Academic Internship Program

The Academic Internship Program at the Golden Gate National Parks is a fundamental park program, providing professional development and career pathway opportunities for students, while supporting real needs of park management. Through this program, local and diverse cohorts of college young people are engaged in immersive park experiences to enhance classroom learning. A wide range of positions are available, including those working in natural and cultural resources, education and interpretive programs, volunteer program management, communications and media, public affairs, museum programs, and more. 

• 2026 Academic Internships will take place June 2nd - August 14th, 2026 (11 week program)
• Open to students enrolled at City College of San Francisco, College of Marin, and San Francisco State University
• Receive a $500/weekly stipend for full time positions or $250/week for part-time positions, plus academic credit (student is responsible for coordinating academic credit with their academic counselor)
• Positions in San Francisco, Marin, and San Mateo counties
  • In-person and hybrid (in-person & virtual) positions are available
  • Positions include natural and cultural resources, media, IT, finance, legal, youth, interpretation, community stewardship & science, and more.
• Join a diverse team of your college peers to experience these spectacular parklands first hand, behind the scenes, and in depth! In an Academic Internship, you will:
  • Work on meaningful projects with a network of park professionals
  • Be mentored by a park staff member who will provide constructive instruction, coaching, and support
  • Engage in hands-on essential and technical training, professional workplace skills, and leadership development
  • Participate in career development and networking opportunities
  • Get involved in numerous high impact, academic, vocational, professional, and personal growth experiences 

For information about academic credit and other educational related questions contact:

• College of Marin
  • Chelsey Perez, Career, Internships, and Service Learning Coordinator  clperez@marin.edu
• San Francisco State University
  • Tati Martinez, Program and Outreach Coordinator, altimartinez@sfsu.edu
  • Institute for Civic and Community Engagement (ICCE), icce@sfsu.edu
• City College of San Francisco
  • Jimmy Ly, Career Counselor,  jimly@ccsf.edu

The Academic Internship Program will accept applications February 16th - March 15th.

Note: Although a formal cover letter and resume is no longer required to be considered for this program, please be prepared to provide some job or volunteer experience information. The application takes an average of 25 minutes to complete. 

Other questions? Please see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. For questions not listed, email us at Internships@parksconservancy.org .

To comply with federal and state laws all interns must have a Social Security Number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to receive the taxable internship stipend. The process to obtain a SSN or ITIN can be very lengthy so please plan accordingly. You may find more information here:

• Social Security Administration
• Individual Taxpayer Identification Number information

Please also note that stipends are a taxable event. Taxes are not withheld from stipends. Stipends are a per diem to cover costs associated with the internship (such as commuting expenses).

Summer 2026 Academic Internship Program application is closed. The AIP summer program runs June 2nd through August 14th, 2026 (11 weeks).

Below are the 2026 position descriptions. Click on each position to learn more. 

Business Administration & Operations:

• Finance & Accounting Academic Internship (San Francisco)
• IT Desktop Support Academic Internship (San Francisco)
• Legal & Risk Management Academic Internship (San Francisco)
• Sustainability Academic Internship (San Francisco)
• Youth Programs Operations Academic Internship (San Francisco)

Community Programs:

• Climate Change Community Engagement Academic Internship (San Francisco)
• Community Engagement Academic Internship (San Francisco & San Mateo)
• Community Engagement Academic Internship (San Francisco)
• Community Science Communication & Outreach (Marin)
• One Tam Community Engagement Academic Internship (Marin)

Historic Preservation:

• Museum Program Academic Internship (San Francisco)

Marketing & Communications

• Content Marketing Academic Internship (San Francisco)
• Internal Communications Academic Internship (San Francisco)
• Parks Conservancy Social Media Academic Internship (San Francisco)
• NPS Social Media Academic Internship (San Francisco) 

Native Plant Nurseries

• Presidio Native Plant Nursery Academic Internship (San Francisco)
• Marin Native Plant Nursery Academic Internship (Marin) 

Visitor Services Programs:

• Alcatraz Historical Interpretive Academic Internship (San Francisco)
• Muir Woods Visitor Services Academic Internship (Marin)
• Southern Areas Interpretation Academic Internship (San Francisco)

Please see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. If you still have questions, email us at Internships@parksconservancy.org .

Dr. Nina S. Roberts was a significant force in our youth and community work. Nina was one of the principal co-founders and architects of the Academic Internship Program back in 2012–over the past decade she has played a fundamental role in shaping the vision and framework to develop it into one of our core programs. She was a pivotal force for equity in the world of parks and public lands and was passionate about investing in our next generation of leaders. We believe Nina’s work and aspirations reflect the heart and hope of this program. Her impact and legacy will be carried forward in the story of the program; the onboarding of students, mentors, and partners; and our work to center diversity, equity, and inclusion in this program and our parks.