The NAC’s Student Urban Nature (SUN) internship program engages local high school students using a framework of “science identity” to promote environmental stewardship among New York City’s youth.
SUN high school internship
Fostering interest in science and nature
With hubs in Forest Park, Queens, and in Staten Island’s Greenbelt, our place-based model connects participants to nearby natural areas to learn more about the importance of healthy forests, wetlands, and trails.
What can interns expect?
- Gain experience in data collection processes to understand the health of forests and wetlands
- Learn flora and fauna identification, along with introductory forest and wetland ecology
- Engage with urban ecosystems at program locations through scientific inquiry, monitoring, and restoration projects
- Conduct research projects from ecological data collected over the course of the program’s summer
- Participate in varied professional development trainings on public speaking, networking, and resume building
- Receive mentorship from the NAC, the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, as well as current and previous seasonal staff participating in the NAC’s Urban Nature, Ecology, and Stewardship Training (Urban NEST) internship and fellowship programs
Who's eligible?
You must be an NYC resident.
You must attend school in Queens or Staten Island, and live no more than one-hour from the program locations located within these boroughs.
You must be enrolled in an NYC high school in the fall of the program year (rising junior or senior).
You will be 16 years old by July 1 of the program year.
You have a strong interest in and positive attitude about science research and nature, caring for NYC’s forests and parks, working outdoors, and growing independently and with a team.
High school internship timeline
January
- Information sessions occur
- Applications close
February
- Interviews take place
- Offers extended
- Virtual professional development sessions with City Parks Foundation begin for two hours a week
June
- Virtual professional development sessions with City Parks Foundation end
July
- One-hour asynchronous work happens on Mondays. In-person programming begins at four days a week (Tuesdays – Fridays), 25 hours/week (9:00 am – 4:00 pm)
December
- Applications open
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The Natural Areas Conservancy runs the Student Urban Nature (SUN) high school internship program through July and August of each year. This is a paid urban ecology program for rising junior and seniors in Quee...
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