Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore seeks winter interns

From staff reports

Thanks to a recent grant from the National Park Foundation, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is pleased to announce that they will be recruiting additional winter interns for the 2021/2022 season to assist with snowshoe field trips, weekend hikes, and virtual distance learning programs. Interns will gain valuable experience in the fields of environmental education and interpretation, and will also be introduced to the policies, procedures, and career paths within the National Park Service (NPS). Internships in the NPS bolster student skills and experience and are designed to be stepping-stones to careers within the agency or similar workforce.

The internship is roughly three months with start dates the first week of January. Interns will generally work Monday through Friday or Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Work includes presenting virtual and in-person curriculum-based lessons and activities on topics like ecology, ecosystem health, the NPS mission, and local history. Interns may also assist in leading snowshoe hikes for third to fifth graders and for the general public. Interns will create and post content on the park’s social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Interns receive a stipend of $20 per day, government housing, and a volunteer uniform. Interns are required to provide their own snow/rain pants and waterproof boots. Snowshoes will be available for the interns to use during educational and interpretive programs. Snowshoeing experience is not necessary, however, interns must be physically capable of snowshoeing.

This position is open to current college students and those who have graduated within the past two years. The internship time period is early January to mid-March with the opportunity for extension based on student academic requirement. Visit the “Work with Us” section of the Sleeping Bear Dunes website for application information.