Since 1994, the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) has offered student summer internships for Native American and other college students with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). This program provides the opportunity for students to gain hands-on skills with EPA or other governmental and tribal environmental offices.

The internship is designed to give current college students an opportunity to:

  • Assist EPA/Tribal agencies with environmental issues.
  • Acquire new skills in a work environment.
  • Gain actual experience while contributing to a project.
  • Earn $4,800 during the eight-week experience.
  • Eligible students must meet the following:
  • Be a US Citizen.
  • Possess at valid driver’s license.
  • Be a full-time student during Spring 2020 (12 hrs undergrad, 9 hrs grad) with at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA.
  • Be majoring in an environmental or related field like science, engineering, planning, policy, law, management, political science, anthropology, health, etc and have an interest in pursuing an environmental career upon graduating from college.
  • Possess proficient verbal and written communication skills.
  • Have a strong interest in working with Native American tribes or projects benefiting Native American tribes.
  • Identify as Native American (Certificate of Indian Blood, tribal enrollment documentation or letter explaining tribal affiliation required).

Application Process:

  • Complete registration
  • Review potential host site descriptions.
  • Submit your host site preferences.
  • Submit the following documents in a single email as PDF files. Do not send word documents or images.
  • A current resume
  • Certificate of Indian Blood, tribal enrollment documentation or a letter explaining tribal affiliation
  • Two signed recommendations (References may also email recommendations directly to ITEP Staff).
  • Unofficial college transcript(s)
  • A one-page essay on your interest in environmental careers and working on tribal air quality issues.

Please submit your documents by email or mail:

Email documents to: eeop-intern@nau.edu

Mail documents to:

ITEP-EEOP Internship Program

PO Box 5768

Flagstaff, AZ 86011

Application Deadline: February 26, 2021.

Selection Process and Timeline:

The EEOP staff will coordinate with host sites to identify 3 to 5 applicants to interview. The intern applicants will be rated based on the following:

Quality of the application packet;

Interest in environmental careers as demonstrated by the essay and school transcripts, work, volunteer, and school activities;

Interest in tribal communities and issues as demonstrated by the essay and work, volunteer, and school activities;

Match to the skills and interests requested by the host site.

The host site staff will review the applications and conduct telephone interviews with the potential interns. The host office will make the final selection. See below for a tentative timeline for the selection process.

January 24, 2021 – Summer 2021 host site and project description posted for student applicants to review.

February 26, 2021 – Student application materials due.

March 20 – 27, 2021 – Students will be notified if selected for interviews with host sites. Interviews will need to take place as soon as possible.

April 6 – 15, 2021 – ITEP staff will notify student applicants of offers from Host Sites.

April – May, 2021 – During this time, students who have accepted an internship will need to plan to be responsive to communications from ITEP and the host site. Housing, travel and other logistics need to be planned with the student intern.

May – August, 2021 – The 8-week internship dates will be negotiated between the host site and the student interns.

Selected Interns:

The intern will work at the host site but will be paid by Northern Arizona University (NAU). The EEOP staff will work with the selected students to arrange travel, housing and payroll. Students will be paid by NAU and payment is based on students completing an 8 week, 40 hour per week internship.

Earning Academic Credits

Northern Arizona University does not offer academic credits for the ITEP-EEOP internship, however we will cooperate with any department or college that is willing to award academic credit for the internship. Be sure to review our program with your department to make sure it meets their requirements.

Job Requirements