News Release

Great Sand Dunes Begins Recruitment for 2023 Spring and Summer Internships

2022 intern Jaiden Garcia helps two children with a game in the sand at Junior Ranger Day

NPS/Brady Richards

News Release Date: January 6, 2023

Contact: Kathy Faz Garcia, 719-378-6341

Contact: Michael Matthes, 719-378-6342

Great Sand Dunes is actively recruiting energetic, committed young adults for this year’s spring and summer internships. This year, the park is recruiting to fill positions for the park’s Conservation Internship Program and the Scientist in Parks internship. These internship opportunities are a great way for young adults from San Luis Valley communities to work at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve to learn skills, contribute to meaningful park projects, and create experiences that will make them competitive in a career with a public land agency.

The Scientist in Parks internship will help collect, organize, analyze, and report on visitor use data related to the visitor use management planning at Great Sand Dunes. Applicants should be advanced undergraduate or graduate students with education background and career objectives related to visitor use management, human dimensions of natural resources, and/or transportation planning and applied statistical analysis in park and protected area management. The intern will receive a weekly stipend of $640 per week with park housing. Reliable transportation is required and travel costs to the site and back home are covered by the program. Applications are due on January 22, 2023, and the position starts May 1 and ends July 24, 2023 with a mandatory attendance to a professional development workshop in Washington, D.C. from July 31-August 4, 2023. To apply and learn more about the internship, visit: http://environmentamericas.org/job/visitor-use-management-assistant/

Since the Conservation Internship Program was piloted in the summer 2019, the park has hired 15 interns to support resource management, infrastructure, and visitor services projects. The program is administered in partnership with Conservation Legacy, an organization committed to fostering conservation service in support of communities and ecosystems.

This year, the park is recruiting 4 interns to support education and youth engagement projects, work alongside rangers in the visitor center, present ranger talks, and participate in community and park events. The park will select 2 candidates for each of the following opportunities:

· 12-week (3 month) internships, starting mid-May and ending in mid-August receiving a weekly stipend of $620. The park will cover uniform and training costs. This internship is ideal for a recent high school graduate or degree seeking college student. Intern(s) will provide customer service at the visitor center, present ranger talks, make connections with visitors on park trails, and assist with event planning and social media posts.

· 17-week (4.5 months) internships, starting mid-April and ending early-August receiving a weekly stipend of $705. The park will cover uniform and training costs. This internship is ideal for college students or recent college graduates looking to apply their coursework in a professional work environment. Intern(s) will work with the park’s seasonal Education Technician to offer virtual educational programs, outdoor education during school field trips, and plan and implement the park’s Youth Archeology Summer Camp in June and July. Intern(s) will also have opportunities to work at the visitor center and present ranger programs.

Upon completion of the program, interns will receive an educational award, varying in amounts and based on the length of their term. Individuals who complete an internship that is 17 weeks or more will also qualify for Direct Hire Authority. Direct Hire Authority allows students who excel in their internships and meet any other job-specific education or training requirements to be hired without competition into permanent positions within the National Park Service and other select bureaus of the Department of the Interior for which they are qualified.

The park will train and mentor interns to prepare them for a career in public lands management and offer them professional development to put on their resume. Trainings will cover resume building, federal government job application process, interviewing tips and techniques, and public speaking. Opportunities to learn more about the various jobs at Great Sand Dunes and within other federal agencies in the San Luis Valley will be covered during field trips, job shadowing or presentations. Networking and mentoring opportunities with National Park Service and other public lands management staff will be made available to further inspire a career interest with a federal land agency.

Eligible applicants for the Conservation Internships must meet the requirements outlined in each job description. However, all applicants must:

· Be a US citizen, 18 to 30 years of age (or a veteran up to age 35)

· Have reliable transportation

· Live within the commuting area and reside in the San Luis Valley

· Be willing to complete a state and federal background investigation

To apply for these internship positions, visit https://sccorps.org/ip-positions. Applicants must have an updated resume and complete the online application process to qualify. The application period for each internship varies and can be extended to ensure a good sampling of candidates. Currently, the park’s two education outreach internships have been advertised and the two summer internship positions will be advertised by mid-January.

For more information, contact Kathy Faz Garcia, by email at [e-mail] or by phone at 719-582-0258 or Michael Matthes, by email at [e-mail] or by phone at 719-378-6342.