Find Your Park In Alaska
In honor of its 100thbirthday next year, the National Park Service has teamed up with the National Park Foundation and created the ‘Find Your Park’ campaign to introduce national parks to a new generation of Americans. The campaign encourages people across the U.S. to discover a personal connection with an inspiring place, and to join the next century of stewardship in America’s national parks.
Check out our video (above) to hear from past NPS Academy Alaska interns about how they ‘found their park’ in Alaska.
What is the National Park Service Academy?
Since March 2011, more than 500 interns have “graduated” from SCA’s National Park Service (NPS) Academy, an innovative experiential learning program designed to introduce undergraduate and graduate students from diverse communities to career opportunities with the National Park Service.
Interns attend a week-long orientation over spring break, then serve in 12-week summer internships at parks all over the country for an in depth look at what it’s like to be a professional steward of America’s public lands. The long term goal of the program is to help the National Park Service build a workforce that’s as diverse as the country it serves.
What is the National Park Service Academy Alaska?
Since 2013, SCA’s NPS Academy Alaska has provided career development internships for under-represented, diverse, and rural Alaskan residents interested in conservation. During the NPS Academy Alaska program participants:
- Explore NPS careers with a 12-week summer internship at a National Park site in Alaska
- Gain hands-on experience in focus areas such as visitor services, education, resource management, and more
- Receive a weekly living allowance, housing, and assistance with travel expenses to and from their internship
- Receive an NPS mentor, career preparation, and ongoing support