POSITION DETAILS
Position Title: Education Assistant
Park Unit: Death Valley National Park
Location: Death Valley, California
Number of positions available: 2
Can this position be fully remote: NO
INTERNSHIP DATES AND LENGTH
Duration: 26 Weeks (not flexible)
Start Date: 12/02/2024
Flexible Start Date: YES
LIVING AND RELOCATION ALLOWANCE:
Weekly Stipend: $665.00
Relocation Allowance: $400.00
CURRENT NUMBER OF APPLICANTS: Under 75 (This posting will close after receiving 75 complete applications or at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, 16 June, whichever occurs first.)
POSITION DESCRIPTION
Staff will lead day-long field trips outdoors with school groups of up to 50 K-12 students. Staff will learn to facilitate student-centered programs to support real-world examples of science curriculum concepts. Staff will support student exploration of natural history concepts in the field and in the classroom. In addition to curriculum-based education programs, the staff will assist with school and community outreach events, as well as astronomy programming for students and families. Death Valley National Park's outdoor classroom illustrates geologic concepts that are sometimes difficult to understand through classroom learning alone. These field trips will bring these concepts to life in a real world setting for middle school students. The interns’ work will be integral in developing lesson plans and activities.
POSITION IMPACT
Death Valley SIP staff focus on teaching students about resource management topics through field trips and distance learning. School programs focus on geology, ecology, climate change and night skies, and many include leading students through activities that have learners acting as park managers making decisions about resources. The week-long Death Valley Dark Skies festival has become a focal point of winter operations, and the education team receives multiple trainings, then manages the events’ families and youth elements, giving participants an opportunity to write programs focusing on awareness and education about dark skies. Cross training opportunities with vegetation, wildlife, hydrology and other resource management teams are prioritized and give staff hands-on experience which helps them communicate the science happening at the park.
DELIVERABLES
The Death Valley education assistant will develop geology-focused field trip activities based to meet academic standards. Additionally, the interns will develop lesson plans for middle school teachers and park-based Junior Ranger programs. Staff may also help develop astronomy programs for families.
DESIRED INTERN QUALIFICATIONS
Enthusiasm for working outdoors with young people. Self-motivated and organized. Flexible and adaptable to change. Interest in working with children, adolescents, and adults. Spanish language skills preferred. Language skills in addition to English preferred. Completed or working towards a bachelor or associates degree.
The applicant must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. legal permanent resident (“Green Card holder”). Prior to starting this position, a government security background clearance will be required. The applicant must be available to participate for 26 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.
WORK SETTING
Natural Environment: Death Valley National Park is located in the Mojave Desert, along the border of Nevada and California. In the winter, temperatures are between 50-80 degrees F. The park encompasses over three million acres of desert habitat, from salt flats at 282 feet below sea level to mountain peaks over 11,000 feet above sea level. Physical Work Environment: Most work is done out in the field with some project time in an office. The intern should expect to hike approximately 2 miles and be outside up to 6 hours with students. Education programs are conducted in canyons, salt flats, sand dunes, and spring-fed riparian areas. Occasional travel to schools outside of the park will involve multi-hour trips in government vehicles.
VEHICLE AND DRIVERS LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
- Applicant must have a valid driver's license to drive a government vehicle.
- A personal vehicle is REQUIRED for this position.
HOUSING
Park housing is NOT available. The intern will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area. It is possible, but not guaranteed, that park dorm housing will be available for the interns. Dorm housing is $225 per month. Private dorm room with shared living and kitchen facilities. There is a basic supply of plates, cups, silverware, pots/pans, knives, strainer, can opener, a few small containers, cutting boards, pitchers, microwave, and toaster, etc. If you need anything else besides these basics (ie. a coffee maker or other special item), you should bring them yourself. Intern will need to provide their own towels, linens, toiletries, and bedding. Free WiFi is available to dorm residents. AT&T cellular services works in some locations some of the time. If dorm housing is unavailable, that information will be disclosed in the interview invitation, and the park will provide recommendations for housing options outside the park.
KEYWORDS
Environmental Education, Ecology, Geology, Virtual learning, Field Trips
IMPORTANT NOTICES
This posting will close after receiving 75 complete applications, or at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, 16 June, whichever occurs first. Once you begin applying for a position, the application must be completed in one sitting. You cannot save and return later to complete it. Applicants can apply for up to five Scientists in Parks Intern positions per winter. You need to complete a separate application for each position in order to be considered. You should receive a confirmation email after successfully submitting an application. Sometimes institutional email filters/settings can redirect or block emails related to the application. We recommend watching spam, junk, and promotional email folders in case your service delivers messages there. Please visit How to Apply for additional resources and information about applying (i.e., learn what materials to have ready for applying, find a worksheet that previews application questions, etc.)
LEARN MORE
https://www.scientistsinparks.org/