Conservation Internships

Investing in the next generation

We are uniquely positioned at the intersection of faith and conservation to facilitate theological and ecological support for recent graduates at an early stage in their career.

Internships are a crucial next step for many recent graduates in the conservation field, where entry-level positions often require field experience in addition to a degree. Meanwhile, most conservation internships are unpaid, creating a barrier for many. Young Christian scientists in particular have few opportunities to integrate their faith with their scientific calling.

We launched the A Rocha USA Conservation Internship Program in 2022 to address these needs. The goal of the program is to provide an internship experience for young Christian scientists that combines professional mentoring, leadership development, and vocational support through on-site and remote experiences.

Key Internship Components

Mentorship in science and faith

A Rocha staff and volunteers facilitate theological and ecological learning and discussion, and work with each intern to identify career paths that meet the individual’s giftedness, passion, and skills.

Skills development

Our interns contribute meaningfully to the conservation work of A Rocha as they develop their skills. They learn how to conduct research, maintain scientific equipment, write for various audiences both academic and popular, and collaborate with other organizations.

Removal of barriers

Interns receive a stipend to help cover living expenses, and we prioritize hiring graduates from communities that are historically underrepresented in environmental fields.

Internships girl outside with hands on table chatting

Get a glimpse into what it's like to be a Conservation Intern, above, or read about the A Rocha internship experience in our News and Stories. The application window for the Conservation Internship opens annually each spring.

A Note about Academic Internships

University students are welcome to reach out to us about becoming an A Rocha USA intern in conjunction with coursework to complete a degree program. Academic interns are pursuing scientific or related conservation degrees and can intern in-person at our conservation project locations, or remotely on work that contributes to our national programs (like communications, environmental education, storytelling, graphic design, conservation research, and more).

If you are interested in exploring an academic internship opportunity with A Rocha USA, please email jenna.henderson@arocha.org with more information about your area of study.