Environment for the Americas

Start/End Dates: May 25th, 2026 – October 5th, 2026 (20 weeks)
Compensation: $688 per week
Medical Insurance: Not Provided
Application Due: March 1, 2026

The Latino Heritage Internship Program seeks to engage young professionals in natural resource and cultural heritage careers. Applicants must meet the following additional requirements:

• Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident
• Be between the ages of 18–30, or up to 35 if a veteran
• Be willing to undergo a background check upon hiring
• Have a valid driver’s license and a good driving record

Note: A personal vehicle is required for this position.

Position Description

This internship supports the Interpretation and Education Division at Colorado National Monument (COLM), a park with nearly 500,000 annual visitors and a rapidly growing Spanish-language educational program. The intern will gain experience across all aspects of interpretive operations, including visitor center support, educational programming, guided walks, field trips, and bilingual (Spanish/English) public engagement.

The intern will work closely with the park’s Spanish-language Education Technician, the Resiliency Ranger, and partner organizations to expand Spanish-language educational offerings and community-based programming. They will utilize the new Spanish-language Resiliency Ranger booklet (to be printed in January 2026), building from successful mental health curriculum that earned COLM the 2025 NPS Director’s Visitor Safety Award.

The intern will collaborate with local Latino groups and community partners—such as Clifton Community Leaders and the Dual Immersion Academy—to develop culturally responsive, community-centered educational content. Products created during the internship will be provided in Spanish, including videos, outlines, educational resources, and field trip materials. The intern may serve up to 1,000 local students and tens of thousands of park visitors throughout the internship.

Responsibilities

• Provide customer service and support at a high-visitation visitor center, offering information, trip planning assistance, and informal interpretation.
• Deliver educational programs, field trips, walks, and talks in both Spanish and English for diverse audiences.
• Use the park’s established mental-health curriculum to engage youth and families from minority communities in the Grand Valley.
• Work with and learn from the Resiliency Ranger, incorporating Spanish-language Resiliency Ranger materials into youth and family programs.
• Collaborate with Latino community groups, Title I schools, and partner organizations to create new educational opportunities.
• Develop Spanish-language educational products such as videos, lesson plans, communication materials, and program outlines.
• Create culturally responsive programming for after-school events, community gatherings, or family-oriented learning environments.
• Support delivery of bilingual public programs and assist park educators with outreach across Mesa County.
• Help strengthen cross-cultural engagement and encourage marginalized communities to participate in public lands experiences.

Qualifications

• Spanish language fluency (required).
• Passion for environmental education, public service, working with students, and connecting communities to public lands.
• Interest in science, history, culture, or related fields (coursework in science, history, or the arts is welcome).
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to engage diverse audiences in bilingual settings.
• Comfort delivering educational programs or willingness to grow in public-speaking and interpretive skills.
• Ability to collaborate with educators, partner groups, and community organizations.
• Professionalism, reliability, and enthusiasm for working in dynamic, visitor-facing environments.
• Creativity and cultural awareness when developing educational content for Spanish-speaking communities.

Interns in this program will receive 640 hours towards Public Land Corps (PLC) Hiring Authority. See below on information about:

Public Land Corps Non-Competitive Hiring Authority (PLC)
The Public Land Corps Non-Competitive Hiring Authority is a special hiring authority available to qualifying interns. The intern must be between the ages of 18 and 30 years old, inclusive, or a veteran up to age 35 and complete 640 hours of work on an appropriate conservation project to be eligible for this hiring authority. Upon successful completion of the PLC project(s), the intern is eligible for two years to be hired non-competitively into a federal seasonal, term, or permanent position. The applicant must apply to a PLC-eligible position advertised on USAJobs.gov and selected off a non-competitive certificate of eligibility. For more information, see DOI Personnel Bulletins 11-02 , 12-13, and 17-03.

EEO Statement

Environment for the Americas provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employmentand prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.