Interns from the Latino Heritage Internship Program and the Mosaics in Science Diversity Internship Program Gather in DC for the Annual Career and Leadership Workshop

Group of interns, NPS staff, and partners with Secretary Deb Haaland at the U.S. Department of the Interior

NPS Photo

What an exciting summer it was for more than 50 young adults who participated in the Latino Heritage Internship Program (LHIP) and the Mosaics In Science Internship Program (MIS) last summer. The annual Career and Leadership Workshop took place at the U.S. Department of the Interior building in Washington, DC, from August 1 to August 3, 2022. The week was filled with engaging presentations, networking opportunities, and activities. One of the highlights for many was getting to meet both the U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and the National Park Service Director Chuck Sams.

Throughout the summer, interns worked on projects that varied from researching monarch butterflies to aiding in community outreach, writing social media posts, developing interpretive programs, analyzing the night sky, documenting historic buildings, and much more. These individuals are passionate and dedicated to protecting our natural, cultural, historical, and recreational resources. Programs like LHIP and MIS help the National Park Service provide opportunities to people from underserved and underrepresented communities and diverse backgrounds.

Group of interns from the Latino Heritage Internship Program and Mosaics in Science Diversity Internship Program listening to a speaker

Courtesy of Jasmine Nelson

The LHIP and MIS internship programs are implemented through a partnership between the National Park Service Youth Programs Division and the Environment for the Americas. LHIP is designed to provide internship opportunities for young adults, with an emphasis on Latinos, Latinas, and Latinx individuals, while MIS gives underrepresented individuals in natural resource science career fields on-the-ground, science-based work experience with the National Park Service. Both programs help raise awareness of public lands, including national parks, and engage the next generation of stewards.

Interns holding pictures of their artworks during a conference at the National Park Service headquarters in Washington, DC.

NPS Photo

At the conference, interns heard from former interns who are now National Park Service employees and listened to inspirational guest speakers. Eight LHIP interns gave a special cultural art project presentation. Interns also learned about different hiring pathways, including the Public Lands Corps non-competitive hiring authority and Direct Hire Authority for Resource Assistant Internships. Furthermore, they received tips on applying to positions on USAJobs.

Following each day’s event, the interns had the opportunity to participate in additional activities, including taking a nighttime bus tour of the Capital and going to the National Zoo. On the last day, interns, Environment for the Americas staff, and National Park Service staff gathered at a restaurant where everyone ate delicious food and played LHIP-MIS themed jeopardy.

Interested in opportunities like these? Applications for these internship programs open in December and close in January or February each year. Start dates typically begin in May. Learn more about these and other Youth and Young Adult Programs and how to get involved.

NPS staff with Environment for the Americas staff and the NPS Director on the steps of the U.S. Department of the Interior building

Courtesy of Jasmine Nelson