LHIP Internship: Community Engagement Ambassador (PLC) - ONSITE - Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park

Location: Pawtucket,Rhode Island,United States

Start/End Dates: May 26th, 2025 - August 9th, 2025 (11 weeks)
Compensation: $688 per week
Medical Insurance: Not provided
Application Due: February 7th, 2025

The Latino Heritage Internship Program (LHIP) seeks to engage undergraduates and recent graduates ages 18 - 30, and up to 35 for veterans, for this unmatched leadership training program that is focused in the cultural and natural resource management. You must be (additional requirement):

• Must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident.

• A Driver’s License is required for this position. 

*A personal vehicle is required for this position.

Position Description: 

At Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, the Latino Heritage Program Intern serves as a community ambassador, fostering connections and communication with local Latino and Hispanic groups. This park has a strong track record of hiring, retaining, and mentoring interns. It is an ideal place for someone new to the National Park Service or new to the workforce to begin their career with a well-defined internship structured around set tasks and deliverables.

The intern in this role will build upon the successes of the Park’s 2024 LHIP intern, who successfully translated park materials, such as the park’s welcome video and site guide, into Spanish. The intern will continue to develop deeper and more meaningful relationships with members of the Latino community, building on the work of their predecessor. Overall, the park is seeking a candidate who will foster additional connections with local groups that empower underserved audiences. The intern will also serve as a representative of the park at community partner events, park events, and meetings.

A particular focus of this internship for 2025 is further development with youth groups. Over the past two summers, we have bridged the gap between opportunities and underserved communities. Park programs involving our LHIP intern last summer reached 820 individuals from diverse backgrounds and all age groups. One of the most critical contributions of our LHIP intern was serving as a translator at these events, imparting important knowledge about how to safely recreate in the park.

A secondary task for this individual will be to continue the work of translating our newest educational materials, such as lesson plans and other resources, into Spanish. Additionally, the park is interested in a candidate who wishes to explore a specific topic within the area’s Latino history, with the goal of contributing to a future exhibit at the Visitor Center. Fluency in both Spanish and English is crucial for this position. The facilitation of bilingual, intergenerational programs with Latino families will be a critical part of this intern’s work plan.

In addition to working with the park, the selected intern will participate in several partnership programs offered by the Providence Urban Wildlife Refuge. This partnership between Providence Parks and US Fish and Wildlife facilitates recreational opportunities such as birding and fishing, specifically targeting underserved communities in Providence County. Each summer, these partners organize large fishing events through the Vamos a Pescar program, which creates pathways for Latino children and their families to fish in multiple parts of Rhode Island. The intern will play a vital role in organizing a Vamos a Pescar program and supporting other fishing events in the Valley, as well as statewide. This emphasis on recreation is part of a continued effort to address the lack of safe, free, and fun recreational opportunities for underserved communities.

There are vibrant Latino communities in the greater Pawtucket/Providence/Central Falls area. In Pawtucket, RI, where the main visitor information station is located, 25.2% of the population (around 75,000) identified as Latino or Hispanic in the last U.S. census. In Providence, RI, just south of Pawtucket, 42.9% of a population of 189,000 identified as Latino or Hispanic. These populations are concentrated in census tracts with very high Environmental Justice Index (EJI) numbers. Many people continue to live with the adverse effects of the Industrial Revolution, a story we share and interpret within the park.

At this historical park, creating quality interpretive and recreational programs for people throughout the Blackstone Valley is a priority. The intern will engage in outreach with local youth, families, and visitors from around the world.

Responsibilities:

• Fluency in Spanish and English.
• Strong communication skills.