There are thousands of opportunities for youth of all ages to work with the National Park Service. Many of these jobs are filled at the park level—so contact the park that interests you—but others are advertised and recruited nationally by the National Park Service or in partnership with several national organizations.
We welcome the interest and involvement of the next generation who will help us care for our nation's environment and preserve her history. Ready to go? Opportunities include jobs, internships, and volunteering.
Opportunities to Get Involved
Jobs
Whether you are looking for part-time work during the school year, summer jobs, or starting a full-time career, check USAJobs for current job openings. There are additional opportunities for youth ages 15–35, including students and recent graduates.
Pathways for Students and Recent Graduates
Whether you are looking for part-time work during the school year, summer jobs, or starting a full-time career, check USAJobs for current job openings. There are additional opportunities for youth ages 15–35, including students and recent graduates.
Pathways for Students and Recent Graduates
- Who can apply: Current students seeking degrees or certificates from accredited institutions (i.e., high schools; vocational and technical schools; and associate, bachelor, graduate, or professional schools) and recent graduates
- Interest areas: All
- Stipend: Salary
- Application period: Year-round
- Schedule: Year-round or summer
- Contact: NPS/Office of Human Resources via e-mail
- Who can apply: Ages 15–18
- Schedule: summer 8–10 weeks, non-residential (except at Yellowstone and Yosemite)
- Interest areas: conservation work projects and environmental education programs
- Application period: apply to the park that interests you or check out your state's YCC program
- Contact: NPS Youth Programs at 202-513-7146 or via e-mail
Internships
Whether you're in high school or college or have recently graduated, internships are a way to gain hands-on experience while helping to protect the nation's natural and cultural heritage. The National Park Service has partnered with organizations to create internship opportunities; however, it also helps to contact a park directly to ensure that you know all the available opportunities.
Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps
Whether you're in high school or college or have recently graduated, internships are a way to gain hands-on experience while helping to protect the nation's natural and cultural heritage. The National Park Service has partnered with organizations to create internship opportunities; however, it also helps to contact a park directly to ensure that you know all the available opportunities.
Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps
- Who can apply: Native American youth in high school or older
- Schedule: Year-round
- Interest areas: Historic preservation, traditional agriculture, interpretation, conservation, trail construction
- Stipend: Varies
- Partner: Southwest Conservation Corps
- Contact: NPS Youth Programs at 202-513-7146 or via e-mail
- Who can apply: Diverse undergraduate and graduate students
- Schedule: Summer
- Interest areas: Historic preservation and cultural resources
- Stipend: $400 per week plus housing and travel stipend
- Partner: American Conservation Experience
- Contact: NPS/Cultural Resources Office of Interpretation and Education, Paloma Bolasny, Youth Program Coordinator, at 202-354-2174 or via e-mail
- Who can apply: Undergraduate or graduate students, recent graduates
- Schedule: Primarily summer internships, with some occurring in the fall/winter or year-round
- Interest areas: Geoscience and other natural resource science fields—field and office based internships focus on research, inventory and monitoring, interpretation and education projects
- Stipend: $1,200 per month, plus travel allowance and park provided housing or a housing allowance
- Partner: Environmental Stewards and the Geological Society of America
- Application periods:
- Spring/summer internships: December 1–January 31
- Fall/winter internships: May 1–June 30
- Apply at https://rock.geosociety.org/eo/gip
- Contact: e-mail us or contact Lisa Norby, GIP Internship Coordinator, at 303-969-2318
- Who can apply: Undergraduate and graduate students from historically black colleges and universities
- Schedule: Year-round or summer
- Interest areas: Historians, archeologists, architects, curators, planners, and archivists
- Stipend: $4,800 for shorter positions and up to $18,000 for longer-term positions
- Partner: The Greening Youth Foundation
- Contact: NPS Youth Programs at 202-513-7146 or via e-mail
- Who can apply: Undergraduate and graduate students
- Schedule: Year-round or summer
- Interest areas: Historians, archeologists, architects, curators, planners, and archivists
- Stipend: Weekly stipend plus travel and housing stipend
- Partner: National Council for Preservation Education
- Contact: NPS/Cultural Resources Office of Interpretation and Education, Paloma Bolasny, Youth Program Coordinator, at 202-354-2174 or via e-mail
Historic Sites and Structures Documentation Internships
- Who can apply: Undergraduate or graduate students
- Schedule: Summer
- Interest areas: Architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, history, on-site field work and preparation of measured and interpretive drawings and written historical reports
- Stipend: $6,000–$11,000
- Contact: NPS/Heritage Documentation Programs, Judy Davis, Summer Program Administrator, at 202-354-2135 or via e-mail
Latino Heritage Internship Program
- Who can apply: Undergraduate or graduate students with a focus on Latinos attending Hispanic Serving institutions
- Schedule: Summer
- Interest areas: Natural and cultural resource management, interpretation, public affairs
- Stipend: $400 a week plus travel and housing stipend
- Partners: Hispanic Access Foundation and Environment for the Americas
- Contact: NPS/Cultural Resources Office of Interpretation and Education, Paloma Bolasny, Youth Program Coordinator, at 202-354-2174 or via e-mail
- Who can apply: Undergraduate or graduate students
- Schedule: Summer
- Interest areas: Architecture, engineering, or history, maritime preservation, on-site field work and preparation of measured and interpretive drawings and written historical reports
- Stipend: $6,000
- Partner: Council of American Maritime Museums
- Contact: NPS/Historic American Engineering Record, Todd Croteau, Internship Coordinator, at 202-354-2167 or via e-mail
- Who can apply: Undergraduate or graduate students, 18–35 years old with focus on hiring students under-represented in natural resource (STEM) fields
- Schedule: Summer; program includes career workshop in Washington, DC, in August for program participants
- Interest areas: Field and office based internships focused on research, inventory and monitoring, interpretation and education projects disciplines
- Stipend: $4,800, plus travel expenses and park-provided housing or a housing allowance
- Partners: Environment for the Americas and Greening Youth Foundation
- Application period: spring/summer internships: December 1–January 31, apply at http://www.mosaicsinscience.org
- Contact: Lisa Norby, Mosaics in Science Internship Coordinator, at 303-969-2318 or via e-mail
- Who can apply: Graduate students (MBA, MPA, MPP, environmental and/or public lands management)
- Schedule: Summer
- Interest areas: Management consulting, park management, strategic and operational planning, commercial services, public-private partnerships
- Stipend: $725 per week, plus housing and travel
- Partner: Inspiring Capital
- Contact: NPS Business Management Group
- Who can apply: Undergraduate and graduate students ages 18-35
- Schedule: Week-long orientation during spring break and a 12-week summer internship
- Interest areas: Visitor services, education, resource management
- Stipend: Weekly living allowance plus travel and housing stipend
- Partner: Student Conservation Association
- Contact: NPS Youth Programs at 202-513-7146 or via e-mail
- Who can apply: Ages 16–26
- Schedule: Summer
- Interest areas: All
- Stipend: Varies
- Partner: Participants managed and recruited by nonprofit organizations (like Student Conservation Association, Corps Network, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, local high schools, and job training youth organizations) that receive funding from the NPS
- Contact: NPS Youth Programs at 202-513-7146 or via e-mail
- Who can apply: High school students and young adults
- Schedule: Year-round or summer
- Interest areas: All
- Partner: SCA places 2,600 people every year with the NPS and other federal, state, local, and private entities. Many National Park Service employees got their start with SCA!
- Contact: NPS Youth Programs at 202-513-7146 or via e-mail
- Who can apply: Graduate student in architectural history or related fields
- Schedule: Summer
- Interest area: research
- Stipend: $10,000
- Partner: Society of Architectural Historians
- Contact: NPS/Historic American Buildings Survey, Lisa Davidson, Fellowship Coordinator, at 202-354-2180 or via e-mail
- Who can apply: Ages 15–26
- Schedule: Year-round
- Interest area: Archeology
- Stipend: Varies
- Contact: NPS Archaeology Program, Teresa Moyer, at 202-354-2124 or via email
Volunteer
Looking to lend a hand with your youth group or family? There are many opportunities at parks and programs across the country to donate your time and services, whether it's for a few hours or year-round. To learn more about volunteering with the National Park Service and to get started, visit Volunteer.gov. You can also Find a Park to talk with rangers about current opportunities near you.
Looking to lend a hand with your youth group or family? There are many opportunities at parks and programs across the country to donate your time and services, whether it's for a few hours or year-round. To learn more about volunteering with the National Park Service and to get started, visit Volunteer.gov. You can also Find a Park to talk with rangers about current opportunities near you.