If you’ll be a college junior, senior or graduate student in the fall with a major in a field related to environmental sciences or environmental education, the Friends of V.I. National Park invites you to apply for its eight-to10-week summer intern position. The deadline is March 5.
"You get work experience with a small nonprofit group. And it’s a nice way while you’re still in college to get introduced to the real world," Friends program manager Audrey Penn said.
Penn should know. She was a Friends intern in 2006, one of two from the U.S. Virgin Islands since the program began in 2003. She said that both local residents and students who live on the mainland are eligible to apply.
However, those from the mainland will have to pay their own airfare.
The unpaid job comes with tent cottage housing at Maho Bay Camps plus a $250 a week stipend for food and transportation. Penn said that if the successful candidate is local and wants to live and eat at home, the Friends will work out the stipend.
What the intern will do depends on that person’s interests, but Penn said the intern usually works on various projects and helps in the office.
"They’ll spend a couple of days at the eco-camps," Penn said, ticking off a list of jobs.
Additionally, Penn said the intern works with the Student Conservation Association youths who do jobs like trail maintenance, help plan Coastweeks, come up with ideas for the Friends winter seminar series, write an article for the Friends newsletter, and answer phones when the administrative assistant is out.
Candidates should also be self-motivated, have strong team skills and have excellent writing and internet research skills.
Interested candidates should send a resume with a cover letter and two references to Summer Internship Program, Friends of V.I. National Park, P.O. Box 811 St. John, VI 00831 or to apenn@friendsvinp.org.
