Intern Experience

Your earth. Your community.  Your chance to make a difference.

Overview

The Northwest Service Academy (NWSA) – Mt. Adams Center (MAC) is looking for talented people to fill the ranks of its Internship Program. The program places individuals in year long internships with natural resource agencies such as the US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife and environmentally focused non profits. Being an AmeriCorps member in an environmental internship is challenging and requires a special mix of skills, and experience. You leave the program a better person for the service you give, the contacts you make and the friendships you create. Interns come from all walks of life but share one common goal: the desire to advance professionally while engaging in service to their communities. By participating, members gain invaluable job and life experience including:

• Professional Networking 
• Project Management Skills
• Professional Communication Skills
• Natural World Exposure
• Volunteer Management 
• Grant Writing 
• Leadership Skills 
• Northwest Environmental Issues

Location

The Mt. Adams Center (MAC) is located in Trout Lake, WA, a small agricultural town at the base of 12,276 ft Mt. Adams.  It's a treasured wilderness region surrounded by a spectacular landscape of forests, rivers, waterfalls, and mountains. The center serves as the training base for the Internship Program, as well as the operational base for the MAC staff and the Field Team Program.

Internship sites are spread throughout Washington and northern Oregon. From the densely populated Seattle metropolitan area to remote locations in the Columbia Basin, Interns serve in a variety of landscapes tied together by natural beauty and cultural intrigue.

Requirements

Each position has specific qualifications, but all require:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and/or practical work history
• Demonstrated ability to work in a professional environment
• Willingness to learn from people and experience
• Commitment to environmental conservation and education
• Enthusiasm for community service
• Appreciation of the natural world and a desire to spend time in it
• A minimum age of 21

Professional Development

Interns are split into regional sub-groups, or pods, for the service year. Each pod meets on a regular basis to share ideas, opportunities and support. In addition to workshops on topics such as public speaking, grant writing, collaboration in communities, meeting facilitation, ethic of service and values based management, Interns will return to the Mt. Adams Center a few times a year for trainings and group meetings.

The MAC believes that its professional development program will prepare you to take the next step in your professional career. Take a look at what some of our alumni have done:

• Executive Director of the Mid-Columbia Regional Fisheries
  Enhancement Group

  2011 Intern Calendar February 7 - 11, 2011 Orientation at the Mt. Adams Center in Trout Lake, WA February 14, 2011 Members report to their service site May 11 - 13, 2011 Training at the Mt. Adams Center (topic to be announced) August 2 - 5, 2011 Training at the Mt. Adams Center (topic to be announced) October 17 - 20, 2011 Final Training (location to be announced) December 16, 2011 Graduation



• Lead Wilderness Guide, Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs


• U.S. Forest Service Wildfire Technicians, Mt. Adams Ranger District


• Farm Director, Morning Star Farms, Orcas Island


• Program Director, Columbia Gorge Ecology Institute


• Watershed Resource Technician, Underwood Conservation District

Outdoors

The magic of the Pacific Northwest lies in the welcoming people and awe inspiring places that pull at the heart of every resident and visitor alike. Inspired by this environment, Interns seek out recreational opportunities that allow them to explore the surrounding natural wonders by foot, bike, boat, ski, board and car.

Benefits

You will learn tangible skills, make lifelong friends and help shape the world in which you want to live. But if that is not enough, we also offer some simple economic incentives. Benefits are illustrated below:

Participants may also be eligible for food stamps, loan deferments and some child care expenses.