Basic Info
The Latino Heritage Internship Program (LHIP), created by the National Park Service (NPS) and administered in partnership with Environment for the Americas(EFTA), is designed to provide internship opportunities to young adults in diverse professional fields in the National Park Service. The program helps raise awareness of our national parks and historic sites, their accessibility, and the need for the Latino community’s involvement in their preservation and in meaningful and relevant science-based internships.
For this purpose, highly motivated undergraduate and graduate students will be selected to work alongside NPS historians, interpreters, archaeologists, architects, researchers, biologists, communicators, and other professionals in different national parks, offices, and historical sites throughout the nation. Students will have substantive assignments in their areas of study, work closely with NPS staff day-to-day, and receive additional mentoring and support through the program partners.
LHIP is a collaboration between NPS and EFTA. Programs such as LHIP allow the NPS to invest in cost-efficient strategies that introduce students to career fields through internships at national parks. These opportunities help entry-level young professionals enter the workforce.
Program goals and objectives:
- Introduces young adults to career fields through career developmental internship opportunities in the NPS with an emphasis on cultural and natural resource stewardship, interpretation, and community outreach.
- Develops mission critical internship projects that support the NPS goals and objectives at national parks and offices.
- Collaborates with Latino conservation organizations to help expand NPS outreach into Latino communities nationally and develop sustainable relationships.
- Help to establishes a pipeline for converting talented Latino students into career positions in the NPS.
The Latino Heritage Internship Program is offered at national parks across the United States and its territories. Some experiences are offered at remote parks, such as Lassen Volcano National Park, while others are located in cities and urban areas, such as Salem and Saugus Ironworks National Historic Site.
LHIP is a partnership with the National Park Service and Environment for the Americas (EFTA). We collaborate to provide unique, paid internship opportunities for participants. EFTA serves as the program administrator, from promotion of available positions, to recruitment of qualified students and recent graduates. EFTA also provides additional career training through webinars and special activities.
In addition, we organize the following:
- Regular communication with participants through the duration of the internship.
- All program logistics, including travel;
- A post-internship career and leadership workshop;
- Stipends that are paid every two weeks;
- Distribution of intern materials, including supplies, uniforms, and manuals;
- Regular trainings and meetings throughout the internship via Zoom.
Applicant review will begin on February 7th, when the application period closes. Our timeline is as follows:
- Dec 1st, 2021 EFTA Internship Programs Career Fair #1: General Information About Internships
- Dec 3rd, 2021 – Feb 6th, 2022: The intern application period is open
- Dec 8th, 2021 EFTA Internship Programs Career Fair #2: Hear all about it (from former interns)
- Jan 12th, 2022 EFTA Internship Programs Career Fair #3: Meet Some Supervisors
- Jan 19th, 2022 EFTA Internship Programs Career Fair #4: Submitting your applications
- Feb 7th – 25th, 2022: Interview qualified candidates
- Feb 28th – Mar 11th, 2022: Parks receive applications from top candidates
- Mar 14th – 25th, 2022: Parks interview top candidates
- Mar 28th, 2022: Selected candidates are offered positions
- April 4th, 2022: Applicant deadline to accept or decline position
- April 28th, 2022 Pre-internship webinar: Welcome/Orientation webinar for interns
- May 16th, 2022: LHIP Conservation Fellows begin for 12-week participants
- May 23rd, 2022: Official launch of LHIP PLC-program for 11-weeks
- July 31st – Aug 4th, 2022: Career and Leadership Workshop
The National Park Service is a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Since 1916, the National Park Service has been entrusted with the care of our national parks. With the help of volunteers and partners, it safeguards these special places and shares their stories with more than 330 million visitors every year.
The National Park Service preserves the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The park service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.
Learn more:
What We Do (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
Environment for the Americas’ mission is to connect diverse people to nature and bird conservation through research and education. We have developed internship opportunities for underrepresented youth since 2009. We create connections to nature, science, research, and other fields of study by providing unique, hands-on learning opportunities. Our partnership with the National Park Service is built on our internship model, which offers additional training, mentorship, and assistance finding subsequent positions.
