional regulation; how to lead games, art and nature activities; empathy and understanding for various mental health and behavioral disabilities.

Clapping Hands is an off-the-grid arts and nature camp located 3/4 of a mile down a gravel road near Pittsboro, North Carolina. With acres of woods and fields, a fairy forest, trails, a pond, hand-pumped well water, use-your-foot sinks, and solar power, we offer a unique natural setting. Shoes are optional, tree climbing is encouraged, and we spend the entire day outdoors.

Our age-specific programs for children from 2 to 18 are rich, vibrant experiences led by working artists, craftspeople, and naturalists who are passionate about what they do and want to ignite that passion in others. Founded in 2000, we have a robust history of success at including campers who benefit from extra support throughout the camp day.

• TIME COMMITMENT:
  • Internships will begin in mid May 2026 with participation in one or both of our adult camps:
    May 11-15 - Artful Life Camp for young adults 19-30, and May 23-27 - Women's Camp for women, non binary and trans people ages 18 and up.
  • Our children's camps will run every other week from June 15 to August 14 (six camps total). Interns will work at least four camps and at least four weeks between camps.
    • Camp weeks are full time including a Sunday pre-camp orientation: 3 pm-7 pm and Monday thru Friday 8:30 am until at least 6 pm (7 pm on Friday).
    • Interns will be expected to work at least 20 hours during weeks that fall between camps (typically 15 hours of camp preparation/wrap up plus 5 hours of workshops and mentorship meetings).
  • Sundays:
    Each Sunday before camp is a pre-camp orientation for that camp. And each Sunday after a camp is an intern workshop. Thus summer Sundays should be reserved for internship training with the exception of the Sundays preceding the camps that you have not elected to work.
• ORIENTATION AND TRAINING (During or immediately after the spring semester and continuing through the summer)
  • Discussions of readings and videos focused on our philosophy of working with campers; workshops open to all staff on specific topics related to camp activities or counselor skills; initial meeting with mentors (First 2 weeks of June).
  • In-person bi-weekly Disability Inclusion Intern workshops May-August. During our workshops you will hear from parents and siblings of children with disabilities; adults who have lived experience with mental illness; people who can speak to trauma and resilience; and professionals who work with people with disabilities in various capacities. These workshops are on Sunday afternoons and will last 4-6 hours, sometimes including a meal.
  • Meetings with your mentor and fellow interns.
  • A tailored interview or shadowing opportunity with someone in your area of interest. For example:
    • One previous intern wants to be a pediatric dentist. We arranged for her to shadow two different dentists.
    • One previous intern wants to train as a social worker and a lawyer and work to change policy. We arranged for her to interview a disability rights lawyer.
  • Attending one of our two adult camps; the best way to understand camp at Clapping Hands Farm is to experience it from the inside.
    • Artful Life Camp, a camp for young adults ages 19-30, May 11-15, 2026.
    • Women's Camp, May 23-27, 2026.
• DURING EACH WEEK OF CAMP
  • Interns work as part of our counselor team, but you can expect to spend at least 50% of the day paired one-on-one with campers while participating in camp activities.
  • Like all Clapping Hands counselors, interns will be offered hands-on support and mentoring during the day and a 30 minute break each day.
  • Interns will also participate in daily staff meetings after camp where we all check in about our day, talk about each camper, and plan the following day.
• WEEKS BETWEEN CAMPS
  • A 1:1 call with your camp mentor (1 hour).
  • In-person bi-weekly Disability Inclusion Intern workshops on Sunday afternoons (4 hours).
  • Participating in tasks to prepare for the…