Start/End Dates: May 26, 2025 – August 15, 2025 (12 weeks)
Compensation: $688 per week
Medical Insurance: Not provided
Application Due: February 7, 2025

The Latino Heritage Internship Program seeks to engage ethnically and racially diverse young professionals in natural resource careers.

Eligibility Requirement:

• Must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident.
• A valid driver’s license is preferred but not required.

Position Description: 

Outreach and Program Design with Local Latinx-Serving Organizations and Community Members:
This internship position involves collaborating closely with park staff and local organizations, including the Coalition for a Better Acre, the Latinx Center for Community Empowerment, and the International Institute of New England, among others that serve Lowell's Spanish-speaking communities. The intern will help create opportunities to connect Lowell’s history and resources to the Latinx populations settling in the city today.

Key responsibilities include:

• Assisting the park in connecting with Latinx communities by participating in city events, such as flag-raising ceremonies that honor Lowell’s diverse cultural heritage.
• Creating a database of organizations and contacts within Lowell’s Latinx community.
• Collaborating on programs that uncover community members' interests and highlight their stories using park resources.
• Building relationships with community members and creating high-quality programs specifically designed for the Spanish-speaking population.

Providing Bilingual Interpretation and Program Development Support:
The intern will assist in co-creating programs with community organizations and members, as well as developing and implementing existing programs in Spanish or bilingually. Examples of tasks include:

• Presenting pre-existing tours, such as the “Suffolk Mill” tours, which immerse visitors in the mechanical operations of a mill, and special topic walking tours throughout Lowell.
• Collaborating on seasonal special programs, such as Wellness on the Walkways, Art in the Park Pop-Ups, or Riverboat Tours.
• Assisting the park’s Digi Team in creating digital media content, including drafting social media posts, researching, and writing articles or web pages that connect park themes to the Latinx community.

Participation in Local Community Events:
The intern will serve as a member of the Special Events Team within the Division of Interpretation and Education, focusing on community engagement activities and events for Lowell residents. Responsibilities include:

• Providing activities and information at local cultural festivals and events hosted by other organizations.
• Conducting youth outreach at the Lowell Summer Music Series Kids Concerts.
• Assisting in planning and preparing for the Lowell Folk Festival, including engaging local residents as active participants.
• Helping organize and attend community flag-raising ceremonies at Lowell City Hall. This involves collaborating with community members to determine their desired level of involvement in these events.

Youth Engagement:
The intern will also assist in developing and running the summer Art Pop-Up programs in coordination with the local library bookmobile. This includes:

• Hosting weekly programs in partnership with park staff and interns at various locations.
• Strengthening partnerships with the local library and city parks.
• Providing Spanish translations of publications advertising future events.

This position offers a unique opportunity to connect with diverse communities and help create meaningful programs that highlight the cultural heritage of Lowell’s Latinx population.

Responsibilities:
Priority will be given to candidates who meet the following requirements:

• Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish.
• Basic customer service skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with others.

Qualifications:

• Proficiency in English and Spanish; additional languages are beneficial and highly desired.
• Ability to provide basic customer service, including standing, greeting, and working with volunteers, children, and park staff.
• Capability to endure long periods of sitting, standing, and walking in various indoor and outdoor conditions.
• Proficiency in operating computers and basic audio-visual equipment.
• Familiarity with navigating basic social media platforms.
• Availability to work 40 hours per week, including weekends, holidays, and evenings.
• Ability to collaborate and work effectively with partner organizations and community members.

Key Strengths for Success:
Candidates should possess or be willing to develop the following:

• Strong public speaking skills.
• An outgoing personality that thrives in teamwork settings.
• A passion for meeting and working with new people.
• Flexibility and creative thinking to adapt to various challenges.

Interns in this program will accrue 480 hours toward Public Land Corps (PLC) Hiring Authority. See below for more information about PLC.

Public Land Corps Non-Competitive Hiring Authority (PLC)
The Public Land Corps Non-Competitive Hiring Authority is a special hiring authority available to qualifying interns. The intern must be between the ages of 18 and 30 years old, inclusive, or a veteran up to age 35 and complete 640 hours of work on an appropriate conservation project to be eligible for this hiring authority. Upon successful completion of the PLC project(s), the intern is eligible for two years to be hired non-competitively into a federal seasonal, term, or permanent position. The applicant must apply to a PLC-eligible position advertised on USAJobs.gov and selected off a non-competitive certificate of eligibility. For more information, see DOI Personnel Bulletins 11-02 , 12-13, and 17-03.

EEO Statement

Environment for the Americas provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.