Jobs
Friends is currently not hiring for permanent positions. Please take a look below for information on our internship programs.
Paid Internships
Our internship programs are among the most important things we do. Having interns roll up their sleeves, get outside, and participate in stewardship grows our capacity to restore the land, grows our stewardship community, and ultimately grows a constituency for the forest preserves. We also have interns that work on environmental policy and advocacy.
The Chicago Conservation Leadership Corps
This program for high school students is the result of a great partnership between Friends and The Student Conservation Association. In the program’s inaugural year of 2009, we received more than 600 applications and awarded 56 internships. This year we will hire at least 40 students and 11 leaders.
The internship is a 6-week program that includes a stipend. Students learn about local ecology and get their hands dirty working on conservation projects. See below to download the application and fact sheet. Applicants should have an interest in conservation and doing physically active work outdoors.
Applications are due April 18, 2012
Program Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Crew Member Application (15-19 high school)
Veteran Crew Member Application (RETURNING STUDENTS ONLY)
Crew Leader Application (21 and over leaders)
Urban Restoration Prescribed Fire Internship — Fall 2012
You don’t have to be an expert, and you don’t need prior experience. You just have to be interested. Each fall Friends, in partnership with The Student Conservation Association, hires a handful of interns for this 12-week program. You’ll gain experience with ecological restoration and prescribed fire while doing hands-on work and learning about the richness of our forest preserves.
Successful candidates receive a living allowance, uniforms and equipment, and are eligible for a $1,000 AmeriCorps education award.
Applicants must have a high school degree or GED, have access to a vehicle on a daily basis, and be at least 18 years old. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Applications will be available later this year.
Sam Vergara, Jr., 30
Former Friends’ Intern
Born and bred in inner-city Chicago, Sam Vergara Jr. will be the first to tell you that there aren’t a lot of minorities in conservation. He’ll also be the first to tell you just because people come from communities like his where trees are a scarcity, doesn’t mean they can’t be environmentally conscious.
In 2008, Sam went through our Urban Prescribed Fires Internship, and he is now the Student Conservation Association Program Coordinator for our joint program, the Chicago Conservation Leadership Corps.
We aim for our internship programs to open as many doors to the conservation field as possible. Our internships introduce people to the field and build job skills.
“All parts of the whole internship were so valuable,” he says. “Everything they taught me I’ve used. There are things to take with you after the program – job skills and work skills, team-building – even if you don’t go into conservation.”
Since the end of his internship, Sam has given back to his community by helping to create four pocket parks in his Little Village neighborhood.