The National Park Service and Hispanic Access Foundation’s Latino Heritage Internship Program (LHIP) is designed to train young people in the skills of cultural, historical, natural resource management. The program will raise awareness of our national parks and historic sites, their accessibility and the need for the Latino community’s involvement in their preservation.

For this purpose, HAF will select and oversee eighteen highly motivated undergraduate and graduate students to work alongside NPS historians, interpreters, archaeologists, architects, and curators on cultural resources projects in different park units, 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 HAF. This summer, we will offer two types of LHIP internships:

LHIP Internship:

An entry  internship that focuses on career exploration and building fundamental natural resource science skills. Each LHIP Intern will receive a weekly stipend of $400, park-provided housing or a housing allowance and paid travel expenses. Interns who successfully complete 640 hours of work in one or more eligible internships and are under the age of 26 will be eligible for the Public Land Corps noncompetitive hiring authority for 120 days following the completion of the internship. Successful completion of an LHIP internship does not guarantee that the participant will be hired into a federal position.

LHIP Direct Hiring Authority Resource Assistant internship (DHA-RA):

A unique internship opportunity aiming to build a pathway to employment in the Department of Interior (DOI). DHA-RA interns will apply cultural and natural resource expertise to NPS management and build a network with federal employees throughout the internship. These rigorous internships require specialized knowledge and typically are available to upper-level undergraduate students, graduate students or recent graduates. DHA-RA interns will receive a weekly stipend of $480, park-provided housing or a housing allowance, and paid travel expenses. DHA-RA interns who successfully complete the internship requirements become eligible to be non-competitively hired by the DOI for two years from the date of their degree. Successful completion of the internship does not guarantee that the participant will be hired into a federal position.

LHIP DHA positions are currently being reviewed and pending approval. If you are interested in any of the tentative DHA projects listed below, please submit your application during the first week of January, and e-mail our LHIP Program Manager at rodrigo@hispanicaccess.org. 

Basic Eligibility

• Age 18 to 35
• Possess US citizenship or permanent residence
• Be enrolled in a post-secondary educational program or have graduated from college within the past year
• Have a strong interest — or relevant experience —  in areas pertaining to — but not limited to —  history, historic preservation, public history, museum studies, archaeology, cultural interpretation, landscape architecture, anthropology or other related fields.
• Bilingual skills (Spanish/English) — helpful and more needed for some positions
• Be social media savvy!

Timeframe

• Applications must be submitted by February 6th, 2017. Top candidates will be selected for interviews between mid-January and March.  Placement decisions and assignments will generally be made during the month of March.
• Standard LHIP positions will go for a 10-week period will beginning in late May through early June 2017 and conclude in July through early September 2017 depending on specific requirements of the project site.
• Direct Hiring Authority positions will last 11 weeks

Background and Goals

A 2014 research briefing by Latino Decisions and the Hispanic Access Foundation analyzed nine major public opinion polls from the last three years and found that Latinos overwhelmingly support greater environmental protections, such as preserving parks and public lands. Additionally, this briefing found that 1) Latinos viewed natural and cultural resource conservation as essential to a better quality of life and that 2) Latinos believe individuals and government have important roles in protecting these resources. This program will seek to increase the engagement of Latinos, as they are currently the most underrepresented population group in the NPS workforce.

The program will advance employment and community engagement opportunities with an emphasis on cultural resource stewardship and interpretation. It will target undergraduates and graduate students while developing mission critical internship projects that will support NPS goals and objectives. The experience will create strong mentor and protégé relationships and support the career growth of talented students. In addition, it will help to expand NPS outreach into Latino communities nationally and develop deep and sustainable partnerships.

Selection criteria

Candidates may express interest in specific geographic and thematic areas. Specific assignments will be based on best fit with specific requirements of each NPS location. Final candidates will undergo a background check before beginning their assignment. Applications will be reviewed and rated according to the following criteria:

• Relevant educational and work experience
• Oral and written communication skills
• Professionalism, technical knowledge, and expertise
• Adaptability, adventurousness, and ability to work effectively with diverse audiences.