National Park Service Internship

Position: National Park Service Education Intern

Compensation: $5000

Application Dates: April 23-30, 2012

Assignment

One, ten-week internship to begin between May 14 and June 1 and ending between July 27-August 10.  The individual is expected to work 40 hours a week.

Duty Station

National Park Service Headquarters, 1201 Eye St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20005. Limited telework options may also be permitted.

The National Park Service Interpretation and Education Directorate is seeking a highly-motivated, detail and goal-oriented student in the Washington, D.C. commuting area to do research and data collection on informal educational resources and opportunities for K-12 students and teachers provided by the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior’s other major land management bureaus and their partner organizations. 

Work will focus on identifying and consolidating information on pre-service and in-service teacher professional development opportunities and educational programs and resources for K-12 students.

The purpose of this work is to form a baseline description of the state of informal education in the Department of the Interior to inform the implementation of a recently signed agreement between the Department of the Interior and the Department of Education.

The intern will be responsible for communicating with representatives from each of the bureaus of the Department of the Interior and representative from the Department of Education.

The intern will provide support in the form of meeting preparation and note-taking for meetings between the Department of Education and the Department of the Interior to advance the goals of the MOU.

The intern will synthesize data and make recommendations for the development of an implementation plan for the National Park Service.

The Intern will assist the NPS Deputy Associate Director for Interpretation and Education with additional research and resource needs for this project.

Benefits

The intern will benefit by learning about the range of resources for classroom teachers and students provided by the Department of the Interior and will be exposed to the various careers in Informal Education within the Department of the Interior’s bureaus.

The intern will receive an introduction to the history of the National Park Service and the agency's current structure, mission, and career opportunities.

The intern will spend time learning the skills required to be an interpreter by participating in the Eppley Institute online training courses that cover the basic skills of formal and informal interpretation.

Upon the completion of the internship, the student will create and/or present a report and a multi-media project of results.

Requirements

·         Education, experience, or aspirations of becoming a classroom teacher or informal educator.

·         Strong computer skills, proficient in using Word and Excel.

·         Ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing with a wide range of government professionals and partner organizations.

·         Ability to develop spreadsheets and prepare written correspondence using proper grammar.

·         Able to work collaboratively with others.

Application Process: Send resumes (brief, in any written format), to Diane Chalfant @ diane_chalfant@nps.gov by Monday, April 30, 2012.

Resumes should include detailed educational background, work histories, references and any special qualifications relative to the position.