POSITION DETAILS
Position Title: Science Communication Assistant
Park Unit: Denali National Park and Preserve
Location: Denali Park, Alaska
Number of positions available: 1
Can this position be fully remote: NO
INTERNSHIP DATES AND LENGTH
Duration: 26 Weeks (not flexible)
Start Date: 10/07/2024
Flexible Start Date: YES
LIVING AND RELOCATION ALLOWANCE:
Weekly Stipend: $565.00
Relocation Allowance: $1,050.00
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
Denali National Park and Preserve seeks a Science Communication SIP intern to create inspiring, accessible, and interactive materials that engage visitors with current park science and stewardship messages. The candidate will also help instruct indoor and outdoor education programs for youth and assist with visitor center services. The ideal candidate is skilled at and passionate about engaging the public – particularly youth – with science and land stewardship, both in-person and virtually.
POSITION IMPACT
The intern will contribute to fulfilling science outreach objectives for Denali National Park and Preserve. Denali serves 600,000 in-person visitors and countless virtual visitors each year. The intern will help the Denali education, interpretation, media, and research teams share park science in engaging and accessible ways.
DELIVERABLES
The intern will complete one or more science communication media projects and assist with instructing youth programs.
The media projects for the winter 2024-2025 internship will be selected based on the aptitudes and interests of the selected candidate. Projects may include creating and updating exhibits, formatting science reports, developing Junior Ranger activities and materials, writing exciting content to be featured on Denali's website, documenting research and education events using photography and videography, sharing exciting science stories with the world through social media, and designing interactive elements for the MSLC exhibit area that will inspire visitors.
Youth programs that the intern will co-instruct include curriculum-based distance learning programs. The intern may also assist with frontline visitor services approximately one day per week.
DESIRED INTERN QUALIFICATIONS
1. Background in science communication, interpretation, education, journalism, or any related field.
2. Strong written communication skills.
3. Strong digital media skills. Experience working in a content management system (CMS) and Adobe Creative Suites (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop) is a plus.
4. Outdoor education and customer service experience.
5. Desire to make science relevant to park visitors of all ages and demographics, with emphasis on youth aged 5-20.
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
Denali National Park and Preserve protects over six million acres of remote subarctic wilderness in interior Alaska. The park is filled with extensive glaciers and braided rivers, miles of tundra plateaus, and countless glacial lakes and ponds, all capped by the magnificent 20,310’ Denali peak at the center of the Alaska Range. The park is a spectacular outdoor playground for anyone fond of hiking and exploring. While the setting is rural, there are hundreds of year-round and seasonal employees living locally with whom to socialize and recreate.
The position is based out of the Murie Science and Learning Center (MSLC) adjacent to the Denali Visitor Center. The MSLC is a year-round facility with classrooms and administrative offices. During the summer, the building serves as an operations base for registration-based educational programs. During the winter, it is open to the public as the Winter Visitor Center. The intern's workspace will be a shared office. The intern’s supervisor is located in the same building. The intern will be a member of the MSLC education team, which includes five year-round park and partner education staff and seven year-round science education staff.
VEHICLE AND DRIVERS LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
- Applicant must have a valid driver's license to drive a government vehicle.
- A personal vehicle is not required for this position.
HOUSING
Park housing is available and will be provided at no cost to the participant. Housing is provided at no cost to the participant. Housing is in single- or double-occupancy cabins one mile from the MSLC. Cabins have kitchens outfitted with cooking equipment, but no running water. Showers/restrooms are communal. Some food and community services are available in Nenana Canyon outside the park entrance and in Healy (12 miles north of the park). Larger city services are located in Fairbanks (120 miles north of the park).
KEYWORDS
Outreach, Communication, Education, Media, Youth
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/