Student Job Board

Contact: Miriam Pepoon, [email protected], 508-404-8730

Posted: Aug 2026

A homeowner in Athens is offering their backyard as a blank slate for you to redesign. The fenced property is about a tenth of an acre. The current challenges the client would like to focus on includes installing a walkable pathway, tree root management, and adding a planting design. The current pebble pathway should be replaced with a more stable and smoother walkway material. Similarly, surrounding tree roots pose an obstacle to mobility through the site. The homeowner would also like to add planting beds to fill the space. The site has part-sun and part-shade created by some existing large trees. They are open to creative solutions that will enhance their yard to be a safe, accessible, and beautiful space.

Timeline:  Work should preferably begin ASAP with hopes for Spring 2027 completion.

Budget for design work: Currently, this will be decided between the homeowner and selected student.

Budget for implementation: The overall budget will depend on the proposed designs. If only a planting plan is submitted, the amount allotted to installation will be around $2,000. But, if hardscape changes will be proposed then the total cost should not exceed $4,500.

Contact: Laura Kagel, [email protected], 706-453-6853

Posted: Aug 2026

A local homeowner in Athens is seeking conceptual design work for their half-acre corner lot in the Glenwood neighborhood. The main goal of this project is to provide a planting plan. However, the site provides a sloping terrain with some erosion issues and has not been kept up in years past, prior to the new homeowner. But the now-grass front lawn provides a blank slate for adding native plantings to help stabilize the slope. Similarly, the rear of the residence should add more shade plantings and ground covers. The planting plan should complement the existing tall, old trees and bushes existing on site.

Timeline for completion: 2027

Budget for design work: $4,000

Budget for implementation: $30,000-$40,000

Contact: Shirley McClure, [email protected], 706-201-5646 
Posted: Jun 2026

A homeowner located approximately 12 miles from the UGA campus is seeking landscape design assistance for a private residential property on 0.5 acres. The client is interested in improving both curb appeal and backyard privacy through thoughtful, low-maintenance landscape design solutions. The front yard previously overlooked a wooded area but now faces newly constructed storage units. The homeowner is seeking creative recommendations to enhance curb appeal and improve the visual character of the front of the property. The fenced backyard currently features a mature lawn with opportunities for additional trees and flowers. Beyond the fenced area is an open space bordering a neighboring property.  The client is seeking recommendations for low-maintenance trees and shrubs that will provide increased privacy and visual interest.   

Timeline: completed Fall 2026

Budget for design work:  $500

Budget for implementation:  TBD

Contact: Nathan and Nicole Parker, [email protected], (404) 543-4176)
Posted: Jun 2026

Our goal is to revitalize our backyard (about half an acre) and restore some of the beauty it once had. The property presents several challenges, including a sloped site, overgrown shrubs and weeds, and an abundance of mature trees. The original owners, who were master gardeners, created a thoughtfully designed landscape more than 30 years ago, but the yard has received minimal attention from both the previous owners and us over the past six years.  As a family with children ages 8, 10, and 12, we want to transform the backyard into an inviting, functional space where our kids and their friends can gather, play, and make lasting memories. We envision a landscape that honors the property’s history while creating a welcoming outdoor environment that becomes the neighborhood hangout house.

Timeline: Completion by end of next school year (May)

Budget for design work: TBD

Budget for implementation: TBD

Contact: Nicolette Goldston, [email protected], (559) 707-2630
Posted: Jun 2026

Seek to create a natural, low-maintenance estate-style landscape plan focused on the front portion of the property, including privacy screening, driveway/entry enhancement, and covering a portion of the existing easement area. Acreage: 3 acres total; primary focus on approximately the front half of the property. Opportunities: Large open residential site with existing mature trees, long-term landscape potential, and unique grading/drainage considerations. Challenges: Shared easement running through the property (portions of which have already been covered on neighboring property), along with changing drainage conditions after neighboring hillside tree removal/excavation, and balancing aesthetics with ongoing legal access requirements.

Timeline: Flexible / long-term phased implementation.

Budget for design work: TBD – open /exploratory

Budget for implementation: TBD based on project scope and phasing.

Contact: O.M. Archibald,  [email protected], 404.309.0120
Posted: Mar 2026

A homeowner in Atlanta is seeking a landscape design for a private residence (approximately 0.54 acres) to transform both the front and back yards. The backyard is currently wooded, shaded, and impacted by drainage issues, but has strong potential to become a peaceful, family-oriented retreat. Desired elements include a small walking path loop around the yard, low-maintenance plantings with seasonal color, drainage improvements, outdoor lighting, fencing, and potential hardscape features. The front yard design will focus on improving curb appeal through lawn establishment, shrubbery, and lighting recommendations. The site offers strong opportunities for creative design, including a large lot with existing trees and the chance to create a cohesive experience between front and back yards, though challenges include significant shade, damp conditions, drainage concerns, and an irregular parcel adjacent to a neighboring property and a wooded easement. The client is hoping to complete the project within the year and is interested in beginning as soon as possible. 

Timeline:  1 Year or sooner

Budget for design work:  TBD

Budget for implementation:  TBD

Contact: Megan OLone, [email protected], 770.359.7617
Posted: Mar 2026

Description: A homeowner in Bethlehem, GA is seeking assistance with developing a conceptual design for a backyard renovation in Saddle Risge. The approximately 0.3-acre backyard has significant slope and ongoing drainage issues that cause erosion, mud, and standing water near the patio. The client is hoping to improve runoff management, establish durable groundcover (grass, clover, or similar), and create a small flat area suitable for a toddler’s play space while working within budget constraints. The homeowner is open to creative ideas and would like help visualizing solutions such as grading changes, drainage strategies, or retaining walls before moving forward with implementation.

Timeline: 6+ months

Budget for design work: $250-$500 for design and survey

Budget for implementation: Up to $20,000

Contact: Hugh Hamilton, [email protected]
Posted: Feb 2026

The Conifer Place neighborhood is seeking student assistance with renovating a shared common area that has experienced significant plant damage and overgrowth following Hurricane Helene. The project focuses on removing overgrown and damaged plant material and restoring the beauty of the neighborhood through thoughtful replanting that introduces seasonal color and year-round visual interest.

Timeline: 4th quarter or 1st quarter of the calendar year.

Budget for design work: TBD

Budget for implementation: TBD

Contact: Gillian Slee, [email protected]
Posted: Jan 2026

Description: This project will focus on creating an outdoor living environment for a recently purchased residence in Normaltown. The property is situated on a 0.38-acre lot and offers a blank canvas. I have a mix of shade and sun, and I am working on removing invasive plants (e.g., privet). I am looking to create a dining space (possibly screened in), a fire pit and sitting area, raised garden boxes for herbs and vegetables, compost, and some flower beds. I like native plants and hope the yard can be a pollinator garden. In the front of the house, I invite ideas for a low-maintenance, eco-friendly yard that accentuates the charm of the house. I plan to do a fair amount of this work myself and in stages. I need and welcome ideas on planning! 

Budget for design work: TBD 

Budget for implementation: TBD 

Contact: David Butterworth, [email protected], 808.234.9033
Posted: Jan 2026

Homeowners are seeking assistance with re-imagining their outdoor space. The site is currently underutilized due to drainage challenges, and the owners are interested in making the space more usable, inviting, and visually appealing. Key goals for the project include exploring design strategies to address drainage concerns, improving overall site usability, and developing a concept that encourages everyday use of the outdoor space. The homeowners have expressed interest in incorporating a fire pit as a central feature and are open to creative ideas that enhance comfort, atmosphere, and functionality. 

Timeline: TBD 

Budget for design work: TBD 

Budget for implementation: TBD 

Contact: David Young, PLA; [email protected]; 817 899 8102
Posted: Jul 2026

City staff and a neighborhood group of interested citizens would like designs for two (2) Informational signs. The first should discuss the importance of a healthy streambank system with some discussion about the process used for the particular site. The second should discuss the ecology and ecosystems present in the stream system that this particular tributary is part of. We have a vendor for the physical signs (including size specifications), but we need to provide the manufacturer with the graphic content for the sign.

Timeline: Needed by mid-September 2026

Budget for design and implementation work: TBD, anticipating up to $2,500

Contact: Katey Stine; [email protected], Phone: 305 606 3945
Posted: Sept 2025

The Boys and Girls Club of Madison is seeking student assistance in designing a raised garden bed for their facility. This project will give children the opportunity to learn through hands on gardening activities in a safe and welcoming outdoor space. The garden will include raised garden beds, space for three picnic tables where children can work and eat, a shed, a fence, and accommodation for a central drain.

Timeline for completion: 5 Months
Budget for design work: TBD
Budget for implementation: TBD