Students encouraged to apply for conservation summer internships

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is accepting applications for summer internships.

Application deadline is March 31. These internships, funded by sales of Game and Fish conservation license plates, let students gain hands-on training and experience needed to compete for a career in conservation.

Nykki Allred, internship coordinator for Game and Fish, said internships provide much more than work experience for a resume.

“We were able to reopen the internship program last summer after a year off because of covid, and it was amazing to see what all these students learned,” Allred said. “The supervisors were all passionate about teaching their interns about conservation and the impact our agency has on conservation.”

Many students are interested in careers in wildlife management, fisheries, wildlife health and conservation education, but often lack the hands-on experience to stand out from the crowd of applicants. Allred said an internship not only helps the students in this department, but also gives the agency an opportunity to recruit for possible job vacancies.

To qualify for an internship, an applicant:

• Must have a declared degree in the conservation field.

• Must have 60 hours of college credits earned by the time the internship begins.

• At the time of application, must be a college student, graduated within the previous 12 months or currently be enrolled in a post-graduate program.

• Must have a 2.5 cumulative grade point average.

Selected interns will be responsible to coordinate with their college or university to obtain course credit for their work.

Applications should include a current resume, a one-page cover letter, a copy of college transcripts and a completed application form.

Visit https://jobs.agfc.com for more information on the internship program and a list of openings for 2023.