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The Department of the Interior strives to increase diversity in its workforce by providing internship opportunities to students through the Diversity Intern Program. Interns work during the fall and spring semesters and summer months for bureaus and offices nationwide. The Office of Educational Partnerships in Washington, D.C., provides Department-wide coordination and oversight. The Program is administered through four nonprofit partner organizations: Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), Minority Access, Inc., Student Conservation Association (SCA) and
National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher
Education (NAFEO).
Since its inception in 1994, the program has been highly successful. Over 708 talented and hardworking interns had the opportunity to explore careers.
Objectives of the Diversity Intern Program
- Merge academic study with practical applications for students majoring in relevant fields and disciplines.
- Create a pool of talented students to explore and understand professional practices through exposure to research and development, technology, administration, and the government environment.
- Provide professional experience for ethnically diverse students and students with disabilities that will enable them to make educated career choices.
- Create a channel of future employees who have had positive, meaningful work experience with the federal government, and who might consider federal service as a serious career choice.
Key Features of the Diversity Intern Program
- Students will earn academic credit for the fall and spring 15- week semester long program.
- The organizations recruit, screen, and pay a stipend to students from Hispanic-Serving, Historically Black, Native American, and other institutions of higher learning.
- Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0; be currently enrolled students of sophomore or higher; and be permanent legal residents or U.S. citizens.
- Department’s bureaus/offices identify internship opportunities, specify preferred education, skills and other credentials, make final selections, and provide intern supervision and mentoring.
- The interns are on the payroll of the respective non-profit partner organizations. They do not count against full-time equivalent ceilings.
- The interns receive a weekly stipend and allowance for travel to and from their internship locations. Special orientations, workshops, field trips, and counseling are provided as specified by the Department.
Top Ten Career Fields:
- Fire Protection and Prevention
- Law Enforcement, Protection, Security, Inspection and Compliance
- Accounting, Finance, and Budget
- Facilities Management, Engineering and Architecture
- Information Technology
- Biological Science
- Park Ranger
- Management, Planning and Analysis
- Acquisition
- Physical Science, Mathematics, and Statistics
To find out more information about the Diversity Internship Program you can contact us at (202) 208-6403, TTY: (202) 208-5069, Fax: (202) 208-3620 or simply email us at ed_partners@ios.doi.gov
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