Young Adults

A group of corps members pose for a photo.

Engaging teens and young adults in caring for our parks


There are many opportunities for youth and young adults 15-30 years old and verterans up to age 35 to work with the National Park Service. Many of these developmental opportunities and 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 youth and veteran serving organizations. .

We welcome the interest and engagement of the next generation of stewards who will care for our nation's natural and cultural resources and preserve our rich legacy.

Ready to go ? Opportunities include
jobs, internships, and volunteering:
  • Have fun experiencing the outdoors in a national park
  • Broaden your knowledge of geology, botany, astronomy or any other science that interests you
  • Learn new skills
  • Gain an understanding of public lands management
  • Discover new career options
  • Meet new people


HBCUI intern

Other Internship Programs:

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Internship Program (HBCUI)
The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Internships (HBCUI) program was created to connect students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with challenging natural and cultural resource conservation internship opportunities at National Park Service (NPS) sites and program offices. The objectives of the program are to:

  • Expose students to natural resources, cultural resources, visitor services, interpretation, historic preservation and STEM career fields
  • Execute mission driven projects at NPS sites and program offices utilizing highly skilled and motivated students


Public Land Corps
The National Park Service works in collaboration with service corps and other organizations to provide conservation work, and service-learning educational and training opportunities. Many of these organizations are members of the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC). The 21CSC website (www.21csc.org) or the Public Land Service Corps (PLC) Nonprofit Organizations Page are good places to begin your search for Public Land Corps LC program opportunities.

Latino Heritage Internship Program
The Latino Heritage Internship Program is administered jointly by National Park Service, Environment for the Americas, and the Hispanic Access Foundation. Its aim is to train young Latinos in cultural and natural resource management while raising awareness and utilization of national parks and cultural resources by Latino communities.

Pathways for Students and Recent Graduates
The Pathways Program aims at providing clear paths to internships and careers in the Federal Government for students and recent graduates. This program consists of three expected-service programs, the Internship Program, the Recent Graduates Program, and a reinvigorated Presidential Management Fellows (PMF Program).

National Park Business Plan and Consulting Internship
The National Parks Business Plan Internship (BPI) is a highly selective summer program for top graduate students studying business, public policy, environmental management, and related fields. Over the course of 11 weeks, pairs of interns work in various parks and regional offices across the country, where they lead strategic projects that impact the long-term health of these vital American resources.

Historic Preservation Training Internship
The Historic Preservation Training Internship offers undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to gain practical experience in cultural resources management programs in the National Park Service headquarters, field offices, and parks, and in other federal agencies. During the internship, students learn about and contribute to the national historic preservation programs and the federal government's preservation and management of historic properties.

Historic Sites and Structures Documentation Internship
The Heritage Documentation Internship Program seeks applications from qualified students documenting historic sites and structures of architectural, landscape, and technological significance throughout the country. Duties may involve on-site field work and preparation of measured and interpretive drawings and written historical reports for the HABS/HAER/HALS Collections at the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress.

Sally Kress Tompkins Fellowship
The Sally Kress Tompkins Fellowship permits graduate students in architectural history or a related field to work on a 12-week HABS history project during the summer. The Fellow will conduct research on a nationally significant U.S. building or site, and will prepare a written history to become part of the permanent HABS collection. The Fellow's research interests and goals will inform the building or site selected by HABS staff.

Maritime Documentation Internship
The Maritime Documentation Internship permits current students or recent graduates of architecture or history, interested in maritime preservation, to work as a summer intern on a HAER maritime documentation project. The selected recipient will serve as either a historian preparing researched historical reports or as an architect preparing measured drawings.

student intern organizes an exhibit case
Student intern organizes an exhibit case for Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park.
These are just a few of the reasons to consider participating in the opportunities offered by the National Park Service and partnering organizations. You could take steps towards a career in a variety of fields.

public relations - any of the sciences - engineering - curation - law enforcement - office administration - public lands management - environmental protection - photography/film making - interpretation - sign building - trail design - safety programs - utilities management

Last updated: June 14, 2023