POSITION DETAILS
Position Title: Education Assistant
Park Unit: Grand Canyon National Park
Location: Grand Canyon, Arizona
Number of positions available: 1
Can this position be fully remote: NO

INTERNSHIP DATES AND LENGTH
Duration: 36 Weeks (not flexible)
Start Date: 01/27/2025
Flexible Start Date: YES

LIVING AND RELOCATION ALLOWANCE:
Weekly Stipend: $565.00
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
Throughout four seasons, this position will participate in facilitating Grand Canyon National Park’s education programs, summer youth programs, and family programming for visitors. This internship will be contributing to long term projects related to digital educational material development. In the winter, Interns will facilitate engaging distance learning programs with K-12 classes. Group sizes may range from 20 students to webinar-style programming with 100+ students. These programs also include pre-field trip programs for groups visiting the park. In the spring, the interns will learn to facilitate student-centered programs to support real-world examples of science, history, and social studies curriculum concepts. Interns will support student exploration of concepts through distance learning programs and field trips. Interns will shadow and co-teach field trips with school groups of up to 50 K-12 students from local Title I and tribal schools. Throughout the spring and summer, interns will assist with public programming to engage junior rangers and their families across the districts of Grand Canyon National Park. In the summer, interns will also facilitate programming with youth groups visiting the park. Interns will also have the opportunity to shadow and participate in park-based teacher workshops. During the fall, interns will again facilitate place-based field trip programs and pre-field trip programs. Throughout the year, the interns will assist permanent and seasonal NPS staff in developing asynchronous educational materials to host on the NPS website. This project will help expand the impact of the education program by reaching groups that may not be able to schedule a ranger-led field trip or visit the park directly. These resources will include on-demand videos, printables, journal templates, and audio tours.

POSITION IMPACT
With its world renown geologic and cultural history, Grand Canyon National Park’s outdoor classroom can provide real-world examples of classroom concepts. Additionally, the education program is embarking on a strategic plan to focus programming on topics such as climate change, the Colorado River aridification, traditional ecological knowledge, and dark skies. The interns’ work will be integral in developing digital education materials through various initiatives related to strategic focus areas.

DELIVERABLES

The interns will develop engaging activities and discussion questions for distance learning programs on the strategic plan focal areas. The interns will also develop multigenerational public programming to engage junior rangers and their families. Interns will also develop facilitator guides for family programming so that future staff can implement the program. Interns will also produce reflective assessments after co-teaching with education staff. Additionally, interns will develop summer programs for youth groups have been historically excluded from public lands. Typically, these groups are camping in the park. Additionally, interns will co-develop asynchronous resources for teachers seeking self-guided field trip materials and lessons to facilitate within their classroom.

DESIRED INTERN QUALIFICATIONS

Self-motivated and organized; Flexible and adaptable to change; Comfortable troubleshooting distance learning technology; Enthusiasm for sharing the outdoors with students; Confidently interacts with children, adolescents, and adults; Solution-oriented decision maker; Completed or working towards a bachelor or associate 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 36 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.

WORK SETTING
Grand Canyon National Park is located in northern Arizona. It is surrounded by the Kaibab and Coconino National Forest. The Grand Canyon is 18 miles wide and 227 miles long with an approximate depth of 5,000 feet. The south rim’s elevation is an average of 7,000 feet above sea level. During winter the temperature ranges from a high of 43 and a low of 18 degrees Fahrenheit. The average winter snowfall on the South Rim is 58 inches per year. Summer temperatures can range from a high of 84 to a low of 54 degrees Fahrenheit. In the winter, interns can expect periods of icy conditions on roads and walking paths. Within the canyon, temperatures can routinely be in the 110’s in the shade. Monsoon season is from July through September. There is a small general store in the Grand Canyon Village, but most staff travel to Williams or Flagstaff (1-2 hour drive) for groceries and entertainment. In the village, there is a small clinic for routine and sick visits run by North Country Healthcare. Physical Work Environment: Most winter education work is done in the office and distance learning studio. During field trips in the spring, the intern should expect to hike approximately 2 miles and be outside up to 6 hours with students.

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 available and will be provided at no cost to the participant. The residence for this position is on the South Rim and will be shared. Shared housing includes a shared bathroom and kitchen facilities. Kitchens are not stocked with pots & pans, bakeware, dishes, cups, flatware, utensils, and dish towels. However, a random assortment of these items may be in seasonal housing. It is suggested that seasonal residents bring enough to support themselves until they can determine what's available in housing and what other roommates have to contribute. Thrift stores in Flagstaff are a great option to supplement. Bedding or linens, cleaning products, trash bags, and paper goods not supplied.

There are no family members or relatives allowed in shared housing. No pets allowed in shared housing.

KEYWORDS
Digital media, K-12 students, experiential learning, Next Generation Science Standards, climate change,

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/