NPS Photo / Karina Puikkonen
Eagle Rock School Internships
The Continental Divide Research Learning Center collaborates with local schools to offer high school internships. The Eagle Rock Internship Program is a collaborative partnership between Rocky Mountain National Park and Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center. Eagle Rock School offers a year-round, residential, full-scholarship high school experience for students who apply between the ages of 15-17. This school, located in Estes Park, Colorado, provides students that have difficulty in traditional public schools with an opportunity to earn a high school diploma. The student body comprises a purposefully diverse community of students from across the nation and abroad. This internship program at Rocky Mountain National Park provides opportunities for students to connect with national parks, foster student interest in science and public lands, increase scientific literacy, and ultimately provide a path for students to explore careers in the National Park Service.
The Eagle Rock Internship Program begins with volunteer experience, followed by a temporary full-time, paid position at the park, complemented by professional development training. The volunteer experience corresponds with a course at Eagle Rock School. Students divide their time evenly between volunteering in the park and attending Eagle Rock School where they discuss and apply their park experiences in the classroom. Staff from Rocky Mountain National Park and Eagle Rock School work closely together to ensure the volunteer and classroom experiences are complimentary. During the second half of the program, the qualified students are hired through the critical hiring authority.
Colorado State University Internships
The CDRLC partners with the Center for Protected Area Management (CPAM) program at CSU to host three undergraduate internships in the park. These internships can be in a variety of different focuses within the park. In the past, 16-week internships have been placed with Facilities Management, Vistor Resource Protection, and the GIS office.
Student Conservation Association Internships
Occasionally the CDRLC advertises internship oppurtunities through The Student Conservation Association. Visit https://www.thesca.org/ for more information on this organization.Last updated: March 21, 2022