Reform Hiring Practice and Youth Entry

Mass Parks Student Career Intake Program

Seven national parks participate in the Mass Parks Student Career Intake Program, a multi-year internship for college students with a goal to position diverse youth from Massachusetts's urban areas to compete for NPS jobs. A team of program managers mentor students explore opportunities in the fields of interpretation, administration, maintenance, natural resources and law enforcement at Blackstone River Valley NHC, Boston African American NHS, Boston Harbor Islands NRA, John Fitzgerald Kennedy NHS, Lowell NHP, New Bedford Whaling NHP, and Salem Maritime NHS. In a mid-pilot evaluation of the program, interns report many positive aspects of their experience, particularly that the high expectations of the program staff are clearly communicated and that many staff make themselves personally available to the students to help navigate the NPS system and any issues or questions that arise on the job.