The Latino Heritage Internship Program (LHIP) seeks to engage Latino undergraduates and recent graduates ages 18 – 30 and up to 35 for veterans for this unmatched leadership training program that is focused on cultural and natural resource management.

The Everglades Education & Interpretation Intern will work with the park’s Resource Education and Interpretation Division. The park’s education program is in the process of developing a curriculum-based program on the Hole-in-the-Donut restoration project, which has been underway since 1988 to restore 6,300 acres of farmland back to a natural sawgrass marsh in the southern portion of Everglades National Park. This successful restoration project has shed light not only on ways in which to eradicate the invasive Brazilian pepper plant but also on ways to collaborate with outside organizations for one collective effort. We have already begun this project through our previous LHIP interns, working with teachers and other partners from our community through virtual programs to educate students on this restoration effort, highlighting successes and failures.

The intern will help finalize supporting curriculum materials to expand from our virtual programs to in-person hands-on programs that will showcase the park’s success in restoration and challenge students to create new plans to restore other areas within and outside the park’s boundaries. These materials will demonstrate how national parks help restore disturbed or human-altered habitats and resources, focusing on the history of the land and those who used it before and after restoration. Once these materials are culminated, a lesson plan will be developed and finalized for teachers to analyze the history, cultural and natural, of the Hole-In-The-Donut restoration project and the use and importance of mitigation funds and banks worldwide. The intern will be paired with a Teacher-Ranger-Teacher, who can help guide the lesson plan writing.

Since Everglades National Park was set aside for its biodiversity, the intern will also receive substantial training better to understand the complexities of the park’s ecosystem. Additionally, he/she will be introduced to multiple aspects of park operations including working in a visitor center and conducting research fieldwork. Providing visitors with information and sharing their enthusiasm for our national park resources is a great way to learn about all the park offers. Ideally, the intern will also develop a short interpretive talk or guided walk about the park’s resources. Interpretive staff and online courses from the Eppley Institute will help guide program development.

Eligibility

• Intern must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, or PhD degree program at an accredited institution of higher education during this summer internship. All degrees may be considered, but preferred fields of study include Education; History; Environmental, Physical, or Biological Sciences; Parks and Recreation; or similar studies related to the project.
• An intern who is eager to learn and try new things will benefit more from this internship. Also, someone who is comfortable sharing ideas, conversing with others, and speaking to the public (as in a visitor center or on the trail) is preferred.