RETROSPECTIVE OF A SUCCESSFUL NPS AND GSA PARTNERSHIP – GEOSCIENTISTS-IN-THE-PARKS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

The National Park Service’s Geoscientists-in-the-Parks (GIP) Program created in partnership with the Geological Society of America’s GeoCorps America Program has provided valuable science expertise to parks and meaningful on-the-ground training for America’s youth for the past eighteen years. The GIP Program is the largest STEM-focused internship program in the National Park Service. Program participants have completed over 900 projects in parks and provided nearly 450,000 service hours to the National Park Service and American public. Since 2010, the program has developed GIP diversity internships and the Mosaics in Science Program to provide career development opportunities for youth that are typically under-represented in the STEM fields. GIP projects include inventory and monitoring of Earth system resources, geoscience research, GIS projects, and education and outreach opportunities. This talk will describe the program and its benefits to the NPS and participants, showcase several outstanding projects, and highlight key accomplishments since the inception of the program.