Internship Program Policy External - Catalina Island Conservancy

The training program consists of a thorough combination of classroom-based, field study andpractical experience training. In addition, this program centralizes all training materials and dataupdates to keep all information accurate and current. This Conservancy program will serve as amodel of training and preparation of guides for other gateway communities through partnershipand land trust leadership.Project Internship Programs and ObjectivesEach year a select group of Interns benefit from the mentoring of our conservation, educationand trails professionals during ten-week or longer Internship Programs. Supporters of thisprogram will help create the next generation of knowledgeable land stewards to protect andrestore the Island for many years to come.The Project Supervisors program provides students with an opportunity to develop a core ofknowledge and related skills to prepare for professional work in the areas of conservation,education, preservation, restoration and recreation. This knowledge is complemented byrequirements that students gain practical work experience in the field during their academicexperience.1. What is a Catalina Island Conservancy Intern?After intensive week-long training sessions, the Interns provide direct assistance tosome of the Conservancy’s key projects. For example, they lead guided nature walksat sites such as the Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Garden, assist in sowing seeds,transplanting, weeding and watering at the James H. Ackerman Native Plant Nursery,and help to maintain the Trans Catalina trail. Interns are also on hand at the TwoHarbors pier and on Front Street in Avalon to answer visitors’ questions aboutCatalina Island’s unique natural history and conservation stories, and promoteConservancy membership.The aim of the Internship Program is to provide the student (future professional) with acomprehensive practical experience in a setting where learning is the primary objective of theexperience. To this end, the basic purposes of the Internships are:For the Student: to complete his/her professional preparation program in a controlled andsupervised field experience.For the Organization: to sponsor and guide the student and to interpret the experience while thestudent applies theoretical knowledge and practice.At the end of the Internship experience, the student will have achieved the following expectedoutcomes:A. Apply principles of program planning, implementation, and evaluation related torecreation Internships.B. Apply professional program skills and meet performance standards of the program forwhich the Internship applied.Page 4 of 13Catalina Island Conservancy Intern Policy