Conservation Intern for Education projects at Fairbanks Interagency Visitor Center’s Division of Interpretation and Education. | NPS DOIP17AC00213

Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS DOIP17AC00213

This notice describes the National Park Service (NPS), part of the Department of the Interior, intending to fund a short-term conservation education internship at the Fairbanks Interagency Visitor Center (also referred to as the Fairbanks Alaska Public Lands Information Center) within its Division of Interpretation and Education. It is important to note that the announcement is not an open call for proposals and not a request for applications. Instead, it serves as a public notice that NPS plans to issue a task agreement under an existing master cooperative agreement that had already been competed (Cooperative Agreement P15AC00031) with the Student Conservation Association (SCA). Because the work is being placed under that already-established agreement, NPS states it did not pursue a new round of full and open competition for this specific award.

The planned award is a task agreement (a type of cooperative agreement action) with an anticipated total federal amount of $34,785.27, with no cost share listed. The anticipated project length is 20 weeks, with a performance window running from May 15, 2017 through September 30, 2017. The opportunity is associated with CFDA 15.931 and categorized under education as the funding activity area. The statutory authority cited is 54 U.S.C. 101702(a), which supports the use of cooperative agreements for transferring appropriated funds to eligible entities, including nonprofit organizations, to carry out public-purpose service program work (tied to the federal assistance framework referenced under 31 U.S.C. 6305). The point of contact named in the notice is James Cato.

The core objective of the project is workforce development and stewardship education for young adults through hands-on participation in conservation interpretation and education programming at the Fairbanks visitor center. Practically, the agreement supports placement of a youth associate or conservation intern through SCA to work alongside NPS staff on public lands education and outreach. The intern is expected to build real-world skills that translate directly into future employment pathways in conservation communication, interpretation, and environmental education, while also helping the park reach community members with accessible, engaging stewardship messages.

A central deliverable is the creation of an interpretive media product, which could be a video, digital story, or other interpretive format developed in collaboration with park staff. The content is meant to highlight one aspect of the park's youth conservation outreach and education programming, with examples provided such as the Mother/Son Adventure program, the Geocache Public Lands Pursuit, or Family CAMP programs. The specific format is intentionally flexible and can be tailored to the intern's interests and technical strengths, but the public-facing goal stays consistent: help audiences connect with public lands, understand conservation themes, and learn about practical park programs they can join. The final product is intended for distribution through the park's website, social media channels, and other appropriate venues, effectively serving both as an intern capstone and a communication asset for the park.

Beyond the media deliverable, the internship is structured as a broad training and professional development experience in interpretation and visitor services. The intern will learn how to plan, prepare, and present interpretive programs, including foundational interpretation principles and techniques for informal or roving interpretation, which typically involves engaging visitors in dynamic, on-the-spot conversations in public spaces. The intern will also receive customer service training and practice through day-to-day interaction with the public at the visitor center, building communication, professionalism, and front-line visitor contact skills that are central to interpretation careers.

Because the work is set in Alaska and connected to public lands experiences, the training includes an emphasis on safety and field readiness. The intern is expected to learn how to plan safe backcountry trips on Alaska public lands and will receive orientation on multi-agency managed landscapes, including arctic climate conditions, geology, and diverse ecosystems. Learning is described as taking place in both classroom and field settings, with an explicit educational emphasis on conservation values and building the next generation of stewards. Additional formal trainings listed include Operational Leadership, CPR/First Aid, Leave No Trace principles, and wildlife encounter safety, which collectively support both personal safety and responsible outdoor practices in a northern, wildlife-rich environment.

Roles and responsibilities are split between SCA and NPS in a way that is typical of cooperative internship placements. SCA will assist with recruitment and selection of appropriate candidates to serve as Conservation Associates for the described work. SCA also commits to providing participant support, including a living allowance, insurance coverage, and AmeriCorps education awards when applicable. Logistical support includes transportation to and from the duty location, subsistence during the period of performance, and coverage for in-service commercial travel during the project period. For participant welfare and oversight, SCA will provide a 24/7 staffed hotline, conduct site visits, and complete performance evaluations, adding an additional layer of support beyond on-site supervision.

In short, this notice documents a targeted, time-limited federal assistance action to place and support one conservation education intern in Fairbanks, Alaska through an existing NPS-SCA partnership. The internship combines public-facing interpretation work, digital or multimedia storytelling, visitor center operations experience, and Alaska-specific field and safety training, with the dual purpose of building an early-career conservation professional and expanding the park's outreach and stewardship messaging to the public.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Conservation Intern for Education projects at Fairbanks Interagency Visitor Center’s Division of Interpretation and Education." and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.931.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 28, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 08, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $35,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

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