Do you have a high school student with no plans for this summer? Do you want to get them out of the house, off their various screens, and gaining valuable outdoor work and internship experience while making a little money and earning free college credits? If so, tell them about the Natural Resource Internship for High School Students offered by Walking Mountains Science Center which runs June - July each summer in Eagle County and the Vail Valley.
With funding from the National Forest Foundation and the Ski Area Conservation Fund supported by Vail Resorts, Walking Mountains partners with the United States Forest Service to offer 12 high school students throughout Eagle County the unique experience of working on a variety of conservation projects throughout the White River National Forest. While participating in the internship, students will gain valuable work-related skills to give them a leg-up on future careers or college applications through such projects as: stream assessment surveys and electrofishing, trail maintenance, invasive species mitigation, habitat restoration, and ecosystem rehabilitation. Students will also get the opportunity to learn and develop leadership and outdoor skills while assisting in planning and participating in backcountry hikes and conservation-related field trips.
"It was really, really cool. It pointed me in the direction I wanted to go in my high school career and narrowed my college choices down and what I wanted to do when I get older. It was so, so much fun!" - Madelyn J., Sophomore at Eagle Valley High School.
On top of being paid a $125 per week stipend, students will also earn 4 Natural Resource credits from Colorado Mountain College—Edwards. This year, the focus of the course will be Science Communication and Conservation. Because this is a Special Topics course, there are no Accuplacer scores needed to get in. Finally, as a culmination to a great summer, students will participate in a 3-day hut trip to one of the 10th Mountain Division Huts.
Does this opportunity sound too good to be true? It could be, if you student doesn’t apply soon! There are limited spaces available and applications are accepted on a rolling basis. If you, or your student, are interested in the Natural Resource Internship for High School Students, more information and the application can be found at www.walkingmountains.org/NRI. The sooner your student’s application is submitted, the better their chance of climbing cathedral mountains and pondering the serenity of clear blue mountain lakes this summer!
