Student Volunteer Program
The USDA Forest Service Volunteers Program offers unpaid opportunities for students to volunteer in support of a wide range of activities that carry out the mission of the Forest Service. Students can volunteer to gain practical work experience, learn about various occupations and enhance personal and career building skills while still enrolled in an academic program. Some institutions give credit for volunteer service when related to coursework. For more information regarding volunteering with the Forest Service, log onto www.Volunteer.Gov/Gov.

USDA National Scholars Program
Each year USDA provides a number of full 4-year scholarships to students who will attend one of the Historically Black 1890 Institutions. Candidates must major in agriculture-related fields, including biological sciences and forestry, and must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better. Applicants for these scholarships must be high school seniors with an SAT score of at least 1000, or a score of 21 or higher on the American College Testing examination. The application deadline is January 15 each year. Contact the USDA Liaison Officer from one of the 1890 Institutions or the Program Manager at (301)504- 2223. You may also write to the following address, or go to the USDA Web Site: http://1890scholars.program.usda.gov

USDA Natural Resources and Conservation Service
Attn: USDA/1890 National Scholars Program Manager
STOP 5474
5601 Sunnyside Avenue
Beltsville, MD 20705

USDA Summer Intern Program
College students or high school seniors who have been accepted by a college may receive paid summer internships with substantive work assignments with agencies of the USDA in Washington, DC and throughout the nation. The first applications are usually screen by late February or early March. For more information, write the following address or go to the USDA Web Site: www.usda.gov/da/employ/intern.htm

USDA, Office of Human Resources Management
Attn: Department of Student Programs Manager
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Room 309-W, Jamie L. Whitten Federal Bldg.
Washington, DC 20250-9600

Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) Internship Program

Each summer the Forest Service participates in the 10-week paid HACU Internship Program, offering students with a GPA of 3.0 or better an opportunity to explore Federal government careers. For more information, contact HACU at (202) 833-8361, fax: 202-496-9177, email www.hacu.net, or write, mentioning your interest in an internship with the U.S. Forest Service, to:

Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) Governmental Relations Office
One Dupont Circle, NW
Suite 605
Washington, DC 20036

Person with Disabilities (PWD) Initiative helps managers recruit university students for administrative and natural science/resources positions. A primary recruitment source is the Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students With Disabilities (WRP) that yearly offers a current database on CD ROM presenting credential summaries of 1800+ candidates from 180+ colleges and universities nationwide who have been interviewed in person by federal managers. The Forest Service’s Washington Office (Human Resources Management) hosts this initiative and its liaison.

USDA Hispanic Scholars Program: The USDA Hispanic Scholars Program recruits candidates primarily from among those who completed summer internships with FS through its collaborative arrangement with the Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities. Following a model similar to the USDA 1890 Scholars Program, this program offers students recruited college scholarships plus hands-on, career-related training. Upon satisfactory completion of the program, students gain eligibility for conversion into a permanent federal position without having to compete against other applicants.