Do you want to work in a National Park?
Only two positions are currently accepting applications: Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument and Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve,Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve. All other positions stopped accepting new applications on 15 June 2020 (the official deadline). The full list of fall/winter 2020-2021 positions may be viewed here (PDF), for reference.
Update to age limit: Program participants must be between 18 to 30 years old, or military veterans up to age 35.
Each GIP project will only accept the first 100 applicants. GSA recommends setting up your online
application and adding your project selections early.
These fall/winter project descriptions were developed prior to the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Therefore, project timelines and structure remain flexible and it may be necessary to postpone start dates,
begin work remotely, or reformulate project descriptions. Should any development in the COVID-19 outbreak
impair a project's timeline or results, the GIP Team will work with the park and project mentors to assess
the situation and determine the best course of action at that time.
Geoscientists-in-the-Parks (GIP) matches college students and recent graduates with
short-term, paid opportunities with the National Park Service.
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.
Webinar (Recording) - Career Pathways: Working in National Parks
Two speakers share their journeys to positions as geoscientists with the National Park Service.
Watch
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.