Do you want to work in a National Park?
The application deadline for spring/summer 2020 opportunities passed on 13 January 2020, so most
parks are no longer accepting applications. However, please check the opportunities list to see
which parks are still in need of more applications.
The National Park Service (NPS) actively seeks students and professionals in the geosciences and other
natural
resource fields who want to use their expertise to help the agency to better understand and manage its
natural
resources. The program provides participants a unique opportunity to contribute towards the conservation of
America's national parks.
Participants may assist with:
- Site evaluations
- Resource inventorying and monitoring
- Impact mitigation
- Geologic mapping
- GIS analysis
- Research
- Synthesis of scientific literature and reporting
- Developing informative media
- Educating park staff and park visitors
GIP positions can last from three months to one year. Program participants must be between 18 to 30 years
old, or military veterans up to age 35. Program participants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal
resident. Upon successful completion of a project, participants may be eligible for an AmeriCorps Education Award.
Preparing for the Future
Lisa Norby from the National Park Service describes how the GIP Program helps address the current
needs and mission of our national parks, while providing valuable work experience to participants
in geoscience and
other natural resource science fields.
This program is run in partnership with the Geological Society of
America
(GSA) and Stewards Individual
Placement Program. GSA advertises the
program, recruits qualified candidates, and manages the online application process. Once a candidate is
offered a
GIP position, Stewards enrolls them in the program, administers their payments and benefits, and serves as
their
point of contact throughout the program.
Geoscientists-in-the-Parks participants are considered
AmeriCorps members. AmeriCorps limits the number of terms an individual can serve to four terms. If an
applicant
has previously completed four GIP or other AmeriCorps positions, they will not be eligible to apply for an
additional GIP position.